What pest control really costs - and what you are signing
Prices by pest with sources, why the plan matters more than the visit, the two kinds of termite bond, your right to cancel a doorstep sale, and every state's licensing rules - for 19,000+ U.S. towns.
Free marketplace paths: one request reaches multiple local pest control pros who know they are competing for the job.
Pest control across the United States runs $150-$500 for a one-time general treatment, $100-$175 per visit on a recurring plan, and $1,000-$3,200 for a termite liquid barrier in 2026 published ranges.
The industry's own survey puts 85.4% of residential pest control revenue in recurring plans - the agreement, not the visit, is what is being sold - and a sale made at your door carries a 3-business-day right to cancel in writing under the federal Cooling-Off Rule.
Applicator certification is required under federal pesticide law and administered by each state, with exam fees ranging from nothing at all to over 100 dollars per category and bond requirements running to 50,000 dollars for new termite firms in some states - which is one reason the same job is priced differently across state lines.
This guide covers pest control for 19,000+ U.S. towns - prices by pest, what a recurring plan really costs, the two kinds of termite bond, and your right to cancel a doorstep sale - plus every state's licensing rules with its own public lookup, and county-level federal surveillance of ticks, Lyme disease and West Nile virus. Pick your state below.
Compare local pest control quotes - free, and it takes one form
Free marketplace paths: one request reaches multiple local pest control pros who know they are competing for the job. Competing quotes on the same problem are the only reliable way to see what it should cost where you live.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual pest control company pays to appear in our research.
What pest control costs in 2026
| What you are buying | 2026 published range | The number that actually matters |
|---|---|---|
| One-time general treatment | $150-$500 | Fine for a single problem; the plan is what gets sold hardest |
| Recurring plan (per visit) | $100-$175 per quarterly visit | Annual spend commonly $300-$900 |
| First visit on a plan | $150-$300 (often discounted or waived) | Waived first visits tell you where the margin is - in the renewal |
| Ants | around $150 | Usually one visit; recurring only if there is ongoing pressure |
| Cockroaches | $100-$600 | Severity and building type drive this more than square footage |
| Rodents | $150-$600 | Exclusion work (sealing entry points) is where the lasting value is |
| Wasp nest removal | around $300 | Higher for hard-to-reach nests; usually a single visit |
| Termite liquid barrier | $1,000-$3,200 | Ask which bond type comes with it - only one covers damage repair |
| Bed bugs (whole job) | $1,000-$2,500 | Heat is one session at $400-$900/room; chemical is 2-3 visits |
The agreement is the product
| What you think you are buying | What the industry sells | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| A visit that solves the problem | An auto-renewing annual plan - 85.4% of residential revenue is recurring | What is the term, and what does the price become at renewal? |
| A discounted first treatment | A discounted entry point into that plan | What is the one-time price if I do not sign a plan? |
| Cancel any time | A termination fee, in many agreements | What does cancelling cost, in writing? |
| A guarantee | Either retreatment-only or retreatment plus damage repair | If the treatment fails and there is damage, who pays for repairs? |
If you signed at the door, you have three business days
The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers 3 business days to cancel a sale made at their home, in writing, without giving a reason. It exists because high-pressure doorstep selling is common in this trade - in 2026 a state attorney general obtained a court order and a six-figure settlement against a national pest control operator over high-pressure pitches, misrepresenting contract contents, and failing to disclose a termination fee. A the United States homeowner who has second thoughts should send written cancellation inside that window rather than phoning.
One widely repeated protection that no longer applies: the federal 'click to cancel' rule was vacated in full by a federal appeals court in July 2025, six days before it would have taken effect. What has teeth now is state law - California, for example, requires annual renewal reminders and easy online cancellation.
Two kinds of termite guarantee - and the difference is the house
| Retreatment only | Retreatment plus damage repair | |
|---|---|---|
| If termites come back | Company treats again | Company treats again |
| If termites damaged the structure | State regulators state plainly it does NOT oblige the company to repair, replace or correct that damage | Company must repair, replace or correct it, up to a stated cap |
| Who pays for repairs | You | The company, within the cap |
| How it is usually sold | Simply as 'a bond' or 'a warranty' | Named explicitly, costs more, and has written exclusions |
This is the single most expensive misunderstanding available to a the United States homeowner, because termite damage repair runs into tens of thousands of dollars. The question that separates the two in one sentence: if the treatment fails and termites damage the structure, does the company pay to repair it? Federal guidance suggests asking exactly that before signing.
