When the statute calls for a written report
Section 482.226(1) applies when a company inspects for wood-destroying organisms for a real estate transaction and either charges a fee or the customer asks for a written report. The report goes on a form prescribed by FDACS, and the person who does the inspection is a licensee or a representative qualified for the work. Florida defines wood-destroying organisms as termites, powder-post beetles, oldhouse borers and wood-decaying fungi, and the inspection must cover all of them.
Florida pest control companies call it FDACS Form 13645 on their own pages and describe it as needed for a sale, refinance or lease.
Inspection cost in Florida: what our model says
A pest inspection comes to $40 to $230 per inspection in our model, with a termite inspection row beside it. Both scale one national source by Florida's pest control wage ratio of 0.99, and neither is a quote.
No Florida company inspection price was counted. Ask whether the fee covers the written report and whether it comes off a later treatment.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $40 to $230 per inspection | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida pest control worker wage ratio (0.99). Four Florida pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range for a termite inspection, not a quote | $0 to $285 per termite inspection, often free with treatment | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida pest control worker wage ratio (0.99), then widened to take in the lowest and highest of the four Florida company prices for this job ($50 to $150). Four Florida pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: small sample (4), national estimate joined with the company range. |
| Pest control pay, Florida | $22.15 an hour | Florida mean pay for pest control workers (BLS, May 2025); an inspection price comes from the company. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Florida's pest control worker wage ratio to the US (0.99, BLS May 2025), with no permit fee added because pest control has no city permit. Not a quote. Four Florida pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
What the report has to list
The statute asks for the company name, the inspection date and the address of the structure. It also asks for the visible, accessible areas the inspector did not inspect and why, the areas that were inaccessible, any visible evidence of previous treatment or infestation, and the identity of any organisms present with the visible damage. A closing line states that the inspection notice has been affixed and where.
If the company treats at the time of the inspection, the report adds the organisms treated, the pesticide and the terms. The inspector and the company must also certify that neither has a financial interest in the property or ties to any party to the transaction other than for the inspection.
The notice at the attic or crawl space access
After a wood-destroying organism inspection the company posts a notice of at least 3 inches by 5 inches, made of material that lasts at least 3 years, beside the attic or crawl space access. It carries the company's name and address and the inspection date, and a treatment adds the treatment date, the pesticide and the organism. Only the property owner may remove it.
The company keeps its own copy of the report for at least 3 years. A company that does these inspections carries errors-and-omissions insurance or a bond of at least $500,000 aggregate and $250,000 per occurrence, or shows equity or net worth of at least $500,000.
What the report promises
Section 482.226(2)(c) says a report is not a promise that wood-destroying organisms, damage or other evidence are absent, unless the report itself states the extent of such a promise.
An inspection with no sale behind it
The statute's report belongs to a real estate transaction or a customer's written request. For a pest inspection with neither, ask what the inspector will look at, what the visit costs and whether the fee is credited if you hire the company for the work.
Does an inspection need a same-day call?
- Visible damage or live insects found during an inspection: the report must list visible evidence of infestation and damage, and any treatment then needs its own written contract under rule 5E-14.105.
- Comparing inspection fees and what each includes.
- Asking your lender how old a report it will accept.
Steps before the visit
- Tell the company whether the inspection is for a sale or for your own information.
- Ask for the report on the state's prescribed form.
- Look for the 3 by 5 inch notice beside the attic or crawl space access afterwards.
- Ask which areas were inaccessible and why, in writing.
- Ask your lender how old a report it will accept.
Who may write the report
A licensee or a representative qualified for the work signs the report, and the company holds an FDACS business license for the location. Section 482.242 reserves pest control regulation to the state, though its exceptions let a local government require annual termite inspections for multicomplex dwellings of more than 10 units or require owners to obtain licensed inspections. Ask for the license number and who the operator in charge is.
Ask for the company's FDACS business license number and the name of its certified operator in charge, and check the license with FDACS before any work starts.
Questions people ask
What does a pest or termite inspection cost in Florida?
The model's range is $40 to $230 per inspection, which is an estimate, not a quote. The table also shows a termite inspection row. Ask whether the fee includes the written report.
How long is a Florida wood-destroying organism report good for?
Ask the lender or the buyer how old a report they'll accept. Section 482.226 sets what the report contains and has the company keep a copy for at least 3 years.
Does the report say a house has no termites?
No. Section 482.226(2)(c) says a report isn't a promise that wood-destroying organisms or damage are absent unless it states the extent of one. It lists what the inspector could see, plus the areas that weren't inspected or were inaccessible and why.
What is the 3 by 5 inch notice in my attic?
The inspection notice the company must post beside the attic or crawl space access. It carries the company's name and address and the inspection date, and only the owner may remove it.
Who must keep a copy of the report?
The company, for at least 3 years. Ask for your own copy at the time. The statute also asks the company to carry errors-and-omissions insurance or a bond.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 2026 (Online Sunshine), chapter 482 Pest Control, page header "The 2026 Florida Statutes", ss. 482.021, 482.226(1)-(2) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Dade Pest Solutions (Miami-Dade) WDO inspection page; Webenex WDO inspection price page Read Oct 24, 2026.