(a) Inspections for the purpose of issuing a WDIR must be conducted in a manner consistent with the procedures described in this section by a licensed certified applicator or technician in the Termite and Wood Destroying Insect Control category. The printed name and registration number or license number of any employees receiving training that are present for the inspection must be listed on the report. The purpose of the inspection is to provide a WDIR regarding the absence or presence of wood destroying insects and conditions conducive to wood destroying insect infestation. The inspection should provide the basis for recommendations for preventive or remedial actions, if necessary, to minimize economic losses. Only for purposes of a Real Estate Transaction Inspection Report, as described in §7.176 of this chapter (relating to Real Estate Transaction Inspection Reports), there must be visible evidence of active infestation in the structure or visible evidence of a previous infestation in the structure with no evidence of prior treatment to recommend a corrective treatment. The inspection must be conducted so as to ensure examination of all visible accessible areas in or on a structure in accordance with accepted procedures. While such an examination may reveal wood destroying insects, there are instances when concealed infestations and/or damage may not be discovered. Examinations of inaccessible or obstructed areas are not required.
(b) Inaccessible or obstructed areas recognized by the department include, but are not limited to:
  (1) inaccessible attics or portion thereof;
  (2) the interior of hollow walls, spaces between a floor, or porch deck and the ceiling or soffit below;
  (3) such structural segments as porte cocheres, enclosed bay windows, buttresses, and similar areas to which there is no access without defacing or tearing out lumber, masonry, or finished work;
  (4) areas behind or beneath stoves, refrigerators, furniture, built-in cabinets, insulation, and floor coverings; and
  (5) areas where storage conditions or locks make inspection impracticable.
(c) The inspector must describe the structure(s) inspected and include the following:
  (1) the address or location;
  (2) a diagram showing:
    (A) approximate numerical perimeter measurements of the structure as accurately as practical (does not have to be to scale);
    (B) construction details needed for clarity of the report;
    (C) areas of current wood destroying insect activity;
    (D) areas of previous wood destroying insect activity; and
    (E) areas of conditions conducive to infestation by wood destroying insects;
  (3) inaccessible or obstructed areas, including, but not limited to the areas listed in subsection (b) of this section.
(d) The inspection must include, but is not limited to, the following areas if accessible and unobstructed:
  (1) plumbing, which includes:
    (A) bathroom;
    (B) kitchen;
    (C) laundry; or
    (D) other specified area, i.e., hot tub, etc.;
  (2) window and door frames and sills;
  (3) baseboards, flooring, walls, and ceilings;
  (4) entrance steps and porches;
  (5) exterior of slab or foundation wall;
  (6) crawl spaces, which include:
    (A) support piers (include stiff legs);
    (B) floor joist;
    (C) sub floors;
    (D) sill plates; and
    (E) foundation wall.
  (7) fireplace; and
  (8) weep holes.
(e) Visible evidence of the following conditions must be reported:
  (1) wood destroying insects or signs of current active infestation;
  (2) termite tubes or frass;
  (3) exit holes or frass from other wood destroying insects;
  (4) evidence of previous treatment or infestation;
  (5) conditions conducive to wood destroying insect infestation, including but not limited to:
    (A) a structure with wood to ground contact;
    (B) formboards left in place;
    (C) excessive moisture;
    (D) wood debris under or around structure;
    (E) footing too low or soil line too high;
    (F) insufficient clearance in crawl space;
    (G) expansion joints or cracks in slab; and
    (H) decks; and
  (6) infestation of other wood destroying insects.

Source Note: The provisions of this §7.175 adopted to be effective January 9, 2018, 43 TexReg 42; amended to be effective January 16, 2023, 48 TexReg 129