How Much Do Cockroach Exterminators Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $100 - $600
Cockroach exterminators cost $100 to $600, with a national average of $200. Monthly and quarterly treatments might be necessary, though.
You can expect cockroach exterminators to cost between $100 and $600, with a national average of $200. Few things are worse than flicking on the light in your kitchen and seeing a roach scurry under the refrigerator. Where there's one roach, there's usually more, so if you've spotted them out and about, it's time to call an exterminator. This guide breaks down cockroach exterminator costs to prepare you to tackle these pesky pests.
- Average
- $200
- Low end
- $100
- high end
- $7,500
Roach Exterminator Cost Factors
When budgeting for cockroach extermination costs, a single roach treatment costs around $200, or between $100 and $400 for minor infestations. For major infestations, you can expect to pay $300 to $700 per treatment, and for severe infestations, your bill might reach up to $7,500 per treatment. But the result (a roach-free home) is priceless.
Roach extermination costs generally boil down to a few main factors. Let’s break those down and examine how much you might pay to exterminate your unwelcome roaches.
Type of Treatment
As you can imagine, more intense roach treatments typically cost more than DIY treatments for minor infestations. Take a look at the following cockroach treatments and their estimated costs:
| Treatment Type | Average Cost per Treatment | |
|---|---|---|
| Spray | Chemical insecticide sprayed inside and outside of the home; toxic to human and pets so pros should apply | $40–$100 |
| Glue | Board coated with a sticky, non-toxic adhesive that traps roaches and other pests | $100–$600 |
| Gel | Bait containing insecticide and when eaten can kill roaches within hours; harmful if ingested by humans or pets | $100–$600 |
| Dust | Powerful boric acid powder sprinkled around the home and kills roaches when ingested; toxic to human and pets | $100–$600 |
| Fumigation | Ideal for severe infestations, fumigation involves filling the home with gaseous pesticides to kill roaches; costly and labor-intensive option | $1,000–$3,000 |
| Tenting | A large tent is placed around the home and then a fumigant is released to kill roaches lingering in walls and other crevices | $2,500–$7,500 |
Spray
Cockroach spray typically costs $40 to $100 per treatment. These typically contain chemical insecticides and you can use them inside and outside of the home. Note that most are toxic to humans and animals, so be sure to only treat areas out of reach for children and pets.
Glue
Glue traps for cockroaches cost $100 to $600 per treatment, depending on the brand and quantity. Glue traps are excellent for hard-to-reach areas, such as inside kitchen cabinets and beneath furniture. They’re also free of pesticides, so they are safe to use around children and pets.
Gel
Gel cockroach baits cost $100 to $600 per treatment, depending on the brand and quantity. These contain special food to attract roaches, plus a powerful insecticide that can start killing roaches within a few hours.
Dust
Boric acid dust for roaches usually costs around $100 to $600 per treatment. A powerful and popular method for killing roaches, boric acid powder works by coating the insect’s body as it crawls through. Then, as it absorbs the toxic powder from its body and antennae, the roach ingests it and dies. While it’s powerful at killing roaches, boric acid has low toxicity and is harmful to children and pets when ingested.
Fumigation
If you have an extreme infestation and need pest control to fumigate the whole house, it could cost you between $1,000 and $3,000 on average. Fumigation costs more for larger-than-average homes. The price per square foot is around $1 to $4 per square foot, so factor in the size of your home. Prices increase substantially because you're treating the whole house with a gaseous pesticide rather than one localized area, and it’s a lot more labor-intensive than a standard treatment.
Tenting
Tenting is a fumigation technique that uses tarp encasements to seal gasses throughout your home, effectively killing roaches lurking deep within the walls. The cost to tent a house is between $2,500 and $7,500 on average, depending on the square footage of your home. Houses around 1,000 square feet will fall toward the bottom of this price range, while homes larger than 3,000 square feet will be on the higher end.
Home Size
Your home’s square footage can play a role in the extermination cost, falling anywhere between $100 and $650 for different home sizes. Cockroach exterminations typically cost more for larger homes than for smaller homes.
Check out how much your home might cost by square footage below:
| Home Size in Square Feet | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 1,000–2,000 | $100–$350 |
| 2,000–3,000 | $350–$650 |
| 3,000+ | $500–$800 |
Level of Infestation
Simply put: Smaller and more localized infestations require less work and fewer pesticides. More severe infestations require multiple visits and more robust treatment options, costing more overall. Treating your roach infestation before it gets out of control is best and typically least costly.
| Level of Infestation | Average Cost per Visit |
|---|---|
| Minor | $100–$400 |
| Major | $300–$700 |
| Severe | $2,500–$7,000 |
How Much Does It Cost to Exterminate Roaches Yourself?
Getting rid of cockroaches yourself is possible, especially if you only have a minor infestation. You can buy your own pesticide (organic cockroach control is available) for between $40 and $180, but it's unwise to handle deadly pesticides and chemicals unless you have extensive experience in extermination. You can also purchase and use boric acid, gel bait, glue traps, bait stations, or spray roaches as necessary for a lower cost, but these methods won’t likely eradicate a larger infestation.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
As mentioned above, while it’s possible to remove small roach infestations with the help of DIY treatment methods, they likely won’t be strong or widespread enough to wipe out a major infestation.
