What protects a new home from termites?

Termite management under AS 3660 — chemical barriers, physical barriers, or both. In QLD and NSW new builds require termite certification. Ask for the durable notice or certificate showing the system installed.

Do pest controllers need a licence?

Yes — applying pest chemicals requires the appropriate state pest-management licence. Verify it, and get the treatment record showing chemicals used and the warranty terms.

How do you vet a pest controller?

Licence check, a written scope listing chemicals used, warranty terms and triggers, and for inspections a clear written report — timber-pest inspections carry indemnity weight.

Trade 23 of 33Updated June 2026

A research dossier · 260 trade-region files across 8 states & territories · state licensing rules verified

Hiring a Pest Controller
is one of the few trades where
cheap means cutting corners.

Pest control has tight, well-understood pricing. A "general pest treatment" for a 3-bedroom is $250 to $400 done properly — and there's a real reason it isn't $150. The high-risk operator who undercuts the market is spraying retail-grade product into the rooms you can see and skipping the wall cavities, the roof void, the sub-floor — and the warranty. Three months later, the cockroaches are back, and so are the kids' allergies.

$400

Termite inspection — the floor, not the ceiling.

$2.5k+

Live termite treatment if you find them.

3 days

Don't mop. More activity is normal. Most homeowners don't know.

In a hurry? Start here

Jump to what you need

I've got quotes

Compare them properly

Most pest controller quotes price different scopes. See what a real quote contains, line by line.

I need someone now

Handle it urgently

Make-safe price first, full quote second — and verify the licence before anyone starts.

Is this one legit?

Verify this tradie

The free 60-second routine: licence, insurance, ABN, history — before you pay a deposit.

My state

Check your state rules

Licensing, deposit caps and the common gotcha for your state and territory.

Or grab the four printable buyer checklists →

90-second briefing

Read this first

Before you hire a pest controller, know this.

1
General pest and termite work are different — termite work follows AS 3660 and needs records.
2
For a termite treatment you are owed a treatment record and a warranty — get both in writing.
3
A pre-purchase timber-pest inspection should be a written report, not a verbal “looks fine”.
4
Confirm the chemical used, the safe re-entry period and any re-treatment guarantee.
5
Get the licence and insurance details before any deposit.

How this page was built

A research dossier, not a referral page.

Sources

Reddit (r/sydney · r/melbourne · r/AusFinance), Whirlpool, ProductReview, AEPMA (Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association), state EPA / Health portals.

Verification

Every dollar range cross-checked. State licensing rules verified against EPA (NSW) / Queensland Health / DEECA (VIC). AS 3660 termite standards referenced.

Funding

No pest controller pays for placement. No referral fees. Funded by the supply-side flyer service at tradies.needatrade.com.au/flyers/.

Before we start

It's not the spray.
It's the cycle and the warranty.

Pest control isn't a job, it's a treatment. The product matters less than where it goes — wall cavities, sub-floor, roof void, the actual harbourage. The cycle matters more — eggs hatch 7–21 days later, so a single visit can't break a real infestation. And the warranty matters most — because the only test of whether the work was done properly is whether they come back.

The 10 questions below pull all three into the conversation before you pay. A working pest controller welcomes them — they're proud of the product and the process. A cowboy stalls — the cheap visit only works if you don't ask.

"You can buy spray at Bunnings" is true. It also doesn't reach the wall cavities, doesn't break the cycle, and doesn't come with a warranty.

How much should it really cost?

Pest pricing is published and tight. The quote-trap operator quote isn't a saving — it's a different scope masquerading as the same job.

A pest-control quote should split into five lines. The cheap quote that's $150 cheaper is almost always missing two of them.

Five lines a real quote should show

1Inspection. What they're looking for and where. Sub-floor, roof void, wall cavities, perimeter.
2Treatment scope. Internal + external. Products named — Termidor / Biflex / etc. Specific to the pests targeted.
3Application method. Spray, dust, bait, foam — different products for different harbourages.
4Warranty period + covered pests. 3 / 6 / 12 months. What it covers, what it excludes, what triggers a callback.
5Aftercare instructions. Don't-mop period, ventilation, pet + child re-entry time. Pre-treatment prep sheet.

Indicative ranges · residential

AU 2026

General pest treatment (3BR · internal + external)	$250 – $400
Termite inspection (AS 3660 standard)	$280 – $500
Termite treatment (live infestation, full chemical barrier)	$2,500 – $5,500
Termite baiting system (per year)	$800 – $1,800/yr
Annual maintenance (after first full treatment)	$180 – $280
Cheap quote (walk-through spray, no warranty)	$120 – $180

Indicative. Larger homes, severe infestations, sub-floor harbourage, pre-purchase inspections = upper end.

Ask this, exactly

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"Can you send the quote split into inspection, treatment scope + product, application method, warranty period + covered pests — in writing?"

How to tell a real one from a cowboy.

The pest control villain isn't aggressive sales. It's the cheap walk-through that doesn't work, the missing warranty, and the operator who stops answering the phone after the cheque clears.

Red flags — in order of how often you'll meet them

!
Walk-through spray with no inspection
A real treatment starts with finding the harbourage. Spraying the rooms you can see misses the wall cavities, sub-floor, roof void — where the pests actually live.
!
No warranty in writing
A working pest controller writes the warranty period, the covered pests and the callback rule on the invoice. Without it, you're paying for a single visit and hope.
!
Won't name the chemical product
Termidor, Biflex, Premise, Sentricon — each has different active ingredients, pest spectra, residual periods. "We use professional product" without a brand is the cheap-shelf substitute.
!
Cash discount
No invoice = no warranty trail = no callback. Pest control without paperwork is one of the riskiest "savings" in the trades.
!
Termite treatment without a written inspection report
AS 3660 mandates a specific inspection methodology + report. Selling a termite treatment without producing the report first is going straight to chemical without a diagnosis.

The verification routine — 10 minutes, free

✓
State pest licence. NSW EPA · Queensland Health · DEECA Victoria. Each has a public licence register.
✓
ABN on abr.business.gov.au. At least 12 months. Matches the licence.
✓
Public liability insurance. Certificate of currency. Chemicals + your home = real risk if uninsured.
✓
AEPMA membership is a positive signal but not legally required. Indicates ongoing training + ethical standards.
✓
Warranty in writing on the quote. Period, covered pests, callback rule. Before you book.

Ask this, exactly

"Could you send your state pest licence number, your public liability certificate of currency, and the warranty period + covered pests in writing?"

What licence applies?

Three different state regulators, three different licence labels — same underlying purpose. Verify the licence is current and covers the type of work + pests in your scope.

Pest Control — licensing & compliance by state

Choose your state:

NSW —

Regulator

NSW EPA (Pesticides Act)

Common gotcha