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The Alabama WDO Letter Checklist

Almost every WDO letter that holds up a closing does so for one of five reasons, and four of them are preventable before the inspector arrives. This is the list we wish every file had run through first. Use it, print it, send it to your sellers — it is free and there is nothing to fill in.

1. Have these six things in front of you when you order

Every one of these gets asked on the call. Having them ready turns a five-minute order into a ninety-second one, and prevents the reissues that cost days later.

Full property addressIncluding unit or lot number. A wrong address is the single most common reason a letter has to be reissued.
Closing dateGive it at order time. Everything is scheduled backward from this.
Loan typeVA, FHA, conventional or refinance. It changes who receives the report and how closely it gets read.
Who gets the finished letterAgent, closing attorney, lender processor, buyer — list every address up front rather than forwarding it later.
Access contactThe person who can physically open the house, the crawlspace and any gates. Usually the listing agent or seller, rarely the buyer.
Occupancy statusVacant, seller-occupied or tenant-occupied. Tenants need notice, and that notice period is a scheduling constraint.

2. Send this to whoever is preparing the house

An inspector who cannot reach an area has to record it as inaccessible. That line gets read by lenders and VA appraisers, and it is how a routine file turns into a re-inspection request.

Crawlspace access, unlocked and clearThis is the number one cause of a return trip. The inspector has to physically enter. A padlocked door, a screwed-down panel, or a hatch blocked by stored furniture means the inspection cannot be completed that day.

Attic hatch reachableMove anything stacked underneath it. If the only access is inside a closet, clear the shelf below.

Garage perimeter walls exposedBoxes, shelving and stored lumber against the walls hide exactly the areas that have to be examined. Twelve to eighteen inches of clearance is enough.

Water heater and under-sink cabinets clearPlumbing penetrations and any long-term moisture around them are inspection points.

Gates unlocked, pets securedA dog in the back yard stops the exterior inspection as completely as a locked gate does.

Utilities onOn a vacant or foreclosure property, no power means no light in the crawlspace or attic. Confirm before the appointment, not on the day.

Stored firewood and mulch notedWood in contact with the structure is a conducive condition and gets recorded. Moving it before the inspection is legitimate; it is a genuine correction, not concealment.

3. A complete report is two parts, not one

This is the detail that most often makes a file incomplete without anyone noticing. Rule 80-10-9-.18 requires the Official Alabama Wood Infestation Inspection Report as Part A and Part B, and the buyer’s acknowledgment on Part A refers to both. A file holding only Part A is missing the half that defines what the inspection did and did not cover.

Part AThe report itselfCarries the inspecting company's identity — name, address and the license or permit number of the certified operator — plus the inspection date, the findings, and any recommendations. This is the part everyone means when they say “the termite letter.” It also carries the buyer's acknowledgment line, and that line refers to Part A AND Part B together.

Part BThe diagram and the consumer information sectionA sketch of the structure showing where findings and inaccessible areas actually are, plus the CONSUMER INFORMATION SECTION setting out the scope and limitations of the inspection. It is not an optional attachment or a courtesy page — Rule 80-10-9-.18 names Part B in the same breath as Part A and requires both.

Two practical consequencesWhen a lender or closing attorney asks for “the termite letter,” send both parts — a Part A on its own can come back as incomplete. And because Part B is where inaccessible areas are drawn and the scope limitations are written, it is the part that answers a dispute later about what was actually examined. The permittee must keep both on file for one year after the inspection, so a reissue inside that window is a phone call.

4. The five things that actually delay a letter

In our experience these account for nearly all of it. Only the last one is outside anybody’s control — and even that one is manageable if you plan for it.

Obstructed or inaccessible areasAnything the inspector cannot reach is recorded as inaccessible. Lenders and VA appraisers read that line, and it can generate a request for a re-inspection — which costs more days than clearing the space would have.

Ordering too late in the fileA WDO letter is a small line item that can hold a six-figure closing. Order when the inspection period opens, not the week of closing.

Address or party details wrong on the orderThe letter has to be reissued, and re-issued letters arrive after the original deadline.

Nobody can open the houseLockbox codes that have changed, a tenant who was not given notice, a seller who is out of town.

Activity found with no treatment quote attachedIf the report documents activity and the parties have no number to negotiate against, the file stalls while they get one. Ask for the treatment quote at the same visit.

Questions agents ask us most

What is the official Alabama WDO report?

Alabama Administrative Code Rule 80-10-9-.18 establishes the Official Alabama Wood Infestation Inspection Report as the written instrument used when a report is required as a condition of sale financing or refinancing. It has two parts — Part A and Part B — and the form itself is Exhibit A to that rule, available from the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. Alabama uses its own state report rather than an industry form. The inspection may only be performed by a qualified inspector, and the report only completed and issued by someone certified and permitted in the structural pest control category covering wood-destroying organisms.

When should the inspection be ordered?

As soon as the inspection period opens. Ordering early costs nothing and leaves room for the two things that actually delay files: an access problem that forces a return trip, and findings that need a treatment quote before the parties can negotiate.

What happens if the report documents activity?

The findings go on the form as required — that is not negotiable and no reputable inspector will leave them off. What keeps the file moving is getting a treatment quote at the same time, so the parties are negotiating against a real number instead of an unknown. Ask for both when you order.

Who pays for the inspection, and how long is a report good for?

Who pays is set by the purchase contract, not by the inspection company, and it varies between transactions — check the contract on each file. On validity, note what Rule 80-10-9-.18 actually provides: where the report certifies apparent freedom from wood-destroying organisms and an infestation is found within ninety days of issuance, the licensee must treat the structure at no charge. That ninety-day provision is not the same thing as a lender's acceptance window, which is set by the lender. Confirm the lender's requirement separately.

What happens to areas the inspector cannot reach?

Rule 80-10-9-.18 requires the inspection to examine visible, accessible areas in accordance with accepted procedures, and states plainly that inspection of inaccessible areas is not required — concealed infestation or damage in those areas may not be discovered. That is exactly why the preparation list above matters: anything left blocked simply does not get inspected, and the report says so. The permittee is responsible for the accuracy of the report as to what was visible and accessible on the date of inspection.

How long does the inspector keep a copy?

Rule 80-10-9-.18 requires the permittee to keep a copy of Part A and Part B on file for one year following the inspection, available to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries or an authorized agent on request. If you need a reissue inside that window, the file exists.

Does moving firewood or mulch before the inspection look like concealment?

No. Wood in contact with a structure is a conducive condition, and correcting it is a real correction. What is not acceptable is concealing evidence of activity or damage — that is a different thing entirely, and an experienced inspector will find it regardless.

Can termite coverage transfer to the buyer at closing?

An existing Sentricon® system's coverage can transfer with the home, and a new plan can be set up at or after closing, with up to $1,000,000 in damage repair coverage, subject to the terms of the agreement and to inspection. Worth raising with the buyer during the inspection period rather than after they move in.

This page is general information for real estate professionals, not legal advice. Contract terms, lender requirements and who pays for what vary by transaction — confirm on each file with the closing attorney and lender.

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