Termite Treatment Cost

It’s no secret that termites can cause severe damage to your home, but treatment costs can vary depending on how bad your infestation is. The This Old House Reviews Team has compiled this guide to termite treatment costs to help you prepare your budget, understand the treatment process, and save on costs. We’ve also included our top pest control companies to get professional termite protection for your home.

In the United States, the average cost of termite treatment is $572. However, costs can range from $237 to $975, depending on the severity of the termite infestation. These are the primary factors that determine termite treatment cost:

• Size of your home: The larger your home, the more expensive your treatment will be. Chemicals to treat termites are expensive, and more sizable homes have more area to cover.
• Number of treatments: More than one treatment may be needed, depending on the severity of your infestation and the type of treatment used. For example, bait treatments will require more visits than chemical treatments because technicians must add more baits and monitor the stations. The more visits, the higher the price tag.
• Treatment type: Different types of treatments vary in price, with less invasive solutions, such as termite bait systems, costing less than intensive measures, such as fumigation.

Termite Treatment Cost by Home Size

Treating just part of your home for termites can cost $200–$900 for bait systems or chemical treatments. However, if the termite infestation has progressed throughout your entire house, you may need to pay $2,500–$10,000 for a more aggressive method such as heat treatment or fumigation. Here are the national averages for whole-home treatment based on the size of your home.

Termite Treatment Cost by Type of Treatments

The extent of the infestation will determine the type of treatment needed. Homes with severe infestations may need fumigation treatment or heat treatments, while chemical treatments or bait systems may be enough to eliminate smaller colonies. For more information on types of treatments, read our guide here. See the average costs for different treatment types below.

Beyond the size of the infestation, square footage of your home, and treatment type needed, there are four other important cost factors to consider:

• Damage levels: Even after termites are eliminated, the cost of repairing the damage they’ve caused to wood in your home, porch, and lawn can be significant. Smaller infestations will likely create less costly damage, so it’s crucial to address termites quickly.
• Foundation repair: Termites can burrow through small cracks in your foundation, causing significant harm to the base of your house. If this happens, you’ll need to pay for foundation repair, which costs between $2,000 and $7,000.
• Termite monitoring: To avoid a termite issue or prevent them from returning, you can monitor your home for termites via DIY methods or pay for a professional service, such as one of the annual termite plans offered by Terminix. To do it yourself, you’ll need to set up monitored bait stations around your property. Monitors cost between $35–$45, and the monthly bait costs roughly $135. Alternatively, professional termite monitoring costs a little less, at an average of $410 per year.
• Type of termite: Drywood, dampwood, and subterranean termites are the three primary types of termites you may encounter around your property. The measures needed to treat each type may affect the costs.

Cost for Termite Inspection

The average termite inspection cost is between $50 and $280, depending on the provider you choose and the size of your home. Many companies, including nationwide providers such as Orkin and Terminix, offer free home inspections. However, most pest control providers won’t be able to give you a quote until after the free inspection. This is because the level of infestation determines your treatment method and price. 

Learn more in our guide to termite inspections.

There are three major types of termites: drywood, dampwood, and subterranean. Each type infests different areas of your home, and the cost to treat subterranean termites can be lower than other varieties. Here’s what to know about these species of termites:

Subterranean Termites

These underground termites are prevalent across most of the United States and live in the soil near your home, venturing into the house and foundation to find wood to eat. You may notice mud tubes along concrete or exterior fixtures—these act as highways for subterranean termites, allowing them to travel in and out of your home.

Since subterranean termites do not live inside the house, treatment is easier and often less expensive than their wood-inhabiting relatives. Subterranean termites typically cost between $225 and $1,000 to treat.

Dampwood Termites

As their name suggests, these pests need moisture to survive. Typically, dampwood termites create colonies in wood resting directly on the ground, such as firewood piles or near standing water around your home’s exterior. This termite can cost anywhere from $225–$2,500 to treat, depending on the scale of infestation. You’ll likely find dampwood termites in Western states such as California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Drywood Termites

Unlike dampwood and subterranean termites, drywood termites take up residence inside your home’s dry wood structures. These may include beams, baseboards, doorframes, and windowsills. Like dampwood termites, drywood termites can cost between $200 and $2,500 for treatment. The exact figure will depend on the treatment plan your house needs. Drywood termites can be found in tropical locations such as California, Florida, and Hawaii.

If you suspect termites, it’s best to schedule an inspection immediately. Treating a termite infestation quickly is key to preventing widespread damage to your home. If you notice these signs, you may be facing an active termite problem:

• Changes to drywall, such as discoloration or drooping
• A hollow sound when you tap on the wood in your home
• Distorted wood or laminate floorboards
• Damaged wood around the home
• Bubbling or peeling paint on wood fixtures
• Patterns that resemble a maze in hardwood furniture, floors, or walls
• Pin-sized holes in drywall or wood
• Small piles of termite droppings, which can look like salt or pepper grains
• Mud tubes that run upwards along your home’s exterior
• Wing piles, which termites leave behind after a swarm
• Any active termites on your property

Once you’ve taken steps to get rid of termites, you’ll want to keep them away. Here are the best ways to prevent a new termite colony:

• Clear any standing water or piles of damp wood around your home.
• Trim shrubbery to be at least 12 inches away from your home’s exterior.
• Use pine needles or non-wood mulch.
• Maintain pipes and gutters regularly to prevent wood and moisture buildup.
• Ensure that your crawl space has a vapor barrier, a plastic liner designed to slow the spread of moisture from soil into your crawl space and prevent termites.
• Point sprinklers away from your home’s foundation.
• Seal any gaps around your home’s exterior.
• Address any foundation cracks right away.
• Schedule annual termite inspections if you’ve already had an infestation, or set up a monitoring system.

Many homeowners prefer termite treatments from nearby providers or local branches of nationwide pest control companies. If a local option is the best choice for you, use the tool below to find the best pest control company near you.

The national average for termite treatment costs hovers around $572, but you could pay thousands if the infestation spreads throughout your home, and repairing termite damage could cost even more. Calling professional help is the most effective solution if you suspect a termite problem. We recommend Terminix as the best overall provider for termite control, thanks to its three distinct termite plans, free inspection, and bundling options with general pest control.

Orkin is another excellent choice. It has more than 120 years of experience in pest control and offers liquid termiticide treatments, dry foam, fumigation, and monitoring services. Finally, Hawx offers bait systems and foaming treatments as part of its termite control services. We recommend requesting quotes from at least three providers to accurately compare coverage and pricing.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our pest control recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider. We review pest control plans, navigate the provider website, speak with customer service representatives by phone and online chat (if available), request quotes, and analyze customer reviews for each provider. We then score the provider against our review standards for plan options, additional benefits and convenience factors, availability, trustworthiness, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.