The average cost of roach extermination is $150, however, there are many factors that may impact this price. Your home is a sacred place, where you can relax and unwind after a long day of work. The last thing you want is for your home to have unwanted guests. Pests are a big problem and can create structural problems as well as just generally make homeowners feel uncomfortable. It can happen to the best of us, with pests entering even the cleanest homes. The total price of exterminators for roaches is more than worth it.
Cockroaches, a common insect in the United States, can be a serious nuisance if they enter your home. These pests like warm places with easy access to food, and are not afraid to enter your home to get what they want. Unlike most people believe, cockroaches are not a sign of a dirty home, however, they can spread disease and are extremely difficult to get rid of. If you find evidence of them in your home, we recommend seeking a professional cockroach exterminator as soon as possible before the problem gets worse.
Roach treatment cost may be pricey, but it is important to pay for it as soon as possible or it can get much, much more expensive. How much do exterminators cost for roaches? Let’s find out!
There are many factors that may impact the price of cockroach extermination, for example, the size of your home, the type of cockroach, the location and severity of the infestation, the method used, as well as how frequently you intend to have them exterminated. Let’s take a look at these factors, and the many other issues related to cockroach infestation. Cockroach treatment costs depend on you and your home’s situation.
Table of Contents
- Roach Exterminator Cost
- What impacts the cost of cockroach extermination?
- Extermination Methods
- What are common signs of a cockroach infestation?
- Should you DIY exterminate or hire a professional?
- How to prepare your home for pest control?
- How to keep cockroaches away from your home
- How to choose and hire an exterminator
Roach Exterminator Cost
You are likely wondering, how much does an exterminator cost for roaches? To exterminate cockroaches, the typical cost is around $150, however, the price can greatly vary. The average for cockroaches is a bit more than pests in general, however, it is similar in price.
| National Average | $150 |
| Low-End Cost | $40 |
| High-End Cost | $2000 |
What impacts the cost of cockroach extermination?
How much is pest control for roaches? As we’ve mentioned, there are many things that can impact the total price of cockroach extermination. Pest control professionals will set the cost of exterminator for roaches based on some of the following factors. Cockroach exterminator cost depends on things like the size of your home, the type of cockroaches, the location of the infestation, the scope of the damage, as well as the extermination method. How much is an exterminator for cockroaches? Let’s find out based on the many different factors.
The Size of Your Home
The larger your home is, the more room there is for cockroaches to multiply. How much does it cost to fumigate a house for roaches? It depends on how large your home is! Cockroaches are common in large apartment buildings for this reason. Often, apartment building owners will exterminate just one apartment, when actually the entire building is infested. The larger the property, the more time pest control will need to be in your home, and thus the higher the cost. Cockroaches are possible in tiny city apartments to large, sprawling country mansions.
Expect to pay around $100 more for every 500 square feet added. For example, 1000 sq foot apartments will be around $100, while 1500 square feet will be around $200. This price increase continues as the size of the home grows larger.
Types of Cockroaches
Believe it or not, there are many different types of cockroaches that can infest your home. Typically, homeowners believe every cockroach is the same species, but actually, different types have different signs of existence and require different kinds of extermination. The cost for exterminator prices for roaches depends on the type of roach you have in your home. Some cockroaches are more likely to carry disease, thus, dealing with them will be more expensive.
The five most common types of cockroaches are the American cockroach, Smoky brown roach, Oriental cockroach, German cockroach, and Asian cockroach. Pest control prices for roaches depend on the type of roach.
The American cockroach is the most common type. It is around 1 to 1.5 inches long with a yellow band around its back. This type is especially troublesome as a female may lay up to 40 eggs a week. They are most often found in food storage areas.
The smoky brown roach is smaller than the American cockroach, with a uniformed brown body. Smoky brown roaches can fly stronger and travel further. They are typically found near standing water, garbage, or woodpiles.
The oriental cockroach is black and glossy, around the same size as the Smoky Brown roach. They are typically found in damp areas. They are not capable of flight, unlike the other kinds of cockroaches on this list.
The German cockroach is the most difficult to get rid of as they reproduce extremely quickly in comparison to other cockroach types. They have pale brown bodies with dark stripes and tend to enter a home on clothing or luggage. They also can be found almost anywhere in a home, and will also eat almost anything. These are some tough bugs, but with pest control, you can get rid of them, however, the cost to exterminate roaches of this type and the following type may be more than other species.
