Cockroach exterminator cost: $100 to $600 (HomeGuide 2026)

National figures. HomeGuide's cockroach guide is dated May 2024 and republished for 2026; its exterminator guide is January 2026.

Do this now: before the roach treatment

1. Stop spraying. UC IPM says insecticide sprays alone will not eliminate cockroaches and can scatter them into other rooms.
2. Put down a few sticky traps under the sink, behind the refrigerator and in the cabinet corners. UC IPM calls them the best way to detect and monitor roaches, and the catch tells the company where to bait.
3. Seal food, fix the drip, dry the sink. UC IPM's sanitation list: sealed containers, leaks repaired, crumbs vacuumed.
4. Photograph a roach and any egg case. The German cockroach is about 1/2 inch, light brown, with two dark stripes behind the head; its egg case is light beige, about 1/4 inch (UC IPM).
5. Renting? Notify the landlord in writing. In NYC the housing code requires owners to address infestations promptly.

Is it urgent? German cockroaches and apartments

German cockroaches are the case that gets worse by the week: UC IPM says each egg case holds about 30 young, a female may produce a new one every few weeks, and one female and her offspring can produce over 30,000 individuals in a year. UC IPM also says infestations are a source of allergens and a risk factor for childhood asthma, especially in multi-unit housing, and that serious indoor infestations often require professional services. One large roach from outdoors is not the same problem. HomeGuide puts a one-time visit at $200 to $350.

How much does a cockroach exterminator cost?

A cockroach exterminator costs $100 to $600 in HomeGuide's 2026 guide, with a $350 national average and a spread of $50 to $8,000; This Old House's range is also $100 to $600, and Fixr prices common household insects at $158 to $288. HomeGuide's per-visit prices: sprays $40 to $100, gel bait, traps or dust $100 to $600 each, and fumigation, tenting or heat for a severe case at $1,000 to $7,500. By home size, HomeGuide lists $100 to $500 for 1,000 to 2,000 sq ft and $400 to $900 above 3,000. We publish costs and what the sources say the signs mean; we do not inspect homes or say whether a home needs treatment. A pest control company licensed in your state does that on site.

German cockroach treatment cost: why baits, not sprays

A German cockroach job is priced as a baiting visit, $100 to $600 in HomeGuide's figures, and often as a plan, because UC IPM says baits are the primary control tool and take about 7 days or longer to work, with sanitation, exclusion and sticky-trap monitoring alongside. UC IPM calls the German cockroach the most persistent and troublesome species, living and breeding indoors near food preparation areas, kitchens and bathrooms, and says sprays alone give a quick knockdown and no lasting control. HomeGuide says moderate to severe infestations may need several visits, that roaches take 1 to 3 weeks to die off, and that a return visit may be needed if eggs hatch; its monthly plans run $50 to $100 a visit and quarterly $100 to $200.

Signs of cockroaches in the kitchen

• Dark fecal spots or smears under counters, behind drawers and at the back of cabinets (UC IPM).
• Egg cases, light beige and about 1/4 inch, and cast skins (UC IPM).
• A musty odor and stains on surfaces they contact (UC IPM; HomeGuide).
• Live roaches at night in warm, humid spots near food and water: kitchens, bathrooms and food preparation areas (UC IPM).

UC IPM says the German cockroach is also believed to spread organisms such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and coliform bacteria and to contaminate food, which is why the sanitation steps are part of the treatment, not a substitute for it.

Cockroaches in an apartment: who pays and what works

In New York City, the housing agency says the Housing Maintenance Code and Health Code require owners to address infestations promptly, with 311 as the next step when they do not; other cities' codes differ and the lease may say more. In a building, UC IPM's multi-unit asthma finding is the reason to ask about the adjoining units; a company would want to know whether neighbors see roaches too, and whether the building is treating them. The bed bug treatment cost guide covers NYC's bed bug reporting law and the landlord question in more detail.

How to get rid of roaches: what the sources say works

1. Monitor with sticky traps to find where they are (UC IPM).
2. Bait those spots with gel or station baits and give it 7 days or more (UC IPM).
3. Clean and dry: sealed food, no standing water, leaks fixed, crumbs vacuumed (UC IPM).
4. Exclude: seal cracks and remove hiding places (UC IPM).
5. Re-check the traps and repeat baiting until they stay empty; HomeGuide says appointments run 1 to 2 hours and moderate to severe cases take several visits.

Questions to ask a roach company

• Baits or sprays? UC IPM's answer is baits plus monitoring; ask what product and where it goes.
• How many visits are included, and what is a follow-up? HomeGuide: one-time $200 to $350, monthly $50 to $100 a visit.
• Will adjoining units be treated? In a building, the answer sets whether the job holds.
• License number and proof of insurance (EPA), and the label for anything applied near food surfaces.

Start at the pest control hub or compare the pest control cost table. City pages: pest control in Houston, pest control in San Antonio, pest control in Dallas, pest control in Austin, pest control in New York, pest control in Atlanta, pest control in Charlotte, pest control in Denver. Calls go to an independent pest control company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary and the company quotes its own inspection or first-visit fee. How calls work.