Sec 32-2332. Wood-destroying organisms; treatment proposal; form; retention; exception

A. A business licensee shall not commence work on a contract or sign, issue or deliver any documents expressing an opinion or making a statement relating to the presence or absence of wood-destroying organisms in a structure until an inspection is made.

B. Only an applicator certified in the category of wood-destroying organism management shall prepare a treatment proposal on a form approved by the director. The applicator shall deliver a copy of the treatment proposal to the person requesting the proposal or treatment, or the person's designated agent, before beginning treatment. The treatment proposal shall include the following information:

1. The address of the property to be treated.

2. A statement describing that the work is preventative or corrective.

3. A statement describing the evidence of infestation or damage.

4. A diagrammatic description showing the nature and location of evidence of infestation or damage, or both, if applicable.

5. A statement describing the treatment or repair method, including the name of the pesticide or device to be used and a diagrammatic description showing where the treatment or repair will be rendered.

6. The price for the work.

7. The terms for the service agreement provided by the business licensee.

8. The signature and license number of the person who made the inspection of the structure to be treated.

C. A certified applicator shall also give to the person requesting a proposal or treatment a written recommendation that verifies a particular problem and, in addition to the certified applicator's recommendation for treatment, shall advise the person of alternative treatments and methods, including integrated pest management methods, to alleviate the problem.

D. A treatment proposal shall not be in the same form or be construed as a wood-destroying insect inspection report. A treatment proposal that does not identify infestation by wood-destroying organisms is not a binding statement as to the presence or absence of wood-destroying organisms.

E. A treatment proposal shall be prepared by a certified applicator who has received at least five hours of instruction from an in-house education program of the business licensee on the subject of wood-destroying organisms inspections. An examination on the instruction is not required. The business licensee shall keep a record of completion of the training and shall make the record available on the director's request. The instruction requirement does not apply to certified qualified applicators.

F. If a business licensee performs a treatment pursuant to a treatment proposal, the business licensee shall maintain for three years a record of the treatment and the name and quantity of the pesticide used.

G. This section does not apply to the application of pesticides directly to structural components of wood or wood products, which are not part of an existing structure normally habitable by persons, to prevent or manage wood degradation by wood-destroying organisms.