How Much Does It Cost to Fumigate a House?

Gary Evans
by Gary Evans

Living in your dream home can quickly turn into a nightmarish ordeal and it’s all because of annoying pests. To be more specific, pests like ants, bed bugs, and termites can be truly troublesome to deal with. If you let them stay in your home, they could end up inflicting long-term damage to your property’s value.

Getting rid of all those pests should be your priority, but that’s often easier said than done. Employing preventative measures will help, but they’re not as effective if you noticed the infestation too late. It may be time to bring in the big guns and that means fumigating your home.

Have professionals inspect your home before fumigating so they can identify the pests living there. The inspection will usually cost $150, but some companies offer it for free if you’re paying for fumigation. Fumigation itself will cost $2.50 per square foot. The cost of fumigation changes depending on factors such as the pests involved and the extent of the infestation.

Pests are unwelcome house guests and you need them removed from your home. Signing up for fumigation is one way to effectively free your home from pests. Find out how much fumigating a house will cost by reading on.

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Cost to Fumigate a House Per Square Foot

Estimate TypeCost Per Square Foot
Low-End Estimate$1
Mid-Range Estimate$2.50
High-End Estimate$4

Fumigating a home is a complex undertaking that must be performed only by professionals. You will have to pay a premium for that kind of service, but you may not have much of a choice. On average, fumigating your home will cost $2.50 per square foot.

If the exterminators give you that kind of estimate for fumigation, that means the infestation is already bad. However, it’s also an indicator that the infestation is not as bad as it can be. You may not have to pay for extensive repairs once the fumigation is finished.

Unfortunately, some homeowners are not able to catch the infestation until it’s too late. Although they are seeing pests around their home, they may not realize just how bad the infestation is. In some cases, the exterminators will have to tent over your property and begin structural fumigation. That kind of treatment will be more expensive. You can expect structural fumigation to cost $4 per square foot.

Hopefully, the infestation affecting your home has not reached worrying levels. If you made it a habit to keep an eye out for pests, you can curb an infestation before it poses a threat to your household.

Catching an infestation early will also reduce the amount of money you’ll have to spend to address it. Lighter fumigation will only cost $1 per square foot.

Cost of Inspection

Estimate TypeCost
Low-End Estimate$100
Mid-Range Estimate$150
High-End Estimate$200

You don’t have to fumigate your home the moment you suspect that you’re dealing with an infestation. Exterminators may even be against doing so because they would have to go in blind. Inspecting a property for pests must be done before fumigation and that will cost $150.

The same companies that carry out fumigations are the ones that also handle inspections. Inspectors will scour your property for any signs of pests that could end up dealing lasting damage to your home.

Specific pests they will look for include ants, bed bugs, bees, cockroaches, rats, and termites. They may also look for other pests if you ask them to do so.

Also, note that pest inspections are required not just for fumigating your home. You will also need to get it inspected if you want to take out a mortgage or get its value appraised.

Cost Factors for House Fumigation

Some homeowners may be caught off guard after learning how much fumigation will cost. To better understand why you were given such a high quote, you need to know more about the cost factors involved. Those important cost factors are detailed in this section.

Location of Your Home

You already know that the size of your home is going to impact the cost of fumigation. What you might not be aware of just yet is the effect the location of your property has on that expense.

First off, you have to consider how far the exterminators will have to travel. They will charge more if you live far away from their base of operations. The accessibility of your home also matters. If your home is clustered together with other properties, fumigating it will be harder.

Pests to Be Exterminated

Different methods, tools, and chemicals are used to exterminate different pests. That’s why the cost of fumigation will also hinge on which pests are currently running rampant all over your property.

Ants are usually the easiest to exterminate so the fee to get rid of them is not that high. Rats are not that far ahead in terms of cost. Exterminating them is also relatively cheap compared to the costs associated with getting rid of other pests.

If the inspection reveals that you have bed bugs or termites, you can expect the cost of fumigation to skyrocket. Fumigation will likely cost $4 per square foot if your home plays host to bed bugs or termites.

Scale of Infestation

The extent of the infestation will affect the cost of treatment. That’s because the exterminators will have to change their approach depending on the size of the infestation.

As we noted earlier, some infestations will only need light fumigation. Others may require the usage of tents and structural fumigation.

Products and Techniques Used

The products and techniques used during fumigation will also determine how much the treatment will cost. Often, exterminators will charge less if you’re okay with them using chemicals and employing harsher techniques.

Exterminators charge less when you sign off on chemical-based fumigation because it’s easier. The products they’re using are also cheaper and easier to find.

Fumigation using natural products will cost more, but it will be better for your household. If you have plants at home, they are less likely to suffer adverse effects if natural products were used. Your neighbors may also prefer that you use natural products during fumigation instead of the alternatives.

Fumigation Frequency

The cost of fumigating your home will also change based on how often you pay for that kind of treatment. Getting your home treated at least once per year can cut down significantly on the cost of fumigation. You could end up paying only a quarter of the usual price if your home is fumigated annually.

Do You Need Pest Control Services?

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Related Questions

How Long Does It Take to Fumigate a House?

The length of fumigation is not always fixed. Sometimes, fumigation will only take about six hours. That means you can move back into your home the next day.If it’s a bad infestation, fumigation could take up to a week. You will want to arrange hotel accommodations or stay with some family members if that’s the case.


Can I Fumigate House Myself?

No, you cannot fumigate your house by yourself. The products that are required for fumigation are not sold to everyone. You must be a licensed professional to purchase them.Even if you think you can handle fumigation by yourself, that is simply not an option. You should leave this job up to the professionals.


How Do I Clean My House after Fumigation?

Cleaning your house after fumigation is recommended. Start by opening up all the windows and doors so the products used don’t linger inside your home. While you’re doing that, also take down any curtains or covers that were left in place during fumigation.After that, vacuum your home thoroughly to get rid of any dead pests that were left behind. You should also mop your floors with soapy water. Wipe down any surfaces you cannot mop with soapy water as well.

Gary Evans
Gary Evans

Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.

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