Budget Buster - Termites!

[Ephany]

We had an inspection done this afternoon and they found one small infestation. We'll have to have the whole house treated and were quoted $850. I've looked online and saw that it could cost between $4-7 (roughly) per linear foot, but haven't been able to measure the outside of the house yet (it's been thunder & lightening since they left). Our house is about 1500 square feet and I'll get out there tomorrow to measure the linear footage.

DH talked to his parents and they said we're being overcharged; they paid $300 to have their 3000 sq foot home treated when they had an infestation. That sounds low to me, the guy said it'd take 3 hours or so to do the whole house using 3 or 4 workers.

I'd appreciate it if anyone could post their experiences or tips. This is a first for us. There's definitely an infestation, they showed me the ugly little things and I'd like to get it resolved.

 

[swissfamilyrobinson]

You're right, this is definitely a budget buster! We had a visit from termites last year and it cost us $1209 (to be exact!) for them to treat the infestation. We had just gotten some income tax money back and had to use it for that. Our house is 2,200 square feet, so your price seems in line with what we paid. Needless to say, we now have a termite bond!

 

[stpetedisneydad]

Looks like they're charging somewhere in the $5.00 to $5.25 range which is average. I would be very surprised if your parents had the whole house treated for $300, sounds more like they had a spot treatment done. Just like any large purchase I do suggest getting 3 estimates if possible and find out exactly how each is going to do the treatment and which chemical they plan on using. Sometimes sticking with a smaller family owned operation will get you a better price than the big national companies.

 

[Ephany]

Thanks! I called 4 companies before I could even get someone out here, they all said they didn't do wood damaging organism inspections unless we were already customers? This is a smaller company, but they were very thorough and professional. I'll ask my DH about the spot treatment, it's his parents so I let him ask the questions. My MIL can be a bit 'you need to do it this way (her way)'. The house is about 20 years old and he said infestations were quite common and that we were very lucky we hadn't had problems before. I'm still going to call around for more estimates, but we live in a pretty rural area so there's not a lot of options once you cross off the companies everyone tells you to avoid.

This weekend the gate fell off our fence and we had to call a tree service to trim back a live oak that's overtaking our roof, so it's been a very non-budget week.

 

[txloopnlil]

I'm in a similar situtation, and found out that you can get the exact same chemicals (Termidor or Premise) that the professionals use and do it yourself. DIY would NOT be a good idea if you plan on selling in the next 5 years or so, but if you are not planning on selling, then it might be an option for you- especially if you have a slab on grade foundation. Houses on piers or with basements probably need the specialized equipment of a professional, but monolithic slab foundation is not difficult to DIY.

My estimates ran from $1200 - 1050 and I'm doing it myself for about $200. I'm a single mom (40's) and did all the trenching and application myself (I'm about 95% done). I'm a biology professor, so I felt comfortable with mixing the chemicals and using appropriate safety measures, but I think most homeowners with some common sense and ability to measure accurately could do it with no problems. I'm actually doing a more through job than two out of the three bids I got, and I know I have not overdiluted the chemical (be wary of low bids!). Feel free to PM me for more info.

I ordered my materials from:

Pro Pest Products/Do It Yourself Pest Control, Inc.
305 Shawnee North Dr.
Suite 400
Suwanee, Ga. 30024

<http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com>
<http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com>
1-800-476-3368

 

[PinkRhombus]

Was this infestation inside or outside?