If you are buying from somewhere colder and drier, this is the line that surprises people. In the warm, wet Lowcountry, termites are a standing condition, not a scandal, including the aggressive Formosan subterranean termite. That is why South Carolina deals routinely include a wood infestation report, the CL-100, and why a separate termite bond still matters after you close. Mixing them up is how buyers leave money or protection on the table.
Use this page as a working tool on a live deal: compare the two documents, pick your order-by date from your closing date, walk a findings decision, and check off the ask list. For how the CL-100 sits outside disclosure and a standard home inspection, see the disclosure and inspection installments.
CL-100 vs termite bond
One document closes the loan. The other protects the house after. You usually need both over the life of ownership.
Closing document
CL-100 report
- What it is Official SC Wood Infestation Report
- Job Snapshot of visible activity and damage
- Lifespan Valid 30 days only
- Who wants it Lenders (often VA) near closing
- Not a Warranty, clearance letter, or bond
After you own it
Termite bond
- What it is Renewable service agreement
- Job Ongoing treatment / sometimes repair
- Lifespan Annual renewal while active
- Who wants it You, because insurance rarely covers termites
- Not a Substitute for the CL-100 at closing
It is not a “clearance letter.” Clemson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation is blunt: the CL-100 describes what was visible at inspection. It does not guarantee a house is free of termites forever.
When to order: 30-day calculator
The form is valid for 30 days. SCR 310 generally wants a CL-100 dated within 30 calendar days of closing. If treatment and a re-inspection are needed, that second report also has to land inside the window. Work backward from closing, not forward from “whenever the lender asks.”
Working tool
When should I order the CL-100?
Enter your target closing date. I’ll give you the latest report date that still clears the 30-day rule, plus a safer order window that leaves room for treatment.
- Under contractAsk about any existing bond and who will order the CL-100. Prefer a buyer-directed company even if the seller pays.
- ~21 to 25 days before closingOrder the report. Leaves room for treatment, repairs, and a re-inspection if needed.
- Inside 30 days of closingHold a clear (or cleared) CL-100 dated in that window for the lender and attorney.
- At or right after closingTransfer the bond or start a new one. Do not leave the house uncovered.
Who should order it, and who pays
Clemson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation recommends that the buyer obtain the report. The person with the strongest interest in full disclosure should be the one paying the inspector. Under SCR 310 the cost is typically a buyer expense by default, though sellers often cover it as a concession. I still want the buyer choosing the company even when the seller pays.
Many lenders want a clear CL-100 near closing. VA loans in particular treat wood infestation carefully. Your home inspector’s notes do not replace it. Separate company, separate form, later on the timeline.
Ask about the bond before you write the offer
A house with continuous bond coverage is often a cleaner story than one that has never been under a bond. Copy these questions to text the listing agent:
Text / email the listing side
Before we write: is there an active termite bond, which company, retreat-only or retreat-and-repair, is it transferable (and transfer fee), and can we see the last annual inspection / treatment records?
Transferring a solid bond can save a brand-new initial treatment and keeps history on the house. A lapsed bond is information, not automatically a dealbreaker, but it changes what you ask for and what you budget after closing.
- Retreat-only: company retreats if activity returns; does not rebuild damaged framing.
- Retreat-and-repair: adds structural repair up to the bond’s limit while coverage is in force. Read the exclusions.
When the report is not clean
Active infestation or visible damage is common enough here that you should treat it as a negotiation path, not a panic button. Pick what the report says:
Decision guide
What did the CL-100 show?
Tap the result closest to your report. This is a working playbook, not legal advice; your contract and attorney control the path.
Clear report
- Confirm the date is still inside 30 days of closing.
- Send it to your lender and closing attorney.
- Still ask about transferring or starting a bond for after closing.
Active infestation
- Under typical SCR 310 structure, the seller generally remedies active infestation before closing.
- Require treatment documentation and an updated clear CL-100 inside the 30-day window.
- If wood damage is also flagged, get a builder or structural opinion, pest companies are not builders.
