There is NO such thing as a “licensed home inspector”! There is such a thing as a Licensed Pest Control Operator/WDO Inspector.

A PEST CONTROL I.D. CARD HOLDER IS NOT THE SAME AS A PEST CONTROL LICENSEE (also known as a Certified Operator)! If you are a realtor, homeowner, or homebuyer, or simply want to know WDO Facts, then read on. You need to know there is a difference. In fact, a memo addressed specifically to realtors was issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) commissioner Charles Bronson.

If you are reading this page then it probably means you are about to, or have entered into a contract to purchase a home. Imagine moving into your house and while moving, you bump the baseboard with a box. This baseboard disintegrates and all of these little white bugs are falling out! The first response is shock because you know a termite (WDO) inspection was done before you closed. The second response is then of anger and the feeling of despair because your house has termites. Your brand new, largest expense you will ever have, all of that money for this house, and now this. This happens so many times because either you or your realtor used someone inexperienced or possibly not even properly licensed, to inspect your home. Prevent this problem by reading on. Or simply call The Pest Detective, Inc. and we can provide you with information and help because of our expert knowledge and years of experience regarding this isuue.

The University of Florida has conducted a study on this growing problem and the Florida Legislature recently (July 2006) passed Fl S 1388 because the language of our laws is being abused. The new language for an “employee” and “independent contractor” was an attempt to tighten up the loopholes that home inspectors are using to circumvent the law. I.D. cards are easily “rented” to unqualified and untrained people.

When a company performs a WDO Inspection for real-estate transactions or refinancing, and uses the Form 13465 as prescribed by DACS, the “Licensee name” is supposed to be on the form and the same “Licensee’s name” should be on the check for payment of the inspection. If the inspector suggests the check be made out to someone other than the licensee’s name, like the home inspection company or the inspector, there is a good chance the inspector is performing an illegal operation. Now these same untrained and unlicensed home inspectors have decided they are qualified enough to perform WDO inspections because of a loophole within Florida Statutes Chapter 482 If they have an I.D. card and it’s less than 3 years than you should become concerned. If they are licensed then you can be sure they have at least 3 or more year’s experience. You should at least Search to see exactly how experienced your inspector is and if he actually is even in the pest busines. Educating yourself on exactly who you use as an inspector takes only a minute and could save you significant time and money. (The use of these database searches requires Sun Java JVM to be installed and the security certificate to be granted to your computer. Please follow the on line instructions to install. Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 6 have been tested and verified for use with this database.)

In July of 2006 the Florida legislature tried, but could not pass, HB 161 by Rep. Carl Domino (R-Palm Beach Gardens). This bill would have finally prevented just anyone from doing home inspections. Because there is no policing or licensing requirements on the home inspector industry by the government, anyone could start his/her own home inspection business! This measure was rejected due to critics believing the bill wasn’t protective enough for buyers from unscrupulous or untrained home inspectors. So now we still have the unscrupulous/untrained home inspector doing inspections and no one to police them. Home inspectors will then reply that they are ASHI or NAHI members. These are, in laymen terms, clubs or affiliations that simply require an application and money. You pay the annual dues and you’re a member – plain and simple. Complete their very simple applications and training and you can become a member. The same could be said for joining any other affiliated groups such as NEFAR or FPMA. However, the difference with these industries is you must be licensed to practice in their respective fields, so not just anyone can start selling homes or performing pest control. The reality is that most of these home inspectors are exploiting a loophole for financial gain – period. If this wasn’t true then simply ask yourself why are local home inspectors using a license from a company who is in the lower half of the State? A company who isn’t even a part of or contributes to our local communities? Unfortunately and ultimately it is the consumer who ends up on the losing end of this situation and all because of greed. The irony is this: the very first rule under ASHI code of ethics is; “1. Inspectors shall avoid conflicts of interest or activities that compromise, or appear to compromise, professional independence, objectivity, or inspection integrity.” 6 hours of WDO training is a compromise of inspection integrity. But then again, it is only a “code”, which anyone can subscribe to. In fact, it is of our opinion that several of the ASHI “codes” are abused whenever an I.D. card carrying home inspector performs a WDO inspection.

Realtors and consumers use these inspectors because of the convenience and lack of knowledge. They are being wrongly informed. They call these home inspectors and are told that yes, for an additional fee a WDO inspection can be included, unaware of how poorly trained they are. Most of all it is the consumer who should be protected from the greed and unscrupulous acts of others. I firmly believe that these types of incidents can only hurt our respective services if we don’t protect them ourselves.

Talk to any licensed Pest Operator and he will tell you it takes at least 5 years of everyday WDO inspections to be completely knowledgeable on this subject. It takes 3 years of actually being in the pest control industry before you can even take the exam! Home inspectors state that they have years of experience in the construction/inspection industry. So what does this have to with wood destroying organisms? Do they really know what they’re doing when it comes to bugs, or wood destroying organisms? My personal experience is no, they are taking advantage of people by circumventing Florida Law. The WDO inspection should be done in accordance with Florida Statutes and it simply is not being complied. Furthermore, it seems common sense to have a licensed and experienced pest control inspector doing these WDO inspections so that you will know the proper treatments and or control measures for each type of organism or bug. The Pest Detective has helped THOUSANDS of satisfied customers because we are Licensed and have over 55 years of combined knowledge and experience amongst our inspectors. This experience and honesty is why we are YOUR WDO PRO (yourwdopro.com)!

Finally, you can also call DACS at 1.850.921.4177 to find out the number of complaints a company has had.

We hope this site will help you become better informed and help you make the right choices when it comes to one of your largest investments – your home. Throughout all of these websites, you will find that The Pest Detective, Inc. has always maintained the highest level of customer satisfaction by abiding by the laws and being a leading Florida pest control company where integrity and honesty really does mean something; this has allowed us to celebrate 14 years serving the Greater Jacksonville area!

Your WDO Pro