What to Do When You Discover Termite Damage in Your Home

If you just tapped a wall and heard a hollow crunch, or spotted little mud tubes crawling up your foundation, take a deep breath. You’re in the right place. This 5-part guide walks you through every step so you don’t lose your house—or your money—to these silent destroyers.

Part 1: Spot the Signs & Take the First Steps (Don’t Let It Spread)

Finding termite damage feels like discovering a small fire in your kitchen—you have to act fast or the whole house goes up.

Common red flags in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia homes:

• Mud tubes running up foundation walls (they look like dirty straws)
• Wood that sounds hollow when you knock
• Discarded wings or tiny piles of what looks like sawdust
• Doors or windows that suddenly stick

 

Immediate 3-step action plan:

1. Stay calm and don’t start ripping walls open (that destroys evidence).
2. Call a licensed termite inspector today—ask for a full WDO/CL-100 report.
3. Write down the date, location, and what you saw. Your phone note is worth thousands later.

Think of it like a small kitchen fire—grab the extinguisher now, not after the curtains are burning.

Part 2: Gather Bulletproof Evidence (Your Claim Depends on This)

Evidence is to a termite claim what ingredients are to a cake—skip one and the whole thing falls flat.

Your must-have proof pack:

• Close-up photos & videos (say the date out loud while recording)
• The official inspection report on company letterhead
• At least 2–3 written repair estimates
• Old contracts, seller disclosures, and pest-treatment history

Biggest mistake we see? Homeowners start “fixing” things themselves and accidentally throw away the proof. Don’t be that person.

Download our free Termite Evidence Checklist (text “PROOF” to us) so you never miss a piece.

Part 3: Get the Right Experts on Your Team (Inspector + Lawyer)

Trying to handle termite claims alone is like fixing a leaky roof in a downpour—you’ll stay soaked.

Two teams you need:

1. A licensed exterminator/inspector (verify their state license online in 10 seconds)
2. A lawyer who actually sues sellers and pest companies (hint: that’s us)

Red flag to call us immediately:

• Damage found within 12 months of buying
• Seller checked “no known termite issues” on the disclosure
• The pest company “treated” but clearly missed it

 

Part 4: Make Someone Else Pay (Demand Letters, Negotiation & Lawsuits)

This is where the money shows up.

There are only three usual suspects who should be writing the check:

1. The seller who lied (or “forgot”) on the disclosure form
2. The pest company that botched the inspection or treatment
3. The builder (common in new construction)

 

Our 3-step payoff process:

1. We send a professional demand letter with every photo and report
2. We negotiate like pros (their first offer is always flea-market cheap)
3. We file suit if they stall—most fold the second the courthouse papers hit their desk

 

Part 5: Repair, Recover & Keep Termites Gone Forever

Congratulations—you’ve won. Now let’s make your house better than it was before.

Smart money buckets:

• Repairs (beams, drywall, paint)
• Future protection (bait stations, annual contracts)
• Your family (catch up on life)

 

Prevention habits that actually work in our humid Southern states:

• Keep soil and mulch 6–8 inches away from the foundation
• Fix every plumbing leak the same week
• Schedule a pro inspection every single year—no exceptions

 

Think of it like rebuilding after a storm: clean up, reinforce, add shutters, and the next one can’t hurt you.

You now have the complete roadmap from panic to payoff.

If termites are eating your equity and someone else should be paying for it, don’t fight alone.

Text or call us right now for a free termite-damage review.

We’ll look at your evidence, tell you who’s legally responsible, and lay out exactly how much you should get—no cost, no pressure.

You’ve got enough bugs to deal with. Let us handle the legal ones.