Termite pre-treatment warranties in Arizona: what's required and how to choose

Written by the Hydra Pest Control team, Arizona-licensed (license #9790)

Last reviewed: October 9, 2026

Direct Answer

Arizona requires a free retreatment, not a warranty by name. Under R3-8-309(C), if subterranean termites show up in or on the structure within three years after a pre-treatment, the company that did it must re-treat the affected area free of charge. That's not a damage-repair warranty. Anything beyond it, like a longer term, damage repair, renewal or transfer, depends on the company's written terms. A longer warranty isn't the same as a better barrier, and you can ask your builder to use the licensed company you prefer.

General information, not legal advice.

What Arizona requires

Arizona Administrative Code R3-8-309(C): "If subterranean termites occur in or on a residential or commercial structure within three years after a business licensee first performs a pretreatment or new-construction treatment of the structure, the business licensee shall re-treat the affected area of the structure free of charge in accordance with the label specifications of a termiticide available for use."

If termites show up a third time within those three years, the rule steps up: a full exterior perimeter re-treatment if the activity starts outside the living space, or a post-construction treatment of the entire structure if it starts in the living space or garage (R3-8-309(D) and (E)). The company can't charge for these, though it may charge a reasonable trip fee if it finds no termites, or the cost of re-establishing a barrier that was disturbed (R3-8-309(F) to (H)).

If the company gives a termite warranty, its effective date is the date treatment begins (R3-8-309(B)). So the clock starts at the pre-treatment, not at closing or move-in.

What a warranty covers, and what it doesn't

The state-required part is a retreatment of the affected area. It isn't a promise to repair damaged wood. Damage repair, a longer term, renewal and transfer are set by each company's written terms.

Arizona law requires a written treatment proposal before treatment begins. It has to name the pesticide and state the terms of the service agreement (A.R.S. 3-3632(B)(5) and (7)). That's where to get the warranty terms in writing.

On FHA or VA financed new construction, the builder also signs form HUD-NPMA-99-A. In it, the builder guarantees treatment if subterranean termites show up within one year of closing and agrees to repair termite damage during that year. The form also notes the buyer may extend protection for an added fee paid to the pest control company. See does your lender require a termite pre-treatment?

A longer warranty isn't the same as a better barrier

A warranty tells you how long a company promises to come back. It doesn't tell you how the barrier under your slab was put down. These do:

The product. An EPA-registered termiticide that's also registered in Arizona, applied only as its label directs (R3-8-301(A), R3-8-308(C)).

The label rate. Labels set minimum volumes. For example, one widely used termiticide label calls for 1 to 1.5 gallons of finished solution per 10 square feet for the horizontal barrier under the slab, and 4 gallons per 10 linear feet per foot of depth for vertical barriers along foundation walls. Labels differ, so ask which product and rate will be used.

The math. Those volumes depend on the slab's square footage and the foundation's linear feet. We prefer to verify the label gallons from the building plans, and if there are no plans, we measure the foundation on site.

Even, continuous coverage. AZDA describes the pre-treatment as a continuous barrier between the soil and the slab, and the label calls for spraying evenly and uniformly over the entire area.

The final grade. The barrier isn't finished until the final grade treatment is done. See the final grade section below.

The records. A site tag after the pre-treatment (R3-8-308(D)(6)), a written notice after each application (R3-8-306), an eTARF filed with AZDA, and treatment records kept at least three years and available to the property owner on request (A.R.S. 3-3624(B)(15)-(16)).

The final grade: the last step of the pre-treatment

The final grade treatment finishes the job the pre-treatment started. After grading and landscaping are done, the applicator digs a shallow trench in the soil along the foundation and applies termiticide, often rodding into the trench as well, to complete the barrier around the foundation against subterranean termites. For example, one widely used termiticide label calls for trenches at least 6 inches deep and no more than 6 inches wide along foundation walls, treated at 4 gallons of finished solution per 10 linear feet per foot of depth, with the solution mixed into the soil as it's put back. See the final grade guide.

