How Much Does Fumigation Cost? (2024 Guide)
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Fumigation costs typically range from $2,500 to $10,000, but most homeowners will pay around $6,250 on average for a 2,500-square-foot home. The most severe pest infestations demand comprehensive treatments. A pest control specialist can best advise you on the appropriate course of treatment for your home and may recommend fumigation. We’ve compiled a best pest control companies guide and researched the average pest control prices.
Cost of Fumigation
Due to product costs, labor requirements, and time demands, fumigation is one of the most expensive pest control treatments. Most homeowners will pay an average cost of $6,250 to fumigate a 2,500-square-foot home.
Pest control companies may recommend fumigation to exterminate structural pests responsible for a severe infestation. Fumigation is often reserved for controlling drywood termites or wood-boring beetles. The fumigation process typically requires tenting your home’s exterior to contain the fumigants and can take several days, allowing the chemicals to fully penetrate the home’s structure.
Here are the general price ranges to expect for fumigating your entire home:
| Home Size | Fumigation Cost* |
|---|---|
|
1,000 square feet |
$1,000–$4,000 |
|
1,500 square feet |
$1,500–$6,000 |
|
2,000 square feet |
$2,000–$8,000 |
|
2,500 square feet |
$2,500–$10,000 |
|
3,000 square feet |
$3,000–$12,000 |
*All cost data in this article was calculated using HomeAdvisor’s average fumigation cost of $1–$4 per square foot.
Factors Affecting Fumigation Cost
Here are the main factors that affect your final fumigation cost.
- Home size: A larger home has more structural components and greater square footage to sustain a severe pest problem. It may require a greater concentration of pesticides and can drastically increase the fumigation cost.
- Tenting requirements: Tenting a home to eliminate a termite infestation is a labor-intensive process and one of the more significant fumigation cost factors. The fumigants often need to circulate through the structure for more than a day to be effective, so you may need to budget additional money for temporary lodging.
- Location: Fumigation is part of a specialized pest treatment plan. Not all providers offer this service. In remote locations where pest control professionals must travel a greater distance, you can expect to pay more.
- Pest type and severity: The type of pest problem will determine whether fumigation is necessary and may impact the overall treatment cost. A severe drywood termite infestation affecting multiple rooms will require a more intensive treatment and whole-home tenting.
Types of Pests for Fumigation
Your pest control specialist may recommend fumigation for the following severe pest infestations:
- Drywood termites: Unlike subterranean termites that live underground, drywood termites nest deep inside your home’s wooden structural materials. This makes them difficult to treat with more common pest control solutions.
- Wood-boring beetles: Wood-boring beetles are another highly destructive household pest, burrowing into wooden materials where their larvae will feed. The adult beetles also create exit holes in the wood and sometimes damage other household materials, such as plaster.
- Bedbugs: A severe bedbug infestation can be difficult to eliminate entirely with conventional pest control methods. Your pest control specialist may recommend heat treatment or fumigation to avoid dealing with a recurring infestation.
Professional Exterminators vs. DIY Products
Fumigation uses powerful pesticides and requires a licensed pest control professional’s expertise. However, you can purchase pesticide foggers, sprays, and bait traps at many major retailers. These products may be suitable for minor infestations, but when dealing with structural pests such as drywood termites, fumigation is often necessary to prevent major home damage.
Our Recommendation
We recommend calling a pest control professional if you see signs of termites or suspect that another structural pest is damaging your home. If fumigation is necessary, start making preparations well in advance. You’ll want to arrange temporary accommodations for your family and your pets, and you should remove houseplants and food products from the home.
Terminix and Orkin topped our best pest control provider rankings. Both pest control companies are available in most states and have strong reputations for successful pest management. Terminix does not conduct fumigation services but works with a network of subcontractors to connect you with a fumigation expert.
Terminix
State availability: 45 (all but Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont)
Terminix offers free inspections for termites and several other common household pests. Its pest control services include a general pest control plan with several treatments throughout the year. You can also request one-time treatments that don’t require a long-term contract.
We did not see fumigation mentioned in Terminix’s pest control plans and learned through the company’s blog that it does not offer fumigation services. However, if your termite inspection confirms a severe drywood termite infestation, Terminix can connect you to vetted subcontractors that offer fumigation.
Orkin
State availability: 49 (all but Alaska)
Orkin offers general and targeted pest control services that treat homes for more than 20 pest types. Its website features many helpful resources, including a tenting and termite fumigation process guide. Orkin offers free termite inspections, but requires a home inspection fee for most other pest problems. It does not list fumigation service prices—you will need to schedule an inspection to receive an estimate.
Fumigation Cost FAQ
Is fumigation the best option for a severe pest infestation?
Fumigation is a good option for severe infestations caused by drywood termites and other structural pests. It can also be effective for bed bugs. For less severe termite infestations, heat treatments or spot treatments with termiticides may be better, more cost-effective options.
Will fumigation prevent future infestations from termites?
Fumigation can eliminate an existing infestation but it will not protect against future termite problems. Preventive measures, such as sealing entry points in your home, can keep termites from accessing wooden structural materials.
Does the duration of the fumigation treatment affect the final cost?
The fumigation treatment’s duration will typically affect the final cost. Smaller homes may take only a day to fumigate, but it can take three days to fumigate and aerate larger properties.
How We Chose the Top Pest Control Companies
Our pest control research process starts with analyzing customer reviews on third-party websites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and Google Reviews. We then do a deep dive into each company’s website, service plans, and available cost information. We also secret shop the companies we review, reach out to representatives, and request quotes.
From there, we compile the information we’ve gathered and compare each company using our in-depth pest control methodology and review criteria. This process uses a series of factors that are important to our readers, and we score each company depending on how well they perform in each factor. For instance, companies that offer more guarantees for their service earned more points than others, and pest control plans with a larger range of covered pests earned more points than ones with fewer.
After analyzing dozens of residential and commercial pest control businesses through this process, we were able to determine the best pest control companies on the market.