The warranty comparison worksheet
Extract these terms from each warranty document and put them in a table, one column per warranty. 1. Type: retreatment-only or repair. 2. Covered structures: as listed on the graph; note anything missing. 3. Covered species: subterranean, drywood, Formosan, all. 4. Trigger: the exact wording of what obligates the provider to act, and whether tubes alone qualify. 5. Reporting deadline: days from discovery. 6. Response time: days from report to inspection and to treatment. 7. Retreatment scope: the affected area, or the whole structure, at the provider's discretion. 8. Repair cap: per claim, per year or lifetime; whether it covers contents, finishes and engineering. 9. New damage definition: how the warranty distinguishes new from pre-existing, usually by reference to the initial graph. 10. Contractor selection: provider chooses, you choose, or you choose from a list. 11. Exclusions: each one in plain words. 12. Homeowner obligations: conducive-condition corrections, access, no other pest control, notice before construction. 13. Renewal fee: amount and escalation clause. 14. Annual inspection: included, interior and exterior, or exterior only. 15. Lapse and reinstatement: grace period and cost to reinstate. 16. Transfer: fee, inspection requirement, deadline. 17. Cancellation: by either party, notice and refund terms. 18. Dispute resolution: arbitration, venue, time limit for claims. Add a five-year cost row: any initial premium plus four renewals at the stated fee, with a note if escalation is uncapped. Then read across each row and mark differences. The trigger, exclusions and cap rows usually decide the comparison; the fee rows tell you what the difference costs. Anything unclear becomes a written question to the provider. A good answer is specific and can be added as an addendum. An answer that relies on it never being a problem in practice is a reason to keep asking.
Reading the trigger, the cap and the exclusions closely
The trigger is the sentence that makes the warranty real. Strong wording obligates the provider to retreat, at no charge, any covered structure where new evidence of covered termites is found, within a stated number of days of notice. Weaker wording says the provider will retreat as necessary in its judgment, or requires live termites to be present at the provider's inspection. termites are not always visible when the technician arrives; fresh tubes and rebuilt tubes should count. Ask each provider whether they do, and get the answer in writing. The repair cap is the number that matters on a repair warranty. Ask whether it is per claim, per year or for the life of the warranty, and whether it resets. Then ask yourself whether it would cover a realistic repair for your house: replacing a section of sill plate and sistering several joists in a crawl space can run several thousand dollars; a low cap that would not cover that is a small benefit for the extra fee. Also check what the cap includes: materials and labor only, or also drywall, paint, flooring and engineering. The new damage definition is where repair claims are won or lost. Most warranties treat anything on the initial inspection graph as pre-existing and excluded. That makes the initial graph one of the most important documents you hold. Review it before signing, ask for corrections if it marks sound wood as damaged or omits areas, and keep it with the warranty. Exclusions vary and should be read one by one. Conducive-condition clauses deserve special attention: if the provider notes a leak, wood-to-soil contact or grade above the sill and you do not correct it, coverage for that area can be reduced or voided. Keep every notice and every receipt for corrections. Inaccessible-area exclusions can be reduced by clearing access before the initial inspection, so do that if you can.
Fees, renewals, transfer and choosing between warranties
Compare fees over five years, not one. A warranty included free in the first year and renewing at a fee that can rise without limit is a different product from one with a modest first-year premium and a capped renewal. Ask each provider for the renewal fee history over the past few years; established providers can tell you. Check what the renewal includes. Many include an annual inspection; some inspect the exterior only unless you request more. An annual inspection that covers the interior and crawl space is worth something on its own, and it is also what keeps the provider's records current for any claim. Read the lapse clause and take it seriously. A missed renewal can end the warranty, and reinstatement may require a new treatment at full price. Set a reminder a month ahead. If you expect to sell within a few years, weigh transferability: a transferable warranty with a reasonable fee is a selling point, and buyers' lenders sometimes ask about it. When choosing between two warranties, ask which one would actually pay in the scenarios you care about. If your main worry is termites returning, a retreatment warranty with a clear trigger, fast response and few exclusions is the right product, and the repair upgrade may not be worth it. If your house has a crawl space with a history of damage and you want the cost of new damage covered, a repair warranty with a meaningful cap is worth the extra fee, provided the initial graph is accurate. If the two providers' treatments and prices are similar, choose the warranty with the clearer trigger and the capped renewal. Whatever you choose, file the full document, the graph, the renewal notices and every claim and response together. The warranty is only as good as your ability to show that you kept its terms.
Evidence check: termite encounters, DIY attempts and professional help
Homeowners often ask whether a termite problem is unusual and whether a quoted price is normal. Public research cannot answer either question for one house, but it does set expectations. Here is what the sources report. In Pest Control Technology (PCT) magazine's 2025 termite market report (a Readex Research survey of roughly 145 pest-control professionals about 2024 operations), 79% of responding locations offered pre-construction treatment, which describes services on the menu rather than how many new homes are treated. Thirty-two percent of U.S. homeowners in National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and Harris Poll research released March 24, 2026, said they worried about the financial cost of termite damage, a stated concern rather than a measure of homes with damage. According to the NPMA/Harris Poll findings released March 24, 2026, only 16% of U.S. homeowners preferred DIY termite control to hiring a professional; the figure reflects stated intentions, not measured purchasing behavior. Homeowners who cannot tell a termite from a flying ant are the norm, since only 32% of U.S. homeowners in National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and Harris Poll research released March 24, 2026, believed they could identify one, a stated-confidence figure, not a test score. Most homeowners reach for the hardware-store aisle first: 57% of the 2,000 U.S. respondents in ConsumerAffairs' February 2024 survey of 2,000 U.S. respondents reported using store-bought pest products, a self-reported finding from a mixed pest-and-mold survey that speaks to habits, not infestation rates. If one number should shape your next step, it is how often do-it-yourself attempts fall short. That is not an argument against trying, but it is a reason to set a deadline and call a professional if the problem persists past it.