Unbiased termite inspections in Los Angeles?

May 12, 2011 11:50 PM

Are there companies in Los Angeles that give UNBIASED termite inspections?

My wife and I are looking to buy a house in Los Angeles. It's a short sale, and I got sick of waiting for the bank's short sale approval to get the inspection and termite inspection done. After all, why wait around for so many months (we're over 2 months in) when the house could have major structural or termite damage?

So the house inspection (plus an extra structure in the back yard) was $380. But the termite inspection was free. Like a rube simpleton, I thought, "Great, that's one less thing I need to pay." Of course, that's what they WANT you to think. That way, when they slap you with a quote of $2,500 to fix all the termite damage you're supposed to say, "Well, they DID give me the free inspection. What's a measly $2,500?"

But I'm thinking that if I paid for an unbiased house inspection--foundation, HVAC, functional stuff--why not pay for an unbiased termite inspection. Theoretically, the house inspector isn't there to sell me repair services. He's not going to offer to re-stucco the house or rewire the garage. He just gives you an idea of the overall condition. What about a termite guy that could do this?

I'd be willing to spend $100 (or whatever it takes) to get an honest evaluation of the damage done by our six-legged friends.

So does this exist in Los Angeles? Elsewhere? What else can I do? I'm not going to do it myself. I don't know anything about termites.

posted by rybreadmed to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

Best answer: You might try Western Exterminators in Los Angeles. They host the bug fair at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History and are family owned. I had quite a long conversation with the father of the company at the fair. I asked him about two bugs I was wanting to get rid of, wasps and roaches. He convinced me that the wasps were not aggressive and beneficial to my garden. The roaches travel through the city pipes, so he said extermination wouldn't really address the problem. A very ethical man.
posted by effluvia at 9:06 AM on May 13, 2011

Response by poster: Thank you very much. That is actually exactly what I'm looking for--somebody with the knowledge and ethics to give me an honest evaluation. Perfect.
posted by rybreadmed at 9:35 AM on May 15, 2011

Response by poster: I just realized after posting my response that it sounds like a commercial. I just have a coworker who is really into bugs and he always brings back stuff from the bug fair. Since the bug fair is legitimate, I figure that the host probably is. I'm still looking for other ideas in who to contact regarding an unbiased termite inspection.
posted by rybreadmed at 9:39 AM on May 15, 2011