A pest inspection is cheap intelligence. Here’s what it actually covers.
One call reaches a licensed, local exterminator who covers your address — and a real person answers, 24/7.
Talk to a licensed exterminator now
Call and we’ll connect you with a licensed, local exterminator who covers your address. It takes about two minutes, and a real person answers.
Free to call. Free to get matched. The licensed operator sets any inspection fee and quote.
24/7 line · A real person answers · Availability of same-day and emergency service depends on the provider.
The three inspections Polk County homeowners actually order
General pest inspection
A structured walk of the structure inside and out: active pest evidence, recent activity, and the conducive conditions — moisture, harborage, entry points — that invite the next problem. Produces a written assessment and usually a treatment recommendation if anything is found.
Termite / WDO-focused evaluation
Ordered when there’s specific evidence — mud tubes, frass, wings, soft wood. The inspector confirms species, probes extent and maps conducive conditions. This is the inspection that decides between barrier, bait, tent and no-tent paths.
WDO report for a closing
The regulated real-estate product: a wood-destroying-organism inspection reported on Florida’s DACS-13645 form by a WDO-licensed inspector. FHA and VA lenders read these closely, and findings can become conditions of closing on a tight clock.
What a thorough Lakeland inspection walks through
Exterior perimeter
Foundation and slab edge (mud tubes, ant trails), eaves and soffits (wildlife and rodent gaps, drywood entry), weep holes, grade and drainage, mulch contact, and wood-to-soil touch points.
Interior pressure zones
Kitchen and bathrooms (roach harborage, plumbing moisture), window sills (swarmer wings, frass), baseboards and door frames (probe testing), garage and laundry (rodent droppings, entry gaps).
Attic and access spaces
Rodent runs and droppings, nesting, wildlife evidence, drywood frass under rafters, moisture staining — the zone Polk County homeowners see once a year and inspectors read like a logbook.
Written assessment
Findings, conducive conditions, and recommendations in writing. For WDO closings, on the DACS-13645 form specifically. Keep every report — the paper trail matters for bonds, claims and resale.
Found something you can’t identify?
One call reaches a licensed, local exterminator who covers your address — and a real person answers, 24/7.
Free to call. Free to get matched. The licensed operator sets any inspection fee and quote.
What drives the inspection fee (we never set prices)
Every independent operator sets their own fee structure, and the honest ones explain it up front. The levers:
- Inspection type — a general assessment, a termite-focused evaluation and a regulated WDO closing report are different products with different fee logic; the WDO cost guide covers the closing-report side in depth.
- Property size and access — square footage, crawl spaces, multiple attics and outbuildings add inspection time.
- Fee credit policies — some operators apply the inspection fee toward treatment if you proceed; ask before booking, and get the policy in writing.
- Timeline — closing-driven WDO reports on rush timelines are priced accordingly.
Selling soon? A pre-listing inspection surfaces findings while you still control the timeline — the pre-listing guide explains why sellers who inspect first negotiate from strength. And before you book anyone, the questions-to-ask guide arms you for the call.
Verify before you hire — any Florida pest company’s license status, categories and discipline history is public at the FDACS license search at aessearch.fdacs.gov. WDO closing reports specifically require the WDO license category; check it.
Pest inspection questions, answered straight
Is a pest inspection the same as a WDO inspection?
No. A general pest inspection is a broad health check for any pest pressure. A WDO inspection is the regulated wood-destroying-organism product on Florida’s DACS-13645 form, performed by a WDO-licensed inspector, and it’s what lenders and closings require. Ordering the wrong one for a real-estate deal costs you a week.
Do inspections cost money in Lakeland?
That’s each operator’s call — some charge an inspection fee (sometimes credited toward treatment), some fold evaluation into a service visit, and regulated WDO reports always carry a fee set by the inspector. We don’t set or publish prices; ask the operator’s policy when the dispatch line connects you.
How often should a Polk County home be inspected?
Annually is the standard rhythm here, for one structural reason: Polk County termite pressure is year-round and mostly invisible between swarm seasons. Pre-1980 homes, anything with past termite activity, and homes under a termite bond (where annual inspection is usually contractual) have the strongest case.
Should I clean up before the inspection?
Tidy access, not evidence. Clear the water heater closet, attic hatch and garage walls so the inspector can reach them — but don’t vacuum droppings, sweep frass piles or repaint stained wood. The evidence you’d clean up is exactly what the inspector needs to see fresh.
What happens if the inspection finds something?
You get the finding in writing with a recommended path — and the quote for treatment comes from the licensed operator, never from us. For termite findings, the termite cost guide explains the levers behind the number so the conversation makes sense before you sign anything.
The problems are smallest while they’re still invisible.
One call reaches a licensed, local exterminator who covers your address — and a real person answers, 24/7.
Free to call. Free to get matched. The licensed operator sets any inspection fee and quote.
Disclosure
Lakeland Exterminators is a dispatch and matching service. We connect Polk County callers with FDACS-licensed structural pest control operators. We are not a licensed pest control operator and we do not perform inspections. We do not set prices, issue warranties, hold retreatment bonds, or carry pest control trade insurance. All pricing — including any inspection fee — scheduling, treatment plans, warranties, bonds and service terms are determined by the FDACS-licensed operator dispatched to your address under Chapter 482, Florida Statutes.
Same-day and 24/7 emergency services are subject to provider participation, location, technician availability, and demand. Availability is not guaranteed and may vary by market and appointment capacity.
License status of any operator you connect with is publicly verifiable at the FDACS license search: aessearch.fdacs.gov.