How Much Does Bed Bug Treatment Cost in 2024?

Average Bed Bug Treatment Cost

Bed Bug Treatment Cost Factors

Each bed bug infestation carries variables that influence final costs. The size of your home, the severity of the infestation, and other factors have the biggest impact on your bottom line.

Size

Averaging between $4 and $7.50 per square foot, the size of the infested area is a primary factor in determining total costs. Bed bug infestations in multiple rooms or entire homes escalate the scope and complexity of the extermination. In addition to requiring more labor and treatment materials overall, widespread infestation increases the chances of bed bugs in less accessible areas, such as inside furniture, within walls, or in other structural elements.

It’s necessary to cover every potentially infested area—leaving small populations of bed bugs allows them to grow and re-infest. The number of rooms provides an approximate guideline for total bed bug extermination costs, but square footage in rooms varies between homes and as such varies costs. Your bed bug exterminator may charge per room or provide a flat flee for the entire job. Some furniture is often included in general estimates, but treatment for additional furniture may increase the bill.

Infestation Severity

Contractors consider the severity of the infestation in addition to the spread. When identified and addressed early, small infestations in one room may cost as low as $300 to treat. Severe infestations, such as those with bugs crawling in the open and during the day, require greater time and resources to exterminate and cost $6,000 or more.

Geographic Location

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 overall bed bug exterminators, they’re often in high demand. Their hourly rates are generally higher to reflect the demand for their services as well as higher costs of living in cities.

Inspection Rates

Pest control services begin with an inspection to confirm the presence and determine the spread and severity of bed bugs. Inspections cost between $75 and $225—if contractors discover bed bugs, they may incorporate the inspection fee into their total treatment plan estimate. If you don’t have bed bugs, inspections save you from unnecessary and costly treatment. Some contractors offer dog sniffing inspections, ranging between $300 and $600, where a trained dog sniffs out bed bugs in places less accessible to people.

Additional Bed Bug Treatment Cost Factors

The extent and severity of a bed bug infestation may have implications on further costs, such as repeated treatments and continued pest management plans.

Multiple Treatments

Large, severe, or persistent bed bug infestations often necessitate multiple treatments. Treatment plans with multiple services range from $1,800 to $8,500 per year depending on the total frequency and number of treatments and follow-up inspections. Semi-monthly treatments cost the most in total, but work out $230 to $355 per visit. Quarterly treatments have lower yearly costs, but each visit is between $450 and $625.

Multiple treatments at specific intervals help your contractor thoroughly eradicate the infestation. Bed bugs go through three main life cycle stages—egg, nymph, and adult—and each presents its extermination challenges. For instance, 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.

Furniture Disposal and Replacement

Most exterminations eradicate pests from your furniture. 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 an average fee of $240. Following disposal, expect to pay about $3,500 to replace basic furniture.

Ongoing Costs

Following a successful extermination, your contractor may recommend an ongoing pest management plan that targets bed bugs and other pests. On average, services cost $400 to $950 per year or $30 to $50 per month.

Bed Bug Removal Cost by Treatment Type

Different bed bug treatment methods carry varying costs from between $1 to $8 per square foot or between $2,000 and $16,000 for an average-sized home. Your bed bug exterminator will assess your home to determine the right method for the infestation level, your budget, and other variables.

Heat Treatment

Heat treatment is a highly effective method for eradicating bed bugs, ranging from $1 to $3 per square foot with each treatment. This chemical-free method involves pumping hot air into infested spaces to raise the temperature to 120 degrees, which immediately kills exposed bed bugs at all life stages.

Without chemical treatment, however, this thermal method doesn’t account for straggler bed bugs so it doesn’t offer guaranteed prevention of re-infestation. Exterminators often pair heat treatments with chemical treatments as a comprehensive preventative measure or arrange for multiple heat treatments to eventually catch each bug. In other words, the low cost per square foot doesn’t reflect the total costs of multiple or combined treatments.

Fumigation

Costing between $4 and $8 per square foot, fumigation can kill 100% of bed bugs, plus every other living organism in its treatment area. Generally reserved as a last resort when other methods are ineffective or for buildings with severe infestations, fumigation involves sealing the structure with a tent and introducing a concentrated gas. This method addresses bed bugs everywhere, whether in the surrounding soil, under your foundation, or in your walls.

Exterminators flush the gas out with clean air after about 48 hours. Your household, including all pets, must find other accommodations during this period, potentially adding to costs for hotel stays.

Steam

Like heat treatments, steam treatments for bed bugs use high heat and range from $2 to $7.50 per square foot. Steam efficiently permeates furniture, carpets, bedding, and other materials to eradicate bed bugs inside, effectively reaching bed bugs in hidden places without damaging your belongings. Similarly to heat, steam treatments may need to be repeated or paired with other treatments to fully exterminate bed bugs.

Chemicals and Pesticides

Chemical and pesticide treatments cost between $2 and $5 per square foot. These products are available in a range of sprays and powders made from insecticidal substances. Pesticide treatments can target specific spots but don’t provide lasting or comprehensive protection, typically requiring repeat treatments or a combined method.

Freezing

Freezing is a chemical-free bed bug treatment that averages between $3 and $6 per square foot. Professional freezing treatments involve using carbon dioxide crystals to spray infested areas and lower the temperature enough, about freezing level or lower, for several hours to kill bed bugs and eggs.

Budgeting for Bed Bug Treatment

Keep your bed bug treatment costs in check with these strategies:

• Take prompt action if you notice bed bugs to avoid escalated and more costly exterminations.

• Check for bed bugs when you travel, quarantine your belongings, and clean upon arriving home.

• Bundle with other pest services, such as termite or ant extermination.

• Inquire about contractor guarantees—some offer up to 180 days to ensure the treatment’s result. 

• Take preventative measures, such as frequent vacuuming and laundering your items after traveling.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

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.