How much does termite treatment cost?

Most US homeowners pay $500 to $3,000 for termite treatment in 2026. Liquid barrier (Termidor) on an average home runs $1,200 to $2,500. Bait stations (Sentricon) are $1,500 to $3,500 to install plus $300 to $500 a year monitoring. Tent fumigation for drywood termites runs $1,500 to $5,000 or more. Spot treatments on small confirmed infestations are $300 to $800.

Tent fumigation runs $1 to $4 per square foot in 2026 ($2,000 to $8,000 on a 2,000 sq ft home). Heat treatment runs $1 to $3 per square foot ($2,000 to $6,000 on a 2,000 sq ft home). Liquid barrier is priced per linear foot of foundation perimeter, $3 to $20 per linear foot, not per sq ft. Bait stations are flat-priced per install plus per year.

Liquid barrier (Termidor SC, Premise) is the treatment that is priced per linear foot of foundation perimeter, $3 to $20 per linear foot in 2026. A 2,000 sq ft home has roughly 180 linear feet of perimeter, putting the liquid treatment at $540 to $3,600 at retail. National operators tend to quote at the upper end of the per-linear-foot range; local licensed operators are often 15 to 25 percent below national pricing.

A typical 2,000 sq ft home with subterranean termites costs $700 to $2,200 for liquid barrier, $1,800 to $3,500 for a bait station system, or $2,500 to $6,000 for tent fumigation if drywood termites are present. Add 10 to 20 percent in high-pressure regions (Florida, Gulf Coast). Subtract roughly 10 percent in low-pressure Midwest markets.

Tent fumigation costs $1 to $4 per square foot in 2026. A 2,000 sq ft home runs $2,000 to $8,000. A 3,000 sq ft home runs $3,000 to $12,000. Vikane (sulfuryl fluoride) is the standard gas and the home must be vacated for two to three days. Fumigation only addresses drywood termites; subterranean infestations need liquid barrier or bait.

An annual termite inspection runs $75 to $300 in 2026. A real-estate transaction inspection (WDIR / WDO report on form NPMA-33) is often $75 to $150 and is required by VA and many FHA mortgage lenders. Many pest control operators offer free inspections in exchange for a quote; the trade-off is that the inspection report is part of a sales pitch rather than independent.

A termite bond is an annual contract that covers re-treatment if termites return, $150 to $500 a year in 2026 depending on home size, region, and whether the bond covers repair as well as re-treatment. In high-pressure states (Florida, Gulf Coast, Hawaii), the bond math usually favors the homeowner. In low-pressure Midwest and Northeast markets, the expected risk cost is often lower than the bond.

No. Standard HO-3 and HO-5 homeowners policies treat termites as a maintenance issue and exclude both treatment and damage. The only exception is when termites cause a covered peril (for example chewing through wiring and starting a fire), in which case the downstream peril is covered but the underlying termite work is not. A termite bond is the realistic financial protection.

DIY termite products (Spectracide Terminate, Advance Bait System, foam injectors) cost $100 to $300 but have roughly a 20 to 40 percent success rate against active infestations. Professional treatment runs $500 to $3,000 with documented 90 percent plus success when properly applied. Once you factor in failure probability and accumulating wood damage, professional treatment is usually cheaper. DIY is reasonable for prevention only.

Liquid barrier (Termidor SC fipronil) is documented at 5 to 10 years residual. Bait station systems work for as long as monitoring continues, which is why they carry an ongoing $300 to $500 yearly fee. Tent fumigation kills all termites present in the structure but provides zero residual protection; re-invasion is possible the day the tent comes off. Most operators offer a renewable warranty tied to annual inspection.