The Asian cockroach are identical in appearance to German cockroaches, however, they enter your home by flying through open doors and windows during the evening. They are more dangerous than other types as they can carry disease-causing microorganisms and spread illness. They can also leave a taste on food if they are near it. We recommend definitely running to get rid of these pests if they appear as they can cause a lot of issues.
Location of Infestation
How much does cockroach extermination cost? Another factor to cockroach extermination cost is the location of the infestation. As we’ve mentioned, different cockroaches are interested in different areas of your home. Hard to reach places will raise the price of extermination. Cockroach pest control cost will be higher based on where in the home the cockroaches are invading.
Here is a list of common locations that cockroaches are found:
Kitchen and Pantry - Cockroaches love crumbs and bits of food, and the best place to find that is your kitchen or pantry. Cockroaches will most likely find a spot behind and below appliances as well as inside cabinets. Even under your stove may have cockroaches, as it's a dark and undisturbed area of your home.
Bathrooms - Many cockroach types are attracted to moisture. You may find cockroaches in the bathtub or sink if the level of infestation in the room is high.
Garages or Basements - These areas are perfect for roaches. Both may have food stored and higher moisture levels, as well as being a space that homeowners typically do not go in often. They also typically are poorly sealed or may have various levels of entry.
Carpet - Cockroaches tend to be attracted to starch, which can be found in fibers of the carpet. Carpets, if the strands are long enough, can also be a fantastic hiding spot for these bugs.
Walls or Ceilings - While this kind of infestation is not as common, it can still happen. Just like with carpets, walls and wallpaper tend to have starch on them, and it makes a fantastic hiding spot. If there are cockroaches in your walls, you typically have a more severe infestation than you originally believed. It can be hard to find evidence of cockroaches in your walls, but you may see one walking on your wall or even coming from electrical outlets. The ceiling is even more uncommon, and if you have one on your ceiling, it means that there are so many cockroaches in your home that they have run out of hiding spots.
Scope of Damage
It goes without saying, higher severity of damage will be harder to treat. The more bugs in your home, the higher the cost of pest control for roaches. Let’s take a look at what constitutes a small infestation, a medium infestation, a large infestation, a severe infestation, and an extreme infestation. Roach pest control prices depend on how much work is required, however in our opinion, cockroach removal cost is worth it regardless.
Small infestations will cost the least amount. This may just be the occasional spotting of a cockroach in your home, typically seen at night. Even small infestations should be solved as soon as possible as cockroaches easily multiple.
A medium infestation will cost more, as you will likely notice more signs of cockroaches, such as shedded skin or excrement, which looks like coffee grounds or black pepper. This is a crucial stage to call for extermination because past this size, they can be much more expensive.
A large infestation is classified by the presence of cockroach reproduction, such as shedded, egg casting, intact eggs, and even nests. This is a big problem because a single female cockroach can give birth to up to 40 babies in just a week. If you come across a nest, you likely have a large number of cockroaches in your home. Health also becomes a concern at this level as they spread bacteria to humans.
Severe infestations are classified by seeing a cockroach during the daytime. Typically, cockroaches are almost impossible to find during the day as they hide until it is dark. If you see a cockroach during the day, you likely have so many in your home that they have run out of places to hide. You will likely see damage to items in your home at this level, as well as brown smears and a musty odor. At this level, the potential health issues are great.
The last classification, extreme infestation, is rare. At this level, you will see cockroaches and proof of their existence at every turn. This usually happens in homes with severe water damage, extreme clutter, or have been completely abandoned. This is a large enough concern that homes with extreme infestations should not even be occupied as they may cause extreme health concerns. Cockroach fumigation cost will be higher for this kind of infestation as so much of the chemical is required.
Cockroach extermination prices varies greatly based on how many of these little pests are in your home.
Extermination Methods
There are multiple types of extermination methods, which usage depends on the severity, type of cockroach, and location of the infestation. Each type has different amount of frequency as well, with some methods being needed often while others can be done only once. How much does roach extermination cost? Let's take a look at each method.
These methods, from cheapest to most expensive, include:
- Spraying - for outdoor or hard to reach areas. Typically done monthly or quarterly. It is best for medium infestations. How much does it cost to spray for roaches? Typically, it is around $40 to $100 a month. This is the cheapest pest control for roaches.
