Bed bug treatment costs an average of $2,500
Average bed bug treatment costs range from $1,000 to $4,000, with most homeowners spending an average of $2,500.
Severe or large-scale infestations can cost up to $6,200, or even over $50,000 in extreme cases.
Heat, fumigation, steam, and other methods each come with their own price per square foot, and most need more than one visit to wipe out every last bug.
Professional pest control services help ensure thorough coverage, targeting hidden bed bug populations in homes or businesses.
Timely, professional treatment prevents re-infestations, protects property, and offers peace of mind.
This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.
When planning for bed bug treatment costs, it’s essential to consider factors like location, size, and severity of infestation. With treatment costs averaging $1,000 to $4,000, these expenses can rise for more extensive issues, costing as much as $6,200 in extreme cases. Proper budgeting helps ensure efficient extermination, and hiring a professional is crucial for thorough and lasting results.
While bed bugs are definitely a common problem, no two infestations are quite the same, so your cost will depend on a few factors.
The size of the infested area is a primary factor in determining total costs, and the average treatment costs range between $4 and $7.50 per square foot. Bed bug infestations in multiple rooms or entire homes increase the treatment scope and complexity.
It’s necessary to cover every potentially infested area, leaving small populations of bed bugs allows them to grow and re-infest. Your bed bug exterminator may charge per room or provide a flat fee for the entire job. The number of rooms provides an approximate guideline for bed bug extermination costs, but the square footage in rooms varies between homes, so your total will depend on your home’s specifics.
Number of Rooms | Average Cost |
---|---|
1 | $300–$650 |
2 | $700–$1,000 |
3 | $1,050–$1,450 |
Whole home | $1,500–$6,200 |
While treating an average bed bug infestation costs $1,000 to $2,500, a more serious case can cost $4,000 to $6,000. Severe infestations take more time and resources to eradicate, which will drive up costs.
In addition to requiring more labor and treatment materials, larger infestations increase the chances of bed bugs in less accessible areas, including inside furniture, within walls, or in other structural elements.
Infestation Severity | Average Cost |
---|---|
Mild | $100–$1,000 |
Moderate | $1,000–$2,500 |
Severe | $4,000–$6,000 |
Busy cities are significantly more prone to bed bugs than rural areas, especially those with dense residential buildings or that function as major travel and tourism hubs. While cities may have more bed bug exterminators overall, their services are often in high demand. Their hourly rates are often higher to reflect the demand for their services and the higher costs of living in cities.
Some bed bug exterminators offer free visual inspections, but a full initial inspection costs $65 to $200. A follow-up appointment four to six weeks after your first extermination service also costs $75 to $225.
In many cases, a single treatment clears the bugs lurking in your furniture. Basic estimates often cover a few major pieces, but if you need the pro to treat extra items, your bill will edge up.
In severe cases, furniture may not be salvageable. Some areas have specific disposal regulations for bed bug infestations. If you can’t dispose of furniture yourself, junk removal services haul your furniture away for a fee.
Exterminators may need to make multiple visits at a rate of $415 to $625 per visit. An initial treatment averages $750 to $950, and ongoing treatments can range up to $7,800 per year.
Multiple treatments at specific intervals help your exterminator thoroughly eradicate the infestation. Bed bugs go through three main life cycle stages—egg, nymph, and adult—each of which presents its own extermination challenges.
For example, adults and nymphs can survive without feeding for up to 400 days. Even if a treatment wipes out adults, eggs may survive and introduce another wave of adults that require repeated treatment to avoid more eggs and a continuous infestation cycle.
Treatment Frequency | Cost per Visit | Cost per Year |
---|---|---|
One-time | $750–$950 | $750–$950 |
Quarterly | $425–$575 | $1,700–$2,300 |
Monthly | $390–$570 | $4,700–$6,800 |
Semi-monthly | $215–$325 | $5,590–$8,450 |
Different bed bug treatment methods carry varying costs, ranging from $1 to $8 per square foot. Bed bug treatment costs also range from $270 to $775 per room for chemical treatments to over $50,000 to fumigate a large building with a severe infestation. Your bed bug exterminator will assess your home to determine the right method for the infestation level, your budget, and other factors.
Treatment Type | Cost per Sq. Ft. |
---|---|
Heat treatment | $1–$3 |
Fumigation | $4–$8 |
Chemicals and pesticides | $2–$5 |
Steam | $2–$7.50 |
Freezing | $3–$6 |
Sniffing dogs | $300–$600, plus removal cost |
Consider these cost-saving strategies to make your bed bug treatment more budget-friendly:
Treat minor infestations with bed bug removal kits and pesticide strips in between pro treatments.
Wash all exposed clothing and sheets on high heat to eradicate live bed bugs.
Get detailed estimates from at least three local bed bug removal professionals to ensure competitive pricing.
Tackling bed bugs on your own can run under $100 for fogger bombs or basic treatment kits. You could also spring for a steamer, costing a few hundred dollars, if you’d rather skip chemicals. Whatever route you take, use caution and talk with a pro first.
That said, calling in a local pest control pro to exterminate bed bugs is the much wiser route. Exterminating bed bugs on your own requires lots of planning, preparation, and research, and you can't always be sure that you've chosen the right method to kick them out for good based on your infestation and home type.
No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Most infestations need two to four treatments over three to six weeks before every life stage is gone. If your problem is limited to one room in a smaller-than-average home, one inspection and one follow-up visit might do the trick.
On the flip side, a big house or a major outbreak could call for quarterly, monthly, or even semi-monthly visits until the pests stop showing up in monitors and follow-up checks.
Bed bugs rarely disappear after a single visit. Even when the first round looks promising, eggs can survive and hatch a fresh wave of pests. Plan on two to four follow-ups over six weeks so the pro can hit every life stage.
If you skip visits, any missed bugs will breed and you’ll be back at square one—so stick with the full treatment plan for good, bite-free sleep.
You are not required to vacate your entire home during a bed bug treatment; however, you must leave the treated areas for at least four to five hours immediately after the procedure. In most cases, you can continue using your current mattress and furniture once you have followed the proper re-entry instructions. Confirm these guidelines with your bed bug exterminator to ensure effective and complete eradication of the infestation.
Catching an infestation early almost always means fewer visits and a lower bill. When bed bugs are still confined to one spot, a single, targeted treatment can knock them out.
Let the problem spread, and you’re looking at two to four visits—or monthly follow-ups in the worst cases—to chase every last bug. Acting fast keeps costs down, shortens the timeline, and gives you back your bedroom sooner.