Need termite treatment info please

My house is 3 yrs old. The soil was treated for termites prior to the foundation being constructed.
Being somewhat ignorant about termites I called the company who originally treated the soil to ask them if i should have another termite treatment. They said I should. They said that the soil is disturbed so much during the construction process that the termite treatment becomes much less effective.
I agreed to let them do it. They dug a trench all around my foundation and treated the soil down deep. Actually they made quite a mess. But of course over time the grass grew back.
This treatment was done last spring.
They called me recently and told me it was time for my annual termite inspection. I told them they did it last year. They said, "No, we treated the soil last year. Now we need to check every year to make sure you dont have termites."
I asked if it was a free inspection to make sure what they did last year was effective. They said," No, the cost is $125.00"
I said that sounded crazy to me. I have to pay you to make sure you did your job right last year?
They said thats the only way they would honor my warranty.
I said no way. I am not paying you $125 every year in order to make sure you did your job properly when you treated my property.
I asked them what they do during the inspection. They said they just walk around the house, and they inspect inside my garage looking for signs of termites.
I asked them how long the treatment should last if done properly. They said 10-15 years. They have never detected a termite problem after doing the treatment that I paid for.

My question is........ should I be paying $125 for the inspection every year?

Thanks for the info

Len in NC

 

You are paying them for an inspection visit, and the premium on the insurance that they carry in case any damage is detected due to re-infestation. You are not paying to ensure they did the treatment correctly, but this is not like a car repair or an oil change. Changes to the exterior (even planting a shrub or putting in a flowerbed) can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.

I'm surprised you didn't get a letter or call from them one year after the initial treatment to continue the coverage.

If you are on a crawlspace, they should also go in there, and most times they should come in the house, though I don't know what they expect to find except maybe dead termites or wings on the windowsills.

You may want to call your homeowners insurance, but I don't THINK that would cover any termite damage. Also, most places, if you allow the coverage to lapse, they will require re-treatment before guaranteeing the work against damage.

Welcome to homeownership.

btw..no termite Pro..but I was in a similar situation when my Ex let the policy/contract lapse. I spent hours and hours on research and spoke with 2 Etymologists and several companies about it.