- Roach Glue Trap - This method is typically used as a pretreatment before gel bait. This is best for if you are unsure on the amount of cockroaches in your home, and wish to avoid chemical treatments.
- Roach Gel Bait - While this type is effective towards almost every type of cockroach, it does have its downsides as it takes a while to work, and it should not be used in households with pets or children as it is highly toxic. This type works as a way to bait the cockroaches into eating the poison and then spreading it to other roaches in their nest. This is ideal when exterminators are unsure where exactly the cockroaches are hiding.
- Dust - This method has exterminators sprinkling chemical dust around a home, which the roaches will then walk through and then ingest. This method is highly toxic as it contains boric acid, and should only be used for extreme cases where tenting is not possible. Homeowners will need to leave their homes during this process.
- Fumigation - Fumigation can be done with and without setting up a tent. During a fumigation, the entire area will be filled with poisonous gas which will suffocate the roaches. This is only used for extremely severe situations. The fumigation cost for roaches depends on how many areas need to be fumigated.
- Fumigation with Tent - This is more expensive than regular fumigation as there is a process to set up a tent required. This is for if you intend to fumigate an entire home rather than just one area. How much does it cost to tent a house for roaches? Well, it costs more than other options, but it also is usually a one-time thing that is required for only severe situations.
What are common signs of a cockroach infestation?
Before you find an exterminator and find the final answer to “how much is an exterminator for roaches?,” you should know the infestation signs. There are five main signs of cockroach infestations, all of which should lead you to call an exterminator as soon as possible. These are besides the obvious physical spotting of a cockroach, which will typically only happen late at night. Roach fumigation costs can get costly, so we recommend making sure you find out how severe the infestation is.
- Droppings, which will look like coffee grounds or black pepper.
- Skin shedding, which is the result of cockroach maturation. This typically looks light brown and flaky.
- Brown smears, which cockroaches usually leave on walls or floors.
- Egg capsules, which is what cockroaches usually carry their eggs inside of, but can be dropped by the roach in your home as well.
- A musty smell, which is the result of cockroach feces dropped by the bugs intending to attract other roaches to an area. To a human, it has a musty smell.
Should you DIY exterminate or hire a professional?
We recommend attempting to DIY extremely minor infestations, but with anything bigger than that, we recommend hiring a professional. If you are reading this article, you are likely wondering how much cockroach exterminator costs, and may even be a bit worried that it’ll be pricey.
DIY, while cheaper in terms of roach control cost, does come with some disadvantages. You may have other colonies in your home that you are unaware of, and you likely won't have the experience required to fully understand roach behavior. Lastly, you’ll have to physically clean up the roach corpses after killing them. We think cockroach exterminator prices are worth it.
A professional will understand the process and deal with the dirty work so you can keep your hands clean. They can spot potential other problems and deal with the pests effectively and efficiently. This does come with other higher costs, however, in the long run, it may be cheaper as if you do it yourself you may need to hire a professional eventually anyway. Hiring a cheap exterminator for roaches may still be more than just doing it yourself, but for only a couple of bucks more it will be more effective. Pest control roach's cost is more than worth it.
How to prepare your home for pest control?
Now that you understand the average cost of an exterminator for roaches, you’ll need to know how to prepare your home for pest control. Before your exterminator comes to your home, prepare your home properly to ensure any chemicals used do not harm you or your loved ones.
Before your professional exterminator arrives:
- Put away food properly
- Take note of areas with insect activity
- Clean floor and carpets
- Protect pets, even small pets like fish or hamsters.
- Move furniture away from walls
- Remove pet and baby products
How to keep cockroaches away from your home
Now that you found out how much it costs for pest control for roaches, there are a few more steps. After hiring an exterminator, it is important to take steps to prevent future infestations.
While cockroaches do not mean you have a dirty home, a dirty home may increase the likelihood of an infestation occurring. Keep a clean home, particularly your kitchen and bathroom. Be sure to store food properly in sealed containers, and take out any trash that accumulates as soon as possible. Lastly, plug up holes and hiding spots so the roaches can not enter your home, and if they somehow do, they do not have anywhere to hide.
How much does it cost to get rid of cockroaches? Well, no matter the price, it is worth it, as cockroaches can cause health problems as they spread bacteria.
How to choose and hire an exterminator
No matter which type of cockroach you are fighting or the severity of the infestation, there is an exterminator out there for you. Find the best extermination professional using House Tipster, and take back your home.
