Two companies can quote the same property and differ by half — and both can be honest. Pest control pricing is not a fixed rate card, and understanding why protects you from the quote that looks cheapest today and costs the most within a year.
This guide explains what actually drives the cost, why we publish only two fixed figures, and how a very low price is funded — because in this trade, it usually is funded by something you cannot see on the day.
Why there is no honest rate card
You will find price lists on many Pakistani pest control sites — “general fumigation from PKR 3,000”, “bed bugs from PKR X”. Treat those as advertising, not quotations. Nearly all carry “starting from”, and the starting point is the smallest possible job on the simplest possible property.
A published rate either overprices the small jobs to protect the company on the large ones, or underprices the large jobs to win the click. Either way it is revised the moment someone actually sees the property.
What actually drives the cost
| Factor | Effect on the figure |
|---|---|
| How far it has spread | Often the largest single factor — bigger than property size |
| Species | Some need multiple visits regardless of area |
| How long it has run | An established population takes more work than a fresh one |
| Property size and access | Whether floors can be drilled, cavities reached, furniture moved |
| Number of visits needed | Cockroaches and bed bugs need a follow-up; one visit is not a saving if it fails |
| Construction type | Affects method, especially for termites |
| Documentation level | An audited business needs an evidence pack a home does not |
This is why a large house with one affected room can cost less than a small flat with an established, building-wide infestation. Spread costs more than square footage.
The two prices we are willing to publish
We publish these because they hold up across most properties and we can stand behind them:
- Pre-construction termite proofing — PKR 12 to 18 per square foot
- Post-construction termite treatment for homes — from PKR 20,000
Please read: these are reference prices, not a quotation. Figures are indicative only and your proposed price may be higher or lower after a site survey. Nothing here is an offer or a fixed rate — ask for a written quotation once someone has seen the property.
For a full breakdown, see the pest control cost guide and the termite treatment cost guide. Everything else is quoted after a free survey, in writing, naming the product, the dose, the number of visits and the warranty terms.
Why the cheapest quote usually costs more
There are only two large costs in any pest control job: the product, and the labour to place it properly. A rate far below everyone else has to save on one or both — and both are invisible on the day the work is done.
How a very low price is typically funded:
- A cheaper, low-grade or unapproved product at a weaker dilution. It smells like treatment and does little
- Skipping the follow-up visit, so the eggs that survive the first treatment hatch undisturbed
- Wider drill spacing on termite work, leaving gaps in the barrier
- Treating only what is visible rather than finding the source
None of this shows for a few weeks. It shows in the second month, or the second year — when you pay again, and this time for a larger problem. The cheapest quote is often simply the first instalment of a more expensive one.
We are not a premium-priced company. We charge standard economical rates, and we do not fund a discount by dropping product grade, drill spacing or the follow-up visit. Standard procedure and quality checks are not the parts we remove to compete.
How to protect yourself on price
You do not need technical knowledge — you need the right questions. Before accepting any quote, ask:
- What product will you use, and can I see the safety data sheet? A checkable answer, or a vague one — both are informative
- At what dilution? A specific figure tells you the treatment is measured, not guessed
- How many visits are included? If the follow-up is billed later, the headline price is not the real price
- Is the warranty in writing, with the exclusions?
- Is the technician your employee? Subcontracted work is where the follow-up quietly disappears
A company that answers all five without hesitation is quoting on the same basis you are comparing. One that will not is asking you to compare a number against nothing.
What a fair quotation should contain
Price is only comparable when the scope behind it is written down. A fair quotation states each of these, so you are comparing like for like rather than a number against a number:
| Line | Why it belongs in writing |
|---|---|
| The pest and the areas treated | Defines the actual job, not a vague “treatment” |
| Product and dilution | Shows the treatment is measured; lets a doctor advise if needed |
| Number of visits | The follow-up is where cockroach and bed bug jobs succeed or fail |
| Warranty terms and exclusions | A warranty you cannot read is a warranty you cannot enforce |
| What is not included | Everything is excluded somewhere; a silent quote tells you by invoice |
If a quotation is a single figure with none of this behind it, the figure is the least reliable thing about it.
Common pricing traps to watch for
- “Starting from” as the headline. The starting point is the smallest job on the simplest property — rarely yours.
- A price quoted over the phone, sight unseen. It will be revised on the day. Ask what it is based on.
- The follow-up billed separately. A low first-visit price that needs two more paid visits is not a saving.
- Per-room pricing that ignores spread. Termites and cockroaches do not respect room boundaries.
- A quote far below every other. Ask which of the two real costs — product or labour — it has cut, because it has cut one.
None of these mean a company is dishonest. They mean the number in front of you is not yet a real price. The written survey turns it into one.
Is a contract cheaper than one-off visits?
Per visit, yes — a contract works out lower than repeated call-outs. But that is not the real argument. The value of a contract is that scheduled visits catch a problem while it is small, and that only matters if your property has genuine ongoing pressure.
A home with a single sighting and no history usually needs one treatment and proofing, not a contract — and we will tell you so. A restaurant, a food business, a ground-floor property near open drainage, or any audited site is a different case, where continuous cover is cheaper than the failures it prevents. See the contract & tender FAQs for how contracts are actually built.
Does the city change the price?
No — pricing is the same standard across Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. It is the property, not the city, that moves the figure. Coastal humidity in Karachi or newer construction in Lahore and Islamabad changes what you are likely to need, not the rate for the work itself.
Getting an honest number
Pest Orbit Pakistan quotes no price before seeing the property, and the survey is free across all three cities. You receive a written quotation naming the scope, product, visits and warranty terms — which you can take away and compare against anyone.
If you want a rough range before booking, tell us the property size, the pest and how long it has been going on, and we will give it to you honestly — and say plainly that it is a range.
Book a free inspection: +92 343 879 7046 · Contact Pest Orbit Pakistan
More reading: Pricing & quotation FAQs · Pest control cost guide · Termite treatment cost guide · How to choose a pest control company · Karachi · Lahore · Islamabad
