Termidor SC Treatment Cost in 2026

The single feature that made Termidor SC the dominant US termite chemical for two decades is non-repellency. Termites do not detect fipronil in the soil. They walk through the treated zone without alarm, return to the colony, and over the next 24 to 96 hours transfer the chemical to nestmates through trophallaxis (mouth-to-mouth food sharing), grooming, and shared moisture droplets. The transfer effect is documented in BASF's own field trials and in peer-reviewed studies from Texas A&M and the University of Florida. A worker that has picked up a sub-lethal dose can transfer it to dozens of nestmates before dying, and each of those nestmates becomes a secondary vector.

Compare this to older repellent chemistries. Pre-Termidor liquids like permethrin and bifenthrin alerted termites to the treated zone. Workers turned around. The colony shifted its tunneling around the chemical instead of through it. A treated home with a small gap in the barrier (a buried utility conduit, a missed slab penetration) often saw termites route around the chemical and continue feeding inside the structure. Termidor SC's non-repellency closed that loophole. A subterranean colony cannot route around something it cannot detect.

The pricing implication is that operators can charge a defensible per-linear-foot rate for Termidor SC because the warranty risk is genuinely lower. A 1-year retreatment warranty on a Termidor SC job is a viable risk to underwrite. A 5- or 8-year renewable bond is viable. The same warranty terms on a permethrin job in 1998 would have been a money-loser for the operator. Customers indirectly pay for the chemistry's superior performance, but they get treatment that actually works.

The other product in this class is Altriset (chlorantraniliprole, EPA Reg No. 100-1422, Syngenta). Altriset is also non-repellent but uses a different mode of action (it paralyzes termite gut muscles via ryanodine receptor binding). Altriset is non-toxic to fish, birds, and mammals at registered rates and is the chemistry of choice for properties near streams, wells, or other sensitive water resources. Operator pricing for Altriset is typically 10 to 20 percent above Termidor SC because the chemical concentrate is more expensive per gallon of finished solution.

Premise 2 (imidacloprid, EPA Reg No. 432-1331, Envu) is the third non-repellent worth knowing. Premise is also non-repellent and has been used since the late 1990s. Independent field trials show slightly slower onset of mortality than Termidor SC, but the chemistry works. Premise is generally the cheapest of the three non-repellent liquids by chemical cost, typically $100 to $250 less than Termidor SC on a whole-home job.

A standard whole-home Termidor SC application takes a two-person crew 4 to 6 hours on a crawlspace home and 6 to 8 hours on a slab home. The work breaks down into four phases.

Phase one: site prep. The crew walks the foundation perimeter, marks the trench line, identifies any plant beds or hardscape that must be excavated around, and notes any utility lines that need to be hand-tunneled around. A standard call-before-you-dig (811) request should already be on file from the homeowner.

Phase two: trenching and drilling. A 4-inch wide, 4-inch deep trench is dug along the foundation. On a slab home, the crew also drills through the slab edge every 12 inches with a hammer drill and a 1/2 inch masonry bit, then injects through the drilled holes. A typical 175 LF slab perimeter produces about 175 drilled holes.

Phase three: chemical mixing and application. The crew mixes Termidor SC at the standard 0.06 percent finished rate (0.8 fl oz of concentrate per gallon of water) in a 50-gallon application tank. The finished solution is applied at 4 gallons per 10 linear feet per foot of footing depth, the label specification. For a 175 LF perimeter on a 2-foot footing, that is 140 gallons of finished solution. The crew uses a pressure-injection wand for trenches and slab holes. Backfill happens immediately after each section is treated.

Phase four: patching and cleanup. Slab drill holes are patched with hydraulic cement that matches the existing slab color. Trenches are backfilled and the soil is firmed back down to grade. The crew leaves a copy of the EPA-registered product label, the dilution rate used, the linear footage treated, and the warranty terms with the homeowner. A copy of the BASF treatment record is filed with the local pest control regulator in states that require it (Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and several others maintain treatment registries).

For a homeowner verifying the treatment is on the level, the easiest sanity check is the volume of finished solution applied. A 175 LF perimeter at the 4 gallons per 10 LF per foot of footing depth standard, with a 2-foot footing, should consume 140 gallons. If the crew leaves after spraying 40 gallons, the application is sub-label and the warranty is not enforceable. Reputable operators will show the tank gauge before and after the work.