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WoodwormTreatmentHQ
Treated structural roof timbers in a commercial UK building managed for woodworm

Landlords · Agents · Estates

Commercial Woodworm Treatment

Discreet, certificated timber treatment for landlords, letting agents, estates, managing agents and listed buildings — with minimal disruption and clear compliance paperwork.

  • Out-of-hours and phased work around tenants and trading
  • Written certificate and 30-year guarantee for sales and lettings
  • Insured technicians, method statements on request
Call 0121 271 0061 Mon–Sun, 7am–8pm

Get your free quote

Tell us what you've noticed and where. A local woodworm surveyor will call you back to arrange a free, no-obligation survey.

Who we work with

A single point of contact for managed property

Whether you hold one rental or a portfolio of historic buildings, we handle the survey, the treatment and the certificate — so woodworm does not delay a sale, a letting or a refurbishment.

Landlords

Keep timber sound and lettings compliant. We work around tenants, treat in a single visit where possible, and provide the certificate your records and inventory need.

Landlords frequently ask whether woodworm treatment can be carried out in occupied rented properties — the answer is yes, with minimal disruption to tenants.

Letting & managing agents

A reliable contractor for survey requests across your managed stock, with one report format, clear pricing and certificates addressed however you need them.

Estates & portfolios

Repeat survey and treatment programmes for multiple properties, cottages and outbuildings, scheduled to suit voids, changeovers and seasonal access.

Listed & historic buildings

Careful treatment of old oak and protected timber, including death watch beetle, with methods chosen to respect historic fabric and consent requirements.

Property sales

When a survey flags woodworm mid-sale, we move quickly: a prompt inspection, a fixed quote and a guarantee certificate to satisfy the buyer and lender.

Offices, shops & hospitality

Low-odour, fast-drying treatment scheduled for closing hours or quiet periods, so trading and staff are not interrupted.

Why it matters commercially

Managed buildings hide the timber beetles prefer

Rentals, estate cottages, offices and listed buildings share a problem: large volumes of structural timber in places nobody routinely looks. Sub-floor voids, unconverted roof spaces, cellars and the ends of joists bedded into older walls stay cool and, where ventilation has been blocked, slightly damp. That is precisely the timber the common furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum) targets — and it accounts for roughly three quarters of UK infestations.

Because tenants change and access is intermittent, commercial woodworm is often discovered late: at a sale, an inventory check or a refurbishment, by which point a colony that has run a three-to-four-year lifecycle may have spread. In historic and listed stock the picture differs again. Old oak can harbour death watch beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum), which leaves larger 3mm holes and works slowly but seriously through structural hardwood over decades.

The right response always starts with correct identification. Some beetle holes are old and inactive, and treating sound historic timber needlessly is the wrong call for a protected building. Our surveyor confirms whether an infestation is active, identifies the species, and recommends only the work the timber genuinely needs — then puts it in writing.

Typical commercial findings

Common furniture beetle
1–2mm holes in softwood joists, floorboards and roof timbers. The everyday cause in rentals and offices.
Death watch beetle
3mm holes in old oak. Found in listed and historic buildings; slow but structurally serious.
Wood-boring weevil
A sign of damp, decaying timber — a flag to investigate an underlying moisture or rot problem too.

Minimal disruption

Treatment that works around your building, not against it

Commercial timber treatment lives or dies on disruption. We plan the work so tenants, staff and customers barely notice it.

Out-of-hours options

Early-morning, evening and weekend visits for occupied lets, offices, shops and pubs — work scheduled around trading and tenancies.

Phased & discreet

We can treat one floor or room at a time, in unbranded vehicles where preferred, so the property keeps operating throughout.

Fast drying, low odour

Water-based treatments are touch-dry within hours, so most areas can be reoccupied the same day after a short ventilation period.

Paperwork in order

Method statements, risk assessments and proof of insurance supplied in advance for managed and access-controlled sites.

Compliance & certificates

The paperwork a sale or letting actually needs

Woodworm tends to surface at the worst moment — when a homebuyer or RICS survey flags it part-way through a sale, or when an inventory clerk spots fresh frass at a tenancy changeover. At that point the buyer's solicitor, the lender or the incoming tenant wants two things: evidence the timber has been treated, and a guarantee that stands behind it.

Every job we complete ends with a written treatment report describing what was found and what was done, and a transferable 30-year guarantee certificate on the treated timber. These are the documents that close out a survey retention and reassure a lender. We can address them to the vendor, the landlord or the managing agent, and reissue them to a new owner where the guarantee transfers.

We carry public liability insurance, work to recognised industry standards and, where a site requires it, provide method statements and risk assessments before we arrive. For listed and historic buildings we work within the relevant consents and are glad to liaise with conservation officers and surveyors.

What you receive

  • Written survey report identifying the species and extent
  • Fixed, itemised written quote — no day-rate surprises
  • Treatment certificate with a transferable 30-year guarantee
  • Method statements and proof of insurance on request

For roof-space treatment, note that bats are legally protected and a roof may need a bat check first — we will advise during the survey.

Frequently asked questions

Can you work outside our tenants' or customers' hours?
Yes. For occupied lets, offices, shops and hospitality we offer early-morning, evening and weekend appointments, and we can phase the work room by room so the property stays in use. Tell us the constraints when you book the survey and we will plan around them.
Do you provide a certificate for a sale or letting?
Every job ends with a written treatment report and a 30-year guarantee certificate. These are the documents a buyer, lender or incoming tenant will ask for, and they satisfy the queries raised by most mortgage and homebuyer surveys. We can address the certificate to the managing agent, vendor or landlord as required.
We manage a listed building — can you treat the timber?
Yes, and we treat historic and listed timber with the care it needs, using methods appropriate to old oak and protected fabric. Listed buildings may require consent before work begins. Guidance on damp, decay and timber treatment in historic buildings is published by Historic England, and we are happy to liaise with your conservation officer.
Is the treatment safe for occupied buildings?
Yes. Modern water-based treatments are low-odour and touch-dry within a few hours, and the technician advises a short ventilation period before rooms are reoccupied. We carry insurance, work to recognised industry standards and provide method statements and risk assessments for managed sites on request.
Can woodworm treatment be carried out in occupied rented properties?
Yes. Landlords have a legal duty to maintain structural timber in safe condition. We carry out woodworm treatment in occupied rental properties across England, Scotland and Wales, working around tenants to minimise disruption. Treatment is typically completed in a single visit; the area needs to ventilate for a few hours before normal use resumes. We provide a written treatment certificate and 30-year guarantee for your tenancy and property records. See our commercial woodworm treatment page for landlord-specific options.

Woodworm flagged on a managed property?

Book a survey for one property or a whole portfolio. Fixed written quotes, out-of-hours options and a transferable 30-year guarantee certificate.

0121 271 0061 No call centres · Speak to a surveyor

Request your free survey

Two details to get started.

Free survey · No obligation · 30-year guarantee