$150 – $3,000That is the typical termite treatment cost in 2026 for a liquid soil barrier or a bait station system around the whole house, across the published cost guides we compared. Tenting the house for fumigation or heat costs roughly $1,300 to $8,000, depending on its size and the source. Which one you need depends on the kind of termite and how far the infestation has spread.
Termite quotes are hard to compare because companies price them in different units: per linear foot of foundation, per square foot of floor, or as a yearly plan. The sections below put each method side by side, explain which termites each one is meant for, and list the extra lines that turn a $500 job into a $5,000 one.
Termite treatment cost by method
| Method | HomeGuide (Nov 2025) | This Old House (Jun 2026) | Fixr (Jan 2025) | Forbes Home (Dec 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid soil barrier | $500 – $2,000+ ($3 – $20 per linear ft) | $150 – $1,500 (pesticide spray) | $4 – $16 per linear ft (no-tent treatment) | $3 – $16 per linear ft |
| Bait stations | $1,000 – $2,500 ($7 – $12 per linear ft) | $400 – $3,000 | — | $8 – $12 per linear ft |
| Tented gas fumigation | $2,000 – $8,000 ($1 – $4 per sq ft) | $1,500 – $5,000 | $2,500 – $7,750 ($1 – $4 per sq ft) | — |
| Tented heat treatment | $2,000 – $6,000 for 2,000 sq ft ($1 – $3 per sq ft) | $1,300 – $2,500 | $1 – $4 per sq ft | — |
| Spot (micro) treatment | $6 – $8 per sq ft | $350 – $1,000 | $6 – $8 per sq ft | — |
The sources agree on the per-square-foot price of tenting ($1 to $4) and on spot treatment ($6 to $8 per square foot), but they disagree a lot on whole-house totals. This Old House puts fumigation at $1,500 to $5,000 and heat at $1,300 to $2,500, well below HomeGuide’s $2,000 to $8,000 and $2,000 to $6,000. Fixr gives an average range of $2,500 to $7,750 for tenting, with a national average of $6,250 for a 2,500-square-foot home (Fixr).
Our estimate: the headline range of $150 to $3,000 takes the lowest and highest whole-house figures for liquid and bait treatment in the table above (both from This Old House; HomeGuide’s ranges sit inside it). The $1,300 to $8,000 tenting range does the same for fumigation and heat. These are the outer edges of what the sources report, not a measured average.
The Environmental Protection Agency lists four kinds of approved chemical treatment: liquid termiticides applied to the soil, termite baits, building materials impregnated with termiticide, and wood treatments. It calls the soil-applied barrier the most common technique for treating an infestation (EPA).
Our estimate: a house with a simple 40 by 50 foot footprint has about 180 linear feet of foundation. At HomeGuide’s per-foot prices, that works out to roughly $540 to $3,600 for a liquid barrier and $1,260 to $2,160 for bait stations. This is our own multiplication for an example house, not a measured price; real homes have porches, slabs and additions that change the footage.
Termite treatment cost calculator
Use the tables above to estimate your cost. The interactive calculator needs JavaScript.
Liquid barrier treatment
A liquid soil treatment is the most common termite treatment. The technician puts termiticide into the soil along the foundation, which creates a chemical barrier that termites cross or feed through on their way into the house. It costs $3 to $20 per linear foot, or $500 to $2,000 or more for a whole home with a severe infestation (HomeGuide).
Done badly, it is also the treatment with the most downside. The EPA warns that improper barrier treatments can contaminate the home and nearby drinking water wells and still fail to stop termites, which is why it tells homeowners to hire a licensed, trained pest management professional (EPA). If you have a private well, tell the company before they quote.
Bait station systems
Bait stations are buried around the house and loaded with cellulose laced with a slow-acting insecticide. Termites carry it back and share it with the colony. Installing a system for the whole home costs $1,000 to $2,500, and monitoring it costs another $200 to $400 a year (HomeGuide). According to the EPA, bait systems were introduced to reduce the overall use of insecticides; the most common active ingredients include hexaflumuron, noviflumuron, diflubenzuron and lufenuron (EPA).
The trade-off is time and a running cost. Baits work over weeks, not days, and the yearly monitoring fee is part of the real price. Compare a bait quote over several years, not just the installation.
Tenting: fumigation or heat
For a house-wide drywood infestation, the whole building is sealed under a tent. Gas fumigation costs $1 to $4 per square foot, or $2,000 to $8,000 for an average-sized home. Preparation, treatment and airing out can take up to 72 hours, and no people, pets or plants can stay inside (HomeGuide). Budget for a hotel and for boarding pets on top of the treatment price.
Heat treatment uses the same tent but no gas: the inside is heated to 120°F to 140°F for 35 to 60 minutes. It costs $1 to $3 per square foot, or $2,000 to $6,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home (HomeGuide). Whichever you choose, the EPA says re-entry times vary by product and appear on the label, so make sure the applicator tells you when you can go back in (EPA).
