Conducive conditions are things that make it easier for wood destroying insects like termites to get into our homes without us seeing. These are things like having a high soil line, a wood fence touching the house, or having wood piles leaning on the home. Others include wood rot on the home, heavy foliage or trees touching the home, and even wood siding or trim touching the ground.
Basically, anything that gives a termite a covered path from the soil to the wood of your house is a conducive condition. They don’t like being out in the open any more than we do, so a fence picket or a stack of firewood against the siding is exactly the kind of bridge they’re looking for.
The ones that are easy to fix
Most of what we find falls in this group, and the fixes are usually a Saturday afternoon rather than a contractor. Trim any fence picket that touches the house back about an inch. Move the wood piles off the wall and up off the ground. Cut back the foliage and tree limbs that are resting on the siding or the roof. For a high soil line, remove enough dirt that you can see a minimum of 4 inches of visible concrete for masonry cladding, and 6 inches for wood siding and trims, while keeping a good slope away from the structure so rainwater still runs off.
Wood rot is its own thing. Rotten wood is softer and usually damp, which makes it easier for termites to eat and easier for them to live in, so it’s worth replacing the deteriorated pieces and then keeping everything sealed and painted going forward.
The ones that aren’t
There are a couple that we can’t really do anything about. Conditions like a slab joint from an addition, which is virtually impossible to remove, or a very low deck which would have to be torn out to resolve the condition. For these, preventative treatments are recommended to make infestation less likely. Nobody is going to demolish a deck over a maybe, and a treatment plan from a licensed pest control company handles it for a lot less money.
Why your lender may care more than you do
This is the part that surprises people mid-transaction. Many lenders, especially on a veteran assistance loan, won’t approve the loan until most or all of the conducive conditions on a structure are rectified and a clear WDI report is obtained. So a wood fence touching the house stops being a maintenance item and starts being the thing holding up a closing. Finding them early in the process is a lot less stressful than finding them a week out.
Your termite inspection is already included
Worth knowing before you go shopping for one separately. On any home more than a year old, a wood destroying insect inspection comes with our home inspection at no extra cost, and it’s issued as its own separate report. Conducive conditions get noted on it whether they’re active problems yet or not, so you’ll have the list in writing. You can see everything that’s covered in a base inspection on our what’s inspected page, and there are more answers on our home inspection FAQ.
The bottom line is that most conducive conditions are cheap and quick to correct once you know they’re there. The expensive version is the one nobody looked for.
If you are concerned about conducive conditions on your current home or the one you’re buying we can help. Give us a call to schedule a consultation or a termite inspection today.
Updated July 2026