Arizona's rule puts the final grade on the pest control company that did the pre-treatment, not on the contractor. That company must do the final grade after all grading and other construction soil disturbance is complete, but within 18 months of the original pre-treatment, and keep a record of why it isn't done yet and when it expects to finish (R3-8-308(F)(1)). So following up with the contractor or the new homeowner to schedule it is the pest control company's job.

In our experience, one upfront payment covers both the initial pre-treatment and the required final grade. It's usually paid at the first visit, typically by the general contractor through the concrete bid. So by the time grading is done, the final grade has already been paid for.

In our experience, there are usually 3 to 12 months between the pre-treatment and the final grade. Most companies try to do the final grade before move-in. That doesn't always happen when grading or landscaping runs late, which is why the rule allows up to 18 months after the original pre-treatment.

Many builders and owners don't know a final grade is required, and with months between the two visits, it can get lost track of when no one schedules it. Ask your pre-treatment company up front how and when it schedules the final grade, and ask for the records. The applicator leaves a record of the final grade in an unlocked electrical or circuit-breaker box if one is available, or with the property agent (R3-8-308(F)(3)), and the company files an eTARF with AZDA.

Our practice: when we schedule a termite pre-treatment, we put the final grade on a tentative schedule right away, and we track every final grade in internal reports so none get missed. We record the required details of each pre-treatment and final grade with the Arizona Department of Agriculture through its Termite Action Report Form (TARF) system, which state law requires within 30 days (A.R.S. 3-3631(A)).

Check the state record yourself. Arizona law requires a termite action report form (TARF) within 30 days after a pre-treatment, a final grade treatment, an initial corrective treatment or a wood-destroying insect inspection report, listing the address, the type and date of the work and the company (A.R.S. 3-3631). The Arizona Department of Agriculture says it keeps a searchable database of termite actions reported on a property that you can use to research a property's termite history. Look up your address in Arizona's public termite action report search (TARF) to confirm your pre-treatment, and later your final grade, were recorded.

Moved in and never saw a final grade? Contact the company that did your pre-treatment. If you don't know who that was or need help, call the Arizona Department of Agriculture's Pest Management Division at (602) 542-4373.

How long are warranties? Our experience and our policy

In our experience, and from talking with pest industry suppliers who work with many Arizona companies, most companies offer the state's 3-year minimum with an option to extend. Warranties longer than five years are uncommon, though they do happen. That's our observation, not a state statistic.

Our standard termite pre-treatment warranty is 5 years, with the option to renew or extend it for an added cost. It transfers to a new homeowner: the new owner calls us with their details so we can update the warranty paperwork. Ask us for the written terms.

You can choose your pre-treatment company

Whoever contracts for the work picks the company. On many builds, the scheduling often defaults to whoever the concrete crew calls, so buyers building with a general contractor may not hear that there's a choice. In our experience, the general contractor usually pays for the pre-treatment through the concrete subcontractor who pours the foundation, as part of the concrete bid. Because that cost is in your builder's bid, ask your builder which pre-treatment company and warranty you're getting.

You can also ask your builder to use the licensed company you prefer. Ask before you sign the building contract and put it in writing. The pre-treatment has to happen before the slab is poured (R3-8-308(D)), so there's no second chance once the concrete is in. More in who chooses the pre-treatment company.

Questions to ask before the slab pour

Which termiticide will you use, and at what label rate?
How do you calculate the gallons? From the building plans?
Will I get the treatment proposal, site tag, application notice and eTARF?
When and how will you do the final grade treatment?
How long is the warranty, and does it start on the treatment date?
Does it cover retreatment only, or damage repair too?
Can I renew or extend it, and on what terms?
Does it transfer if I sell the home?

Use our full pre-treatment checklist.

