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Pest control services

Pest control services fall into four groups: one-time treatment for a specific problem, recurring general pest plans, specialty work such as termites, bed bugs or rodents, and exclusion work that seals a building against entry. This Old House puts a typical professional visit at $50-$500, with a national average of $171 for a standard infestation in 2026.

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In short

What pest control services actually cover

A one-time treatment targets what you have now. This Old House's 2026 figures by pest: ants $100-$500, rodents $180-$600, wasps $300-$700, termites $250-$1,000, bed bugs $1,000-$4,000. Tented fumigation is the most expensive at $1,500-$8,000.

A recurring plan is preventive: scheduled visits to keep common pests suppressed. It is not a fix for an active infestation of something specialized. Read what's covered - most general plans exclude termites, bed bugs and wildlife, which are sold separately.

Exclusion means sealing gaps, screening vents and repairing entry points. For rodents especially, this is the part that actually ends the problem; trapping without exclusion just makes room for the next ones.

The EPA's framework for all of this is integrated pest management: identify the pest, set an action threshold, prevent, and use "effective, less risky pest controls" first, with broadcast spraying as a last resort. A company that arrives, sprays a perimeter, and leaves without identifying anything is not doing that.

How to choose

Picking the right pest control job

The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.

  1. Get the pest identified before you buy a treatment

    The EPA's IPM approach starts with monitoring and identification, noting that "many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial." A plan sold before an ID is a subscription, not a solution.

  2. Check the license

    EPA advice on hiring is direct: "Choose a pest control company carefully. Ask to see the company's license," and contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you have doubts. Licensing is a state function, so rules differ.

  3. Ask what's excluded from a recurring plan

    Termites, bed bugs, wildlife and wood-destroying insects are commonly separate. Get the exclusions in writing before you subscribe.

  4. Insist on exclusion for rodents

    Sealing entry points is the durable part of rodent work. If a quote is all bait and no sealing, ask why.

  5. Ask to see the product label

    The EPA notes reliable applicators will provide copies of pesticide labels showing proper application rates and precautions. If they won't, walk.

Two people working through home paperwork at a kitchen table
Illustration, for reference.
Before you call anyone

The wrong service call is the expensive one

Most people booking pest control work are buying a diagnosis, not a job - and the trade you pick decides what diagnosis you get. Book the wrong specialist and you pay a call-out fee to be told it is somebody else's problem.

  • Describe the symptom What you can observe, and when it started. Not what you think it is.
  • Ask what the visit includes Whether the diagnostic fee is credited against the work is a question with a real answer.
  • Get the scope in writing A number with no line items cannot be compared to a second number.
FAQ

Pest Control services - common questions

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This Old House puts most professional visits at $50-$500 in 2026, averaging $171 for a standard infestation. Specialty work costs much more: bed bugs $1,000-$4,000 and tented fumigation $1,500-$8,000.
One-time for a specific, contained problem. Recurring makes more sense if you have persistent seasonal pressure. What you should not do is buy a recurring plan as a way of treating an active infestation of a specialty pest - that's a different service.
Inspect, identify what's actually present, tell you the conditions attracting it, propose a treatment with a stated product and rate, and explain re-entry times. The EPA's guidance stresses licensed applicators who can show you labels including application rates and precautions.
For a few ants or a single wasp nest in an accessible spot, sometimes. Not for termites, bed bugs, rodents in walls, or anything requiring work at height or in a confined space. And whatever you use, the label is the law - follow it exactly.
Sources

Where these figures come from

Sources last checked

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Who wrote and checked this

Written by

The HomeMatchup Content Team

Editorial
Reviewed by

Michael Thompson

Senior Home Improvement Reviewer · 20 years

Senior technical reviewer.

Team-written. Second-person reviewed. Sources dated. Report a correction.

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