Spot and wood treatments
A small infestation caught early can often be treated where it is. These micro treatments cost $6 to $8 per square foot of treated area and combine heat, microwave devices or liquid termiticide injected into the wood (HomeGuide). Borates are the wood treatment the EPA mentions, most often sprayed on framing during construction (EPA). Spot work is cheap, but it only treats what the technician can find.
Cost by type of termite
| Termite | HomeGuide | This Old House | Forbes Home | Usual treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subterranean | $250 – $2,000 | $225 – $900 | $220 – $875 | Liquid soil treatment |
| Drywood | $225 – $2,500+ | $225 – $900 (table); $225 – $2,500 (summary) | $225 – $2,500 | Baits early on; fumigation or heat for larger infestations |
| Dampwood | $225 – $2,500+ | $250 – $2,500 | — | Removing the wet, infested wood; fumigation if severe |
| Formosan | $800 – $5,000+ | $250 – $1,500 | — | Baits, liquid barrier, fumigation if severe |
Formosan termites show the biggest gap: HomeGuide starts at $800 and runs past $5,000, while This Old House tops out at $1,500. Treat the higher range as the safer budget for a severe Formosan infestation.
The EPA says the native subterranean termite is the most common in most of the United States, with the smaller drywood termite and the invasive Formosan termite less common (EPA). Getting the species right matters more than anything else on the quote: a soil barrier does nothing against drywood termites living inside the framing.
Inspection, bonds and damage repair
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Termite inspection | $0 – $250 (HomeGuide); $75 – $325 (This Old House); $150 – $350 (Fixr); $85 – $300 (Forbes Home) |
| Termite bond (yearly inspection plus re-treatment) | $500 – $2,000 (HomeGuide and This Old House agree) |
| Annual prevention plan | $200 – $900 a year |
| Bait station monitoring | $200 – $400 a year |
| Repairing minor damage | $300 – $2,000 |
| Repairing moderate damage | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Repairing major structural damage | $5,000 – $15,000+ |
Many companies inspect for free when the inspection is not tied to a home sale (HomeGuide). A bond is a service contract: the company inspects every year and re-treats if termites come back. Read what it covers before paying; some bonds cover re-treatment only, not repairs to damaged wood.
Treatment kills termites; it does not fix what they ate. Minor cosmetic damage such as drywall and paint costs $300 to $2,000 to repair, while replacing subfloors, joists or load-bearing walls can reach $5,000 to $15,000 or more (HomeGuide). Homeowners insurance does not typically cover termite treatment, because the damage is considered gradual and preventable (HomeGuide). Check your own policy wording.
What the labor line pays for
The median pest control worker in the United States earned $21.75 an hour in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is a small part of the bill. The price also covers the termiticide or bait system, equipment such as the tent, the state license the company must hold, insurance, and the follow-up visits. Most single-area treatments take 30 to 45 minutes, while whole-home treatments take 1 to 3 days (HomeGuide).
How to keep the bill down
- Catch it early. A spot treatment of a small area costs a fraction of tenting the house.
- Keep the soil around the foundation dry, fix leaks, keep vents clear and do not stack firewood against the house. These are the EPA’s own prevention steps.
- Compare quotes in the same unit. Convert per-foot and per-square-foot prices into a total for your house.
- For bait systems, add up several years of monitoring fees before comparing with a one-time liquid treatment.
- Get a free inspection from more than one company before agreeing to fumigation.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Which termite species did you find, and where?
- Can I see your state license? The EPA says firms offering termite services must be licensed by the state.
- Which product will you use, and can I have a copy of its label?
- If you tent, how long must we stay out, and who airs out and clears the house?
- Does the warranty or bond cover re-treatment only, or damage repair too, and for how long?
If a treatment goes wrong, the EPA directs complaints to your state pesticide regulatory agency, and the National Pesticide Information Center answers questions at 1-800-858-7378 (EPA).
More pest cost guides
- Bed Bug Treatment Cost in 2026: Per Room, Heat vs. Chemical
- Pest Control Cost in 2026: One-Time Visit vs Quarterly Plan
- Termite Inspection Cost in 2026: Free vs. Paid, WDO Reports and Loans
Sources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Termites: How to Identify and Control Them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pest Control Workers, 2025 median pay.
- HomeGuide, How Much Does Termite Treatment Cost?, November 21, 2025.
- HomeGuide, How Much Does Termite Damage Repair Cost?, November 21, 2025.
- This Old House, Termite Treatment Cost, updated June 17, 2026.
- Fixr, Termite Tenting Cost, updated January 31, 2025.
- Forbes Home, How Much Does Termite Treatment Cost?, verified December 1, 2024 (older data).