- Do not let the re-inspection collide with your closing date; push dates early if needed.
Damage or previous evidence
- Separate “old evidence, treated” from “active + damage that still needs repair.”
- Get a qualified building expert to size the repair in dollars.
- Ask for seller repair, a credit, or a combination, in writing, before contingencies expire.
- Confirm whether a transferable retreat-and-repair bond already exists.
Seller will not cure
- Know your ask before you sit down: treatment, repair, credit, or walk.
- A price credit only works if you can fund the work and your lender still clears the file.
- Proceeding as-is means you own the risk the day you close, including bonding and repairs.
- Terminating under contract rights is often cleaner than inheriting unknown crawlspace damage. Talk to your attorney while earnest money is still protected.
Charleston deal checklist
Check items off as you go. Progress saves in this browser.
What it usually costs
Numbers move by company, house size, and crawlspace access. Use these as planning ranges, then get local quotes.
| Item | Typical Charleston-area range |
|---|---|
| CL-100 inspection / report | about $75-$150 |
| Bond transfer fee (existing) | about $50-$200 |
| New bond setup / initial treatment | often $500-$2,000+ |
| Annual bond renewal | often $150-$500 |
| Undetected subterranean repair | can run into five figures |
Illustrative only. Confirm with licensed SC pest companies and your closing attorney. Homeowner’s insurance almost never covers termite damage, which is why the annual bond fee is the cheap line item.
How I run this for buyers
- Ask about the bond on the first showing call. Transferability belongs in offer strategy, not the week of closing.
- Order on a timeline that leaves room. Thirty days sounds long until treatment and a re-inspection have to fit.
- Keep the home inspection and CL-100 separate. One does not replace the other.
- Plan the bond after closing if one does not transfer. Closing uncovered in this climate is gambling with wood you cannot see.
The bottom line
In Charleston, a wood infestation report is a normal line item, not a red flag that the house is bad. The CL-100 tells you what was visible within 30 days of closing. A termite bond is how you stay protected after that snapshot expires. Order early, prefer a buyer-directed inspection even when the seller pays, ask about transferring an existing bond, and treat findings as a negotiation with a plan. This is general guidance, not legal, lending, or pest-control advice; confirm contract duties and bond terms with your closing attorney and a licensed South Carolina pest company. Tell me the address and I will help you check the bond history, schedule the CL-100, and read whatever comes back before you are locked in.
Common questions
What is a CL-100 in South Carolina?
The CL-100 is South Carolina’s Official Wood Infestation Report. A licensed pest control operator inspects readily accessible areas for wood-destroying organisms and related damage, then completes the state form. It is a point-in-time snapshot valid for 30 days, not a warranty against future infestation, and it is not the same thing as a termite bond.
Is a CL-100 the same as a termite bond?
No. The CL-100 is the closing report lenders usually require. A termite bond is a separate, renewable service agreement that can cover retreatment and, on some bonds, repair of future termite damage. Homeowner’s insurance almost never covers termite damage, so the bond is the ongoing protection after closing.
Who should order the CL-100 in Charleston?
Clemson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation recommends that the buyer obtain the Wood Infestation Report, because the buyer has the strongest interest in full disclosure. Under the standard SCR 310 purchase contract the cost is typically a buyer expense by default, though that is negotiable and sellers sometimes cover it as a concession.
How long is a CL-100 good for?
The official form states the report is valid for 30 days only. The standard South Carolina residential contract generally requires a CL-100 dated within 30 calendar days of closing. If treatment or repairs are needed, you may need a re-inspection before that window closes, so schedule early enough to leave room.
What happens if the CL-100 finds termites or damage?
Under the typical SCR 310 structure, active infestation and documented damage are usually the seller’s responsibility to remedy before closing, either by delivering a clear updated report or by documenting completed treatment and repairs. If the seller will not cure, you negotiate a credit, proceed as-is, or terminate under your contract rights. Have a qualified building expert evaluate the extent of any damage the pest company flags.