Pest control bids can look far apart because each company may be quietly pricing a different job. One covers the inside of the house, another the outside edge, and a third offers visits you have to ask for. Before you choose the lowest, line up what each bid actually promises. This guide is for a family choosing a company for Mom's house in the St. Louis area.
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Start with the pest and the plan
Ask each company which pest they are treating for and what they found when they looked. A good answer names the pest and explains what they will do about it. A vague answer that says they treat 'bugs' is a reason to ask again. Ask whether the plan covers the inside, the outside, the garage, the crawl space, or the attic, and write down which of these each bid includes.
Check the license
Ask for the company's state business license number and the certification number of the technician who would come to the house. Look both numbers up on the state agriculture department's public lookup before you agree to anything. If a company will not give you the numbers, you have learned something about how they operate.
Visits, callbacks, and the written promise
Count the visits in each bid. Ask what happens between visits, how many follow-up visits are included, and how long the company stands behind the work. Ask for that promise in writing, along with the time window it covers. A callback promise that lives only in a sales conversation is hard to hold anyone to later.
Products, pets, and the people in the house
Ask which products they use and whether they can give you the product label or the safety data sheet to read. Ask how long the house has to stay closed off after treatment, whether pets need to be kept out of certain rooms, and which areas must be cleared first. Those answers belong on your comparison sheet because they decide who has to be home and who has to move things. The company and the product label are the sources here, so get the answers from them.
Prep and access
Ask what the company needs you or Mom to do before the visit, such as moving items away from walls, clearing the cabinets under the sink, or covering food. Ask who will let the technician in and what happens if no one answers the door. A bid that assumes someone is always home is different from one that works around a schedule.
Recurring plans and the cancel path
Some companies sell a plan with visits on a set schedule. Ask how the plan is billed, what the cancel process is, and how much notice they require. Ask where a cancel request is sent and get the answer in writing. Keep that written answer with the bid.
Making the choice
Put the bids side by side on the same rows: pest, area treated, visits, callbacks, prep, products, access, and cancel terms. Then pick the bid that matches what the house needs, not just the one with the smallest number at the top. If the family cannot agree, write the questions that are still open and send the same list to each company. The answers will show you which one listens.