What a straight pest control quote contains - and what the vague version hides
A complete quote includes
- The specific pest and the treatment method named
- First-visit price and ongoing recurring price, separately
- How many visits are included and what a return costs
- Agreement term, renewal price and cancellation cost in writing
- What the guarantee obliges the company to do if the pest returns
- A licence number you can check in the state database
Red flags in a pitch
- A price with no pest and no method named
- Introductory rate shown without the ongoing rate
- 'Guaranteed' with nothing in writing about what that means
- Pressure to sign at the door today
- No mention of the three-business-day cancellation right on doorstep sales
- Promises of permanent elimination from a single visit
Why only these paths
If you signed at your door, you have 3 business days to cancel under federal rule, in writing, without giving a reason. That protection exists because high-pressure doorstep selling is common in this trade - a state attorney general obtained a court order and a six-figure settlement against one national operator in 2026 over exactly that conduct.
Hard bar, verifiable by anyone: free to the buyer, and structurally multi-vendor - one request produces several competing quotes, which is the check against over-quoting that no single sales relationship provides. Marketplaces that charge buyers or route to a single seller are not listed. We rank no individual pest control company and publish no directory: licence status changes constantly and a stale listing would be worse than none - what this site publishes instead is each state's rule and the regulator's own lookup, so you can check for yourself.
| Path | What it is | Why it made the bar | What reviewers say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bark | Service marketplace that matches you with local pest control pros | Free to request quotes; several local pros respond rather than one | Aggregate ratings not yet checked |
| Networx | Home services quote network used by this site's foundation and waterproofing guides | One request, multiple local pros - free to homeowners | Trustpilot 4.9/5 (12,858 reviews); BBB A+, customer average 2.32/5; ratings diverge - read both before deciding (checked Aug 2026) |
Networx is a matching service. Scores reflect the matching service itself, not the local providers you are matched with.
Compare local pest control quotes - free, and it takes one form
Free marketplace paths: one request reaches multiple local pest control pros who know they are competing for the job. Competing quotes on the same problem are the only reliable way to see what it should cost where you live.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual pest control company pays to appear in our research.
Common questions
How much does pest control cost?
In 2026 published ranges, a one-time general treatment runs 150-500 dollars and recurring quarterly service 100-175 per visit, with typical annual spending of 300-900. The first visit is often discounted or waived when you sign a recurring plan. These are market ranges from price aggregators, not quotes - your price depends on pest, property size and local rates.
How much does termite treatment cost?
A liquid barrier treatment - trenching around the foundation and drilling through concrete to create a continuous treated zone - commonly runs 1,000-3,200 dollars for a typical home perimeter. Inspections run 100-300 and are often credited against the job or offered free as a promotion. Bait systems are priced differently and usually carry an annual monitoring fee.
What questions separate a good company from a cheap one?
Four: what exactly is being treated and with what method; how many visits are included and what a return visit costs; what the agreement term, renewal price and cancellation cost are; and what the guarantee obliges them to do if the pest comes back. Companies that answer all four in writing are rarely the ones that cause problems later.
How do I check a company's record?
Most states publish both a licence lookup and a complaint or enforcement record. Check the licence is current and in the right category for your job, then look for enforcement actions. Both links are on this site's state page, pointing at the regulator's own database rather than a directory we maintain.
Do I have to leave the house during treatment?
For most routine interior treatments the rule is set by the product label, which is federal law - commonly re-entry once treated surfaces are dry. The widely circulated 'twelve hour' figure comes from agricultural worker protection standards and does not apply to homes. Fumigation is different and does require vacating. Ask the technician what will be applied and what the label requires.
What does a termite bond actually cover?
There are two types and the difference is enormous. A retreatment-only bond obliges the company to treat again if termites return but, in the words of state agriculture regulators, does not obligate it to repair, replace or correct any damage the termites caused. A retreatment-plus-damage bond additionally covers structural repairs up to a stated cap. Ask which one you are being offered, in writing.
Compare local pest control quotes - free, and it takes one form
Free marketplace paths: one request reaches multiple local pest control pros who know they are competing for the job. Competing quotes on the same problem are the only reliable way to see what it should cost where you live.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual pest control company pays to appear in our research.
Prices by state
Alaska (149) · Alabama (463) · Arkansas (500) · Arizona (91) · California (482) · Colorado (270) · Connecticut (30) · District of Columbia (1) · Delaware (57) · Florida (411) · Georgia (537) · Hawaii (1) · Iowa (940) · Idaho (198) · Illinois (1292) · Indiana (566) · Kansas (625) · Kentucky (417) · Louisiana (304) · Massachusetts (58) · Maryland (157) · Maine (23) · Michigan (533) · Minnesota (854) · Missouri (936) · Mississippi (299) · Montana (127) · North Carolina (549) · North Dakota (355) · Nebraska (528) · New Hampshire (13) · New Jersey (323) · New Mexico (105) · Nevada (19) · New York (595) · Ohio (920) · Oklahoma (590) · Oregon (240) · Pennsylvania (1005) · Rhode Island (8) · South Carolina (271) · South Dakota (310) · Tennessee (345) · Texas (1221) · Utah (255) · Virginia (227) · Vermont (39) · Washington (281) · Wisconsin (604) · West Virginia (230) · Wyoming (99)