A CL-100 is a South Carolina document used for real estate evaluation purposes. The “CL” stands for “Clemson Letter,” because the document is governed by the Clemson Department of Pesticide Regulation.
This form is generally requested for most transactions and required by many lenders. It may be waived by a buyer or a lender, but even a buyer who wants to waive it may still find the lender is requiring it (to protect their investment, of course).
The form checks for several types of damage to a home – that created by pests, and that created by moisture or other wood destroying fungi related to such moisture.
The inspection usually costs anywhere from $85 to $250 and takes just an hour or two. It will determine the presence of any currently active or formerly active pests or moisture damage. It’s limited to visible areas – the inspectors, who must be appropriately licensed under category 7A, may not move anything around or remove siding, etc. This can limit the benefit of this inspection, but they can still do a decent job of finding issues.
The form used MUST be the most current form published. Under SC Code 27-1085(K)(2), it’s required that the most recent form be used; if they do not use the most current form, they have not provided you with a CL-100. This is extremely important for both sides of a transaction. A seller does not have to inform a buyer that they have realized the CL-100 sent over is invalid. It is the buyer and the buyer’s agent’s responsibility to ensure an adequate one has been provided.
On the form, if the “Yes” boxes are checked, especially in #3 and #4, the moisture reading must be provided, and the location of the damage must be indicated. A vague comment like “recommend investigation” or “N/A” in the moisture reading lines is invalid.
Damage must be noted in the comments! To “clear” a CL-100, there is no such thing as a “clear letter.” What you need is for an appropriately licensed contractor, determined by the type of damage noted on the CL-100 notes section, to state that it is structurally sound at the time of inspection. It does not require repairs, per se, unless there is question of structural soundness. The only repairs or replies required for any CL-100 are to the ones written on the form itself. If it’s not on there, it’s not part of the transaction – period.
You should always:
- make sure the form used is the most current – if not, don’t pay for the service, they have not performed it.
- check the current licensure of the applicant performing the work:
- respond only to specific, actual damage noted on the form.
*Note: this is general information which can not be relied upon without knowing the specific details of your circumstances, which may cause the info to be inaccurate. You must consult an attorney for your specific case to be sure of your rights and obligations.