Hiring a local roach exterminator will allow you to understand the scope of your infestation, plus the best course of action to get rid of them. Even if you think the infestation is small, you don't know what is lurking underneath your appliances or in your walls. Consider hiring a cockroach exterminator to check your home thoroughly, give you a professional opinion, and start a treatment plan.
When to Call an Exterminator for Roaches
If you have a major roach infestation or live with children or pets, it’s best to leave roach extermination to a pro. Since many pest control products can be toxic, it can be dangerous to handle these chemicals yourself.
Benefits of Pro Cockroach Extermination
While many DIY options are available for cockroach extermination, having a pro take on this project will be your best bet. Perhaps the most significant benefit of professional extermination is the elimination of cockroaches from your home, which is not guaranteed with DIY or over-the-counter options. Other benefits of professional cockroach extermination include:
Prevention of future infestations
Removal of odors left behind from roaches
Learning points of entry for roaches and pests
Access to specialized equipment to handle severe infestations
Having more effective methods of roach control than DIY options
Signs of a Roach Problem
Roaches are sneaky, but many signs of a roach problem can tip you off to the existence of these nocturnal pests in your home.
Droppings: You may see specks of tiny pellets that look akin to coffee grounds or ground pepper or, depending on the species, larger, brown-colored pieces that look like rice. If you spot cockroach droppings in your kitchen cabinets or other areas of your home, start the extermination process right away.
Roach eggs: Roaches lay eggs in an ootheca, egg sack, or egg capsule. This casing can hold as many as 40 eggs. Keep in mind, however, that some roach species carry their eggs inside their bodies in an internal ootheca. Unfortunately, finding roach eggs is a surefire sign they’re multiplying under your roof.
Shedding: Young cockroaches shed their exoskeletons to accommodate their growth. This process happens between five and eight times during their lifespan. As a result, you’ll see traces of this shedding around the house.
Unusual odors: In some cases, a musty odor might be a sign of mold in your home, but in other situations, musty odors signify a roach infestation. Once you know what this odor means, you’ll be able to identify a roach infestation just by taking a whiff around the kitchen, basement, or garage.
Health problems: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), roaches can cause many health problems as they crawl around unbeknownst to homeowners. Health problems caused by roaches that you or your family members might experience include asthma, allergies, or diseases like salmonella, streptococcus, or staphylococcus
Types of Roaches
Not all roach infestations are created equal. You can eliminate most common types of roaches with traditional extermination methods, but German cockroaches are notoriously hard to eradicate. They may require more invasive fumigation methods to rid them from the walls of your home.
Keep an eye out for these common roach species:
| Roach Type | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| German cockroach | Light brown, small, likes moist environments like kitchens, pantries, and bathrooms |
| American cockroach | Reddish-brown, large, likes fermented food and wet environments like kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms |
| Brown-Banded cockroach | Dark brown or reddish-brown, small, likes warm, dark, and dry climates like pantry shelves and furniture |
| Oriental cockroach | Shiny dark brown, medium-sized, likes cooler environments, garbage, and kitchens |
| Smokybrown cockroach | Reddish-brown, medium-sized, likes very humid regions and outdoor weather but may enter houses if there’s a drought |
How to Prevent Roaches
The promise of food, water, and shelter attracts roaches to your home, so you can prevent them from taking up residence by eliminating these sources. Follow these guidelines to avoid a roach infestation:
Keep trash and compost tightly sealed
Remove food scraps from your kitchen counters and shelves
Store dry goods in sealed containers
Seal entry points like cracks and crevices
Remove paper and trash clutter from indoor and outdoor areas
Fix leaky faucets and pipes
Avoid keeping pet water bowls out overnight
Clean appliances to avoid crust build-up
Treatment Programs
Preventative pest management can help to repel roaches and other pests from your home, lowering the chance of costly infestations. In addition to DIY methods, some extermination companies—like Terminix—offer a yearly plan ranging between $400 and $1,100 to prevent infestations throughout the year.
| Frequency of Treatment | Average Cost per Year |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $900–$1,600 |
| Quarterly | $400–$700 |
| Annually | $100–$400 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The length of time it will take for an exterminator to successfully get rid of roaches in your home depends on the type of roach, the severity of the infestation, and the extermination method. While some smaller infestations may be effective within 1 to 3 days, most exterminations take around 2 to 8 weeks to work completely. More severe infestations can take up to 6 months to fully get rid of cockroaches.
The best way to ward off roaches is to take preventative measures and stay on top of routine extermination services. Keep them away by cleaning your kitchen free from crumbs, properly storing away food, covering your pet’s food bowl, and reducing moisture in your home to make your house less tempting for roaming cockroaches. Remove clutter—especially cardboard boxes that roaches love to hide in, and replace them with plastic tubs.
The main things to consider when hiring an exterminator is your infestation size and budget. The price range for roach extermination varies widely depending on the circumstances. If it’s a localized infestation that only requires a few treatments from an exterminator, it will probably only cost hundreds of dollars at most. But if you have a large house and a widespread infestation, be prepared to pay thousands of dollars for fumigation and tenting.