CL-100/Termite Inspections

If you’re purchasing a home in Charleston, South Carolina, a CL-100 Inspection will be required by your lender in order to close.  So what is this inspection and what does it entail?  The CL-100 Inspection is also called a Termite Inspection, and the report is called the Official South Carolina Wood Infestation Report.

The purpose of the inspection is to check for:

1. Visible evidence of active, or a previous infestation of subterranean termites or other wood-destroying insects (like powder post beetles or carpenter bees, for example).
2. Visible evidence of whether there has been prior subterranean termite treatment.
3. Below the first main floor, if there is the presence or evidence of:  active wood-destroying fungi (which has a wood moisture content of 28% or above), or if there is the presence of wood-destroying fungi that is inactive (less than 28% wood moisture content).  Fungus will not grow if there isn’t enough moisture, so it is important to find the direct cause of the moisture and work to resolve the problem.
4. Any visibly damaged wooden members below the main first floor of the home (columns, sills, joists, plates, door jambs, headers, exterior stairs, porches, or fungi damage below the first floor).  If the Inspector finds any of this to be true, he or she will have to list IN DETAIL the damaged areas.

The CL-100 Inspector will go under and around the house to check for all of these items and circumstances.  If he or she finds that the damage noted in #4 above is damage enough to warrant further investigation- then they will recommend that a licensed contractor or structural engineer licensed or registered with the SC Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations, will need to provide a letter on letterhead stating to the effect that either the home does not need repair, and that the home is “structurally sound”, or that repairs have been made, and it is “structurally sound”.  Either of those circumstances will need to occur in order to obtain a “clear CL-100”.  In fact, Your lender, when purchasing, will require a copy of this letter.  It will be needed in order to close.

Please note that we live in a coastal area here in Charleston, and that it is typical to find homes with either active fungi, or the presence of inactive fungi.  I am not a moisture expert but from what I’ve seen, you should find the SOURCE for the moisture problem and not rely on a band-aid approach as a solution.  Concentrate on the source of the moisture, and you should be able to ensure that it won’t be a future problem for you and your family!