About the worst possible news that a homeowner could get about their house is that they have a termite infestation. The horror stories are abundant, about homes completely destroyed by these silent pests, but still many put off treatment out of a belief that fumigation cost would just be too much for them. That isn’t necessarily going to be the case for you, but whatever the cost, you’ll want to understand why it’s worth it to you.
The truth is that the cost of fumigation can run as high as several thousand dollars in some cases, but normally the fumigation itself costs much less, often as little as a few hundred dollars. What determines how expensive your fumigation will be is the extent of the infestation, how large of a house that you own, and whether or not you have any additional features that will also require special treatment, such as wooden decks.
Fumigation involves the release of a toxic gas to eliminate termites within your home. The home, or any other space in which an infestation has occurred, will have to be sealed off or have a tent placed over it to contain the gas. The size of the home has the greatest impact on the final price of the fumigation because the gases used are only able to achieve the desired result when they are used at precise concentrations. Termites are typically more expensive to fumigate for than other pests, such as ants and cockroaches.
Other factors that will determine your final price, depending upon the company that you hire to complete the fumigation, are the cost of a pre-fumigation home inspection, the treatment of furniture or other items in homes with more severe pest infestations, and the cost of a permit if it is required where you live. It’s always advisable to ask about any extra costs that you’ll be expected to pay before you sign a contract with a pest control company.
What really catches most people off guard are these other related costs, and the costs of any repairs that have to be made to the home after the treatment has been completed, if any. Also, because the home will be sealed to allow the toxic gas to do its job, you won’t have access to your home, so you’ll have to be prepared for that.
Though the costs directly associated with the fumigation are usually fixed, you can reduce the total financial impact of the fumigation by doing a little pre-planning. Most fumigation companies will provide a checklist of things to do prior to the start of the job. Among the most important, and something that will save you a lot of money on the back-end, is to plan for where you’ll stay and what you’ll eat for the three days that you’ll be out of your home. Failing to plan ahead, you may find the costs of the hotel and eating out significantly increases the total fumigation cost.
