How to start a pest control business

Get licensed and certified

Pest control is one of the more regulated trades: virtually every state requires a licensed pesticide applicator certification earned by exam, often with a business license and continuing education. Some states require a separate license per category (general, termite, fumigation).

Register your business and get insured

Register as an LLC or sole proprietorship, get an EIN, and open a business bank account to keep finances clean. General liability is required, and applying chemicals around homes makes adequate coverage essential; some states require proof of insurance for the applicator license.

Buy your core equipment

Plan on $5,000–$15,000 to start. Licensing and exam prep, a vehicle, sprayers and application equipment, and chemical inventory. The regulatory barrier is higher than most trades.

Set your prices

Price as recurring contracts (monthly/quarterly) with the card on file; one-time treatments and termite/fumigation jobs are quoted higher per job. Recurring pest control runs roughly $40–$70 a month or $300–$900 a year per customer; build a route of recurring contracts and the income compounds with low churn.

Get your first customers

Door-to-door in tight neighborhoods, Google reviews, and referrals build the first routes; the recurring contract — not the one-time spray — is the goal on every visit.

Set up the system to run it

Use one tool to schedule jobs, send estimates and invoices, take payment, and follow up automatically — so admin doesn't eat your evenings. JobStack is the AI-powered CRM built for pest control technicians.