Termite money and roach-spray money are not the same pile. General residential pest control is a recurring barrier. Termite inspections and treatment are a diagnosis plus a targeted job — drywood versus subterranean — and the price follows that. In this market, an initial inspection can be free or run up to a couple hundred dollars. Ongoing general pest service often bills monthly in a modest range for quarterly or bi-monthly visits. Termite work sits well above that because the treatment, the access, and the follow-up are different. Anyone bundling “termite coverage” into a cheap quarterly stop without saying which species, or how they will treat, is blurring the invoice on purpose.
Do you need a real inspection, or can they quote termites over the phone?
You need the inspection. Phone guesses miss galleries in fascia, shelter tubes on slab edges, and the difference between drywood pellets and subterranean mud. Southern Arizona structures see both drywood and subterranean pressure, plus pack rats that get blamed for damage termites started. A reputable Tucson company writes down what they found — where, which type, how far it looks to have gone — before they sell treatment.
That first visit should feel like assessment, not a closing. Photos help. So does a tech who will say “this is staining, not live activity” when that is the truth. Tucson Pest Control is locally owned, state-certified, and starts homes and businesses with a free analysis. Termite inspections and treatment are a listed service, not an upsell invented on the porch.
If a termite quote does not name drywood or subterranean — and where they saw it — you do not have a treatment plan yet. You have a number.
Why is specialized termite treatment priced so far above general pest control?
Because the work is not a perimeter spray with a new label. Subterranean jobs often mean treating soil or using baiting systems and watching stations. Drywood jobs can mean localized treatment or a whole-structure approach depending on how far the infestation has gone. Established damage is harder and slower. No honest company should promise they can reverse structural loss; they treat live termites and stop the next round of feeding. Repair is a separate trade.
Quotes jump when access is ugly — finished attics, slab additions, or a patio cover tied into infested wood. They also jump when a warranty is sold as an add-on instead of spelled out in the base price. Ask whether follow-up inspections are included, how long the treatment is warranted, and what happens if swarmers show up next spring. Compare those answers, not just the first-year teaser rate that climbs after the promo expires.
What should you watch for before you sign a termite contract?
Cancellation fees, auto-renewals, and “today-only” discounts. Door-to-door inspections that find a crisis in every fascia board. Flat fees that ignore house size. Separate charges for wood repair or exclusion that were never mentioned until the contract. Get the findings in writing. A second opinion is normal on termites; the damage is slow, and a day of thinking will not lose the house.
Early signs still matter: discarded wings, pencil-wide galleries, mud tubes, wood that sounds hollow. That is when you call, not after a support beam is toast. Tucson Pest Control can inspect, tell drywood from subterranean, and lay out treatment without the franchise script. If you want the analysis first and the price second, call (520) 775-1845.