Termite treatment cost: $225 to $2,500 (HomeGuide 2026)

National figures. Linear-foot prices are for the perimeter of the foundation; square-foot prices are for the whole house.

Do this now: before anyone treats for termites

1. Leave part of any mud tube in place. Texas A&M says to leave at least part of a shelter tube for the inspector to examine.
2. Bag a few of the insects. The EPA's test: termites have wings of roughly equal length and straight antennae; ants have longer front wings and antennae bent at 90 degrees. The signs of termites guide has the full comparison.
3. Get an inspection and a written plan. The EPA says a company should inspect first and lay out the products, methods and precautions. UC IPM says a licensed professional must inspect before any treatment.
4. Get two or three bids (EPA), and ask each salesperson to justify the product choice (Texas A&M).
5. Read the warranty before the price. Texas A&M: a standard warranty is one year with an option to extend, and renewals should not exceed 20 percent of the original treatment cost.

Is it urgent? What termite signs mean for timing

Termites are not an overnight emergency: UC IPM says a new colony may have only about 75 individuals after a year and that few colonies reach maturity, so there is time for an inspection and competing bids. Texas A&M says swarmers found indoors are a reliable signal of infestation, while termites in a fence, woodpile or landscape timber do not necessarily mean the house itself is involved. What a company would check: mud tubes on the foundation, wood that sounds hollow or punctures easily with a screwdriver (UC IPM), and moisture or wood-to-soil contact (HomeGuide).

How much does termite treatment cost?

Termite treatment costs $225 to $2,500 per treatment for a chemical barrier or bait job in HomeGuide's 2026 guide, and This Old House puts a typical job at $700 to $2,000. Fixr's one-time termite range is $1,570 to $2,857. Whole-home tenting is a different tier: $2,000 to $8,000 in HomeGuide's figures, $1,500 to $5,000 in This Old House's. HomeGuide prices by species too: subterranean $250 to $2,000, drywood $225 to $2,500 or more, Formosan $800 to $5,000 or more. 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.

Subterranean termite treatment cost: liquid barrier vs bait per linear foot

A liquid soil barrier costs $3 to $20 per linear foot of foundation and bait stations $7 to $12 per linear foot in HomeGuide's figures; Fixr's subterranean figure is $7 to $14 per linear foot. Whole-home totals: liquid $500 to $2,000 or more, bait $1,000 to $2,500 plus $200 to $400 a year of monitoring (HomeGuide). The EPA says the soil-applied barrier is the most common technique, and that baits use cellulose with a slow-acting insecticide. Texas A&M's comparison: liquid treatments give fast and usually reliable control and persist five years or more, so no ongoing service is required; baits take time before termites feed and give no protection after the service contract ends, because eliminated colonies are replaced by new ones from the yard. UC IPM adds that baiting can take months and needs ongoing monitoring.

Drywood termite treatment cost: spot treatment vs tenting

Drywood termite treatment runs $225 to $2,500 or more in HomeGuide's guide, with spot or micro treatment at $6 to $8 per square foot and tenting at $2,000 to $8,000. UC IPM says fumigation treats every infestation in the house at once and kills drywood termites within several days, while localized treatments have variable results and may need callbacks. Texas A&M notes spot treatments often carry limited warranties. The termite tenting cost guide prices fumigation by home size and covers the prep.

Termite bond vs one-time treatment

HomeGuide (Nov 2025), This Old House (Jun 2026) and Texas A&M AgriLife (ENT-2002).

A termite bond costs $500 to $2,000 a year in HomeGuide's figures, against $225 to $2,500 for a single treatment; HomeGuide lists Terminix at $400 to $1,500 a year and Orkin at $500 to $1,600, and a prevention plan at $200 to $900. Companies sell the yearly contract, and the renewal terms are where to look: Texas A&M says annual renewals should not exceed 20 percent of the original treatment cost, and that an extended warranty makes sense for the first one to two years, or one year after termites were last detected. The termite inspection cost guide sets inspection against bond for a home sale.

The Terminix Alabama settlement: read the renewal clause

In November 2020 Alabama's Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix International. The state said Terminix collected annual termite protection premiums without delivering the promised services, failed to provide competent and thorough annual inspections, and raised renewals by up to 1,000 percent. The settlement set up a $25 million consumer relief fund, $10 million to retreat more than 12,000 homes in Mobile, Baldwin and Monroe counties, refunds of price increases paid in 2019 and 2020, and a commitment to a reasonable and affordable price increase schedule. The consumer lesson is in the contract: what the yearly fee buys, whether an inspection actually happens each year, and how much the renewal can rise.

Does homeowners insurance cover termite damage?

No, as a rule. HomeGuide says termite treatment is not typically covered by homeowners insurance, and NPMA says the more than $5 billion in termite damage each year in the US is typically not covered either. HomeGuide notes a policy may respond when a covered flood or water event caused the infestation. Call your insurer and ask about your own policy before assuming either way.

Termite damage repair cost

Many homeowners spend around $2,000 fixing termite damage in This Old House's 2026 guide, and severe structural repairs can push treatment plus repairs above $10,000. HomeGuide's inspection guide puts minor repairs at $300 to $2,000 and major structural work at $10,000 or more. Repairs are a separate contractor's job from the treatment, and a termite guarantee can be voided by structural changes made without telling the pest company (EPA), so tell them before the carpenter starts.

How to get rid of termites: why this is a licensed job

The EPA says that in most cases termiticide application can only be properly performed by a trained pest management professional, that firms offering termite services must be licensed by the state, and that improper treatment can contaminate the home and nearby drinking water wells. UC IPM says pesticide applications require a licensed pest control professional to carry out the inspection and control program, that misplaced insecticide can contaminate heating ducts, and that the over-the-counter termite products that work are not available to the public in California. What you can do yourself is prevention: the EPA says keep soil around the foundation dry with grading, gutters and downspouts, fix leaks, and keep firewood and wood debris away from the house; NPMA says keep a one-inch gap between soil and wood.

Questions to ask before you sign a termite contract

• Which method, and why this one? Texas A&M says to ask the salesperson to justify the product choice.
• Price per linear foot and the total, with any monitoring fee for bait stations (HomeGuide: $200 to $400 a year).
• Warranty length, renewal price and the cap on increases. Texas A&M: renewals should not exceed 20 percent of the original cost.
• Does the yearly fee include an inspection, and is it documented? The Alabama case turned on inspections that did not happen.
• What voids the guarantee? The EPA's example is structural changes made without notifying the company.
• License number and proof of insurance. The EPA says to confirm the state license is current and that most states do not require insurance, so ask.

Related: signs of termites, termite inspection cost, termite tenting cost and the pest control cost guide. Start at the pest control hub; 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.