PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The big pest control companies are some of the most profitable businesses around with profit margins that are a lot higher than most businesses -- sometimes 40 percent above expenses.

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Continuing Investigation Reveals Termite Repair Problems

But some critics said these companies are greedy and often cut corners on termite repairs to save even more money. They said that's putting your safety at risk, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.

"Orkin leads you to believe if you have a swarm, it's no big deal, and it is a big deal," Elizabeth Allen said.

Termites are swarming in Allen's bathroom. Thousands of them poured out of a tiny hole in the wall next to her shower -- just one of 30 signs of termite infestation in her home.

"It's like a long, slow, torturous hurricane," Allen said.

Three termite contractors hired by Orkin to make repairs said the swarm was no big deal.

"I think it's absolutely despicable," attorney Harry Shevin said.

Shevin is part of the legal team who won a $3 million award against Orkin after termites devoured another home in North Florida. Orkin hired contractor Charles Levering to consult on termite repairs on both homes.

"Charles Levering has been the fair-haired boy of Orkin. He's their No. 1 contractor," Shevin said.

Levering declined comment. But in a courtroom deposition, he said he did thousands of termite repairs in Central Florida between 1997 and 2002 for the major termite companies.

"He's the fellow that they bring in to do the vast majority of their work, especially in Central Florida," Shevin said.

County inspectors told WESH NewsChannel 2 a permit is required for nearly every termite repair job. Yet Central Florida building department records showed Levering pulled building permits for only a fraction of his termite repair jobs.

In court documents, Orkin's attorneys admitted "permits weren't being pulled on a lot of jobs." When permits aren't pulled, termite repair jobs aren't inspected. Without an inspection, there's no way for you to know if the work was done correctly.

In a written response to WESH NewsChannel 2, Orkin said it has enacted new customer safeguards and fired some contractors, including Levering.

"There is no one silver bullet for termite control," Wayne Cowart said.

Cowart used to work for Orkin, handling 13,000 termite claims. He now uses his inside knowledge to help homeowners fight termite companies. He said a homeowner alone doesn't stand a chance.

"Even lawyers are afraid to take on corporations. They say, 'Gee, if I have to spend $500,000 to win this, and I might lose," Cowart said.

Making matters even worse for homeowners, there are no postconstruction laws governing termite treatment. So like termites, the termite companies have the run of the state of Florida.

"One day, I just kicked the wall, and my shoe went in," Allen said.

Allen has learned the termite damage is so bad that she has to get her family out and might have to tear the house down. She said she is not the only one.

"It all came together, and we realized we weren't alone, that it was happening to thousands of other people," Allen said.

County building inspectors said they don't know how many termite repairs have been done in Central Florida. They want to be sure the work has been done right.

We've come up with a way for you to know whether any termite repairs in your home were done properly. Call our Termite Hotline at (800) TEL-WESH. You'll need to give your name, address, county and company that did the repairs, and whether building permits were secured. You can also fill out an online form by clicking here.

We'll forward the information to county building inspectors, and if need be, they'll inspect your home.

Additional Resources:

Read Orkin's Response
Wayne Cowart & Associates