Who to call if you see termites

Within three years of the pre-treatment, call the company that did it; the retreatment is its responsibility (R3-8-309(C)). Don't know who that was? Ask your builder, or call AZDA's Pest Management Division at (602) 542-4373, which can give you the firm's name, phone number and application date.

Statewide, in every branch we serve

R3-8-309 applies the same way everywhere in Arizona. We do termite pre-treatments and final grades in the Gila Valley, Greenlee County and Willcox (Safford, Thatcher, Pima, Clifton, Duncan, Morenci, Willcox and surrounding areas), around Sierra Vista and Cochise County, and in the White Mountains (Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Heber-Overgaard and Eagar). Building up high? Read do you need a termite pre-treatment in the White Mountains? Starting from scratch? See the first 10 steps of building a home in Arizona.

Frequently asked

Does Arizona require a termite pre-treatment warranty?

Arizona requires a free retreatment rather than a warranty by name. Under R3-8-309(C), if subterranean termites show up in or on the structure within three years after the pre-treatment, the company that did it must re-treat the affected area free of charge.

How long is a typical termite pre-treatment warranty?

The state minimum is the 3-year retreatment. In our experience, and from talking with industry suppliers, most companies offer that minimum with an option to extend, and warranties longer than five years are uncommon, though they do happen. Our standard pre-treatment warranty is 5 years, renewable for an added cost.

Is a longer termite warranty better?

Not by itself. Length tells you how long a company promises to come back, not how the barrier was applied. Ask about the product, the label rate, how the gallons are calculated, the final grade plan and what the warranty actually covers.

What does a termite pre-treatment warranty cover?

The state-required part covers retreating the affected area at no charge, with a full perimeter or whole-structure treatment after a third occurrence within three years (R3-8-309(C)-(E)). It doesn't require damage repair. Anything more depends on the company's written terms.

Can I choose my termite pre-treatment company when building?

You can ask. Whoever contracts for the work picks the company, and the scheduling often defaults to whoever the concrete crew calls. Ask your builder before you sign the contract to use the licensed company you prefer, and put it in writing.

Who pays for the termite pre-treatment?

In our experience, the general contractor usually does, through the concrete subcontractor who pours the foundation; it's part of the concrete bid. Because the cost is in your builder's bid, ask your builder which pre-treatment company and warranty you're getting, and know that you can request the company you prefer.

Can I extend or renew a termite pre-treatment warranty?

It depends on the company. Ours is 5 years standard, and you can renew or extend it for an added cost. Get the renewal terms in writing; Arizona requires the service agreement terms in the treatment proposal (A.R.S. 3-3632(B)(7)).

Is a termite warranty transferable if I sell the home?

Arizona's 3-year retreatment rule is written around the structure, not the owner, and it doesn't limit the retreatment to the original buyer. Our warranty transfers to the new homeowner, who calls us with their details so we can update the warranty paperwork. For any other warranty, ask about transfer terms and get them in writing.

When does a termite warranty start?

On the date treatment begins (R3-8-309(B)), not at closing or move-in.

Is the final grade included in the termite pre-treatment?

Usually. In our experience, one upfront payment, typically made by the general contractor at the first visit, covers both the pre-treatment and the final grade, and there are usually 3 to 12 months between them. Arizona rules require the company that did the pre-treatment to do the final grade after grading is complete, within 18 months of the original pre-treatment (R3-8-308(F)(1)).

What if my final grade was never done?

Contact the company that did your pre-treatment; the final grade is its responsibility. If you don't know who that was, ask your builder or call AZDA's Pest Management Division at (602) 542-4373. Look for the final grade record in your electrical or breaker box.

How can I check whether my home was pre-treated for termites?

Look up your address in Arizona's public termite action report search (TARF) at tarf.azda.gov. Companies must file a termite action report within 30 days after a pre-treatment or final grade (A.R.S. 3-3631), and AZDA keeps a searchable database of termite actions on a property. Also check for the final grade record in your electrical or breaker box, and ask your builder for the treatment paperwork.

Sources

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