Is This Pest Control Quote Fair? Red Flags Before You Sign

The fix for most bad quotes is the same: slow down and get it on paper. Ask for a free inspection and a quote before any treatment.

Start with an inspection and written findings

A price without a diagnosis is a guess. UC IPM's guide to hiring a pest control company says the company should give you a written diagnosis of the problem and an identification of the pest. It notes a company may charge for the inspection, and that the fee should include that written diagnosis. UC IPM also suggests contacting at least three companies.

Before you compare prices, check that each quote answers these questions:

• What pest did they find, and where in the house did they find it?
• What exactly will they do, and how many visits does that take?
• What does each line of the job cost on its own?
• What is guaranteed, for how long, and is that in writing?

If two quotes differ by thousands of dollars, put the line items side by side. The gap is usually in the scope of work, and you should know which scope you are buying. Published national price ranges for common jobs are in our Bakersfield pest control cost guide.

What a reasonable rodent job looks like

UC IPM's Pest Notes on rats describe a job with four parts. A quote that skips one is missing something. A quote that piles a lot on top deserves questions.

1. Inspection. The technician should show you the signs, such as droppings or nests. UC IPM also lists smudge marks where rats rub against beams and pipes.
2. Exclusion. UC IPM says all holes larger than 1/4 inch should be sealed to keep out both rats and mice. It recommends 19-gauge, 1/2-inch galvanized wire cloth over openings and warns against lightweight chicken wire, since rats pass through it. It also notes rats can chew through plastic and foam.
3. Trapping. UC IPM calls snap traps the safest and most economical way to trap rats, and the most effective. It says to use as many traps as practical so trapping is short. If bait is used outside, UC IPM says to seal entry points first so poisoned rats do not come inside to die.
4. Follow-up. Rats are active all year, so UC IPM says to check for signs periodically. Traps can stay in attics where rats were a problem before.

Pet and child safety belongs in the quote too. UC IPM says all rodenticides are toxic to pets and people, and that even one dead rodent may be enough to poison a pet. If a quote relies on poison bait, ask where the bait stations go and how the technician will collect the uneaten bait at the end. UC IPM says that bait should be removed when the job is done.

I think a rodent quote should spend most of its money on sealing and trapping. If the biggest line is a cleanup or a monthly bait contract and nobody has walked you around the gaps, I would get a second quote. More on how these jobs run is on our rodent control page.

Not sure what left the droppings? A photo often settles it before anyone visits.

What a reasonable termite quote looks like

Termite work in California starts with a wood destroying pests and organisms inspection report, usually called a WDO report. Only a Branch 3 field representative or Operator can do the inspection, under Business and Professions Code section 8516. That report is what any termite quote should be built on.

The report sorts findings into two groups. Section 1 items show visible evidence of an active infestation or damage from one. Section 2 items are conditions likely to lead to an infestation, with no infestation found yet. Section 8516(e) says Section 2 conditions can never be described as active infestations or as work that must be done before the company certifies the property. If a quote treats Section 2 items as urgent repairs, ask why. Our Section 1 vs Section 2 guide explains the split in detail.

The other big decision is local treatment versus treating the whole structure. UC IPM's Pest Notes on drywood termites say whole-structure methods such as fumigation should eliminate all infestations, even hidden ones. Local treatment is often applied to a single board or a small group of boards. It works well when the colony is found and the treatment reaches the termites, but UC IPM says one can never be sure every infestation was treated. So a higher fumigation quote is not a scam on its face. The question is how much of the infestation the inspector could see.

Two rights in section 8516 help here:

• If you ordered the report and ask, the company has to price each recommendation separately. That lets you see what the Section 1 work costs on its own.
• Every report must say you have a right to a second opinion from another company. UC IPM suggests getting at least three inspection reports before you choose a drywood treatment.

The Board's termite brochure gives advice I agree with: take your time. Termite damage builds slowly. A company pushing you to sign that day is a reason to walk away. See our termite inspection and treatment page for what each treatment involves.

Door-to-door sales: what to do at the door

A seller at your door may work for a properly licensed company, and you can check that in two minutes. Just do not sign on the porch.

1. Do not sign on the spot. A real offer will still be there tomorrow.
2. Get the price and the service schedule in writing, with the contract length and how to cancel it.
3. Ask for the company name and the salesperson's license number. Look both up on the Department of Consumer Affairs license search with Structural Pest Control Board selected. Our license verification guide walks through it.
4. Ask what pest they found at your house. A plan sold before anyone inspected is a plan for a pest you may not have.

Business and Professions Code section 8514(g) says home solicitation contracts for pest control have to comply with the Civil Code's home solicitation rules. That is where the right to cancel comes from.

Your three-day right to cancel

California Civil Code section 1689.5(a) defines a home solicitation contract or offer as one to sell, lease or rent goods or services, made somewhere other than the seller's place of business, for $25 or more including interest and service charges. A pest plan signed at your front door generally fits.

Under section 1689.6(a)(1), you can cancel that contract until midnight of the third business day after the day you sign. If you are a senior citizen, the deadline is midnight of the fifth business day. The five-day rule applies to contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2021.

Count the days carefully. Section 1689.5(e) says a business day is any calendar day except Sunday and a list of federal holidays, so Saturday counts. If you sign on a Friday and no holiday falls in between, Saturday is day one and Tuesday is day three.

How to cancel:

• Put it in writing. Section 1689.6(f) says your notice does not have to use the form that came with the contract. However it is expressed, it is effective if it shows you do not intend to be bound.
• If you mail it, section 1689.6(e) says notice is effective when it is deposited in the mail, properly addressed with postage prepaid. Keep a copy and proof of the date you mailed it.

The Notice of Cancellation form in section 1689.7 says you may cancel without any penalty or obligation, with payments returned within 10 days after the seller receives your notice.

This is general information, not legal advice. For questions about a contract or a seller, contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs through its consumer page at dca.ca.gov. Its main line is (800) 952-5210.

Red flags worth walking away over

• A large quote with no written findings or no pest named.
• A price that is only good if you sign today.
• Section 2 conditions sold as emergencies.
• A year-long contract that you have to cancel by phone at a specific window, with the terms only explained out loud. If you sign a recurring plan anyway, read our notes on one-time vs quarterly service, including how to read the contract.

We only refer companies licensed by the California Structural Pest Control Board.