What a Florida WDO report covers
The wood destroying organism report most Florida home sales need: who can do it, what it records, and why a clean report isn't a guarantee.
A WDO inspection is the termite report most Florida home sales ask for, and VA and FHA loans usually require. WDO means wood destroying organism: termites, wood boring beetles and wood decaying fungi.
Who can do it
In Florida the report is written on the state form, FDACS-13645, by a pest control company licensed for termite and other WDO work. Of the 3575 companies listed here, 2143 hold that category and 207 say on their website that they do WDO or real estate inspections.
What the report records
- Whether there is visible evidence of live wood destroying organisms
- Visible damage, and evidence of earlier treatment
- Which areas could not be inspected, and why: insulation over a crawlspace floor, stored boxes, finished walls
The inspection is visual. It covers what the inspector could see and reach that day. Anything behind drywall, under insulation or in a blocked attic is listed as not inspected, and the report says nothing about it.
When a clean report goes wrong
Buyers have tented within months of closing on a clean report. In one Tampa case reported by WFLA, the operator who signed the WDO report was unlicensed and faced felony charges over forged reports. Two checks protect you: confirm the inspecting company's FDACS license on this site or the FDACS search, and read the "areas not inspected" part of the report before you waive anything.
Questions to ask
- Is the report on FDACS form 13645, signed by your company?
- Which areas could you not inspect?
- Is there an active termite warranty on the house, and can it transfer to me?