Cost by ant species and scenario
| Scenario | Estimated cost range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small pavement ant — apartment/condo | $250-350 | Single visit, gel bait application |
| Pavement/odorous house ant — detached home | $300-500 | Full inspection + bait + follow-up |
| Carpenter ant — initial inspection only | $150-200 | Moisture readings, frass documentation |
| Carpenter ant — treatment, detached home | $450-800 | Inspection + bait + 1 follow-up |
| Carpenter ant — with moisture audit add-on | $600-1,200 | Includes moisture meter survey, structural report |
| Pharaoh ant — single unit, multi-unit building | $300-500 | Often requires building coordination to be effective |
| Strata building coordinated treatment (per unit) | $150-250/unit | Simultaneous multi-unit, significant per-unit discount |
What drives cost variation
- Property size: a 450 sqft condo is a single room treatment; a 3,000 sqft detached home requires full perimeter inspection and multiple bait placements.
- Species: carpenter ant diagnosis requires moisture meter, borescope access, frass documentation — more labour than pavement ant identification.
- Number of visits: most ant treatments include an initial visit and 1-2 follow-ups. Follow-up visits are included in reputable quotes.
- Structural vs non-structural: carpenter ant treatment that finds a moisture source requiring structural repair is more complex than a clean pavement ant kitchen trail.
- Strata coordination: coordinating access and simultaneous treatment across multiple units adds logistics and time.
What should be included in the quote
- Initial inspection (on-site, not just a phone assessment).
- Species identification confirmed on-site before treatment.
- Written treatment report delivered after the visit.
- At least one follow-up visit within 14-21 days.
- Photo report of findings sent within 30 minutes of visit completion.
- Warranty period clearly stated (minimum 60 days for most ant treatments).
DIY cost comparison
A DