The assessment itself
A typical first visit runs 60 to 120 minutes depending on property size and condition. For a standard residential property under 2,500 square feet without active infestation, expect 60-90 minutes. For larger properties, properties with active infestation, or properties with multiple buildings or outbuildings, expect 90-120 minutes. We don't rush through inspections, finding the actual entry points and pressure sources is the part of the job that determines whether treatment works.
What we inspect
We walk the exterior perimeter of every property, looking for entry points along the roofline, soffits, foundation, utility-line penetrations, garage doors, dryer vents, and chimney bases. We look for visible droppings, gnaw marks, runways, and grease trails. We inspect interior areas as accessible: attic, basement or crawl space, garage, mechanical rooms, and any outbuildings. We document conditions with photographs and produce a written report within 24 hours of the visit.
What we look at is partly determined by property age. Pre-1970 Chattanooga homes in St. Elmo, Highland Park, and Fort Wood need different inspection focus (original wood soffits, gable vent screens, knob-and-tube wall voids) than 2000s-era construction in East Brainerd or Ooltewah (utility-line penetrations, dryer-vent gaps, garage seals).
Treatment scope decisions
Treatment recommendations match the property's specific conditions, not a generic package. Standard suburban residential service usually combines exterior perimeter station service (quarterly schedule), interior monitoring in mechanical rooms, and exclusion sealing where entry points exist. Properties with active infestation need population reduction first, usually 4 to 8 weeks of intensive trapping before sealing, then long-term maintenance. Heritage-area homes with active roof-rat pressure often need same-day roofline sealing if attic activity is visible.
Rural-edge properties (Trenton, LaFayette, the Walker County GA towns) usually need elevated service intensity, monthly or bi-monthly during fall and spring rather than quarterly, because surrounding agricultural land creates continuous outdoor pressure. We coordinate timing where possible to address agricultural-transition pressure peaks (spring plowing, fall harvest) when displacement is highest.
Documentation
Every visit generates a service log: what was inspected, what was found, what was done, products used (with EPA registration numbers when applicable), and recommendations for follow-up. Documentation is kept for the duration of the service relationship and is available for property transactions, insurance documentation, or property-management records. For commercial accounts, we provide compliance-ready documentation formatted for the typical audit requirements of restaurants (FDA Food Code), healthcare facilities (Joint Commission), and food processing (HACCP).
Recovery timelines
Recovery from an active infestation usually takes 4-8 weeks from first treatment to verified clear. The timeline includes initial population reduction, exclusion sealing, and verification monitoring. Properties with extensive deferred maintenance or unusual pressure factors can require longer. We communicate realistic timelines at the start rather than understating the work to win the engagement.
The cost question
First-visit inspections are free across all 48 service areas, there's no cost to find out what your property actually needs. Quotes are provided in writing after the inspection and remain valid for 60 days. Standard residential exclusion + initial treatment work runs $400-$1,200 depending on entry-point count and active-infestation scope. Quarterly maintenance once stable is $95-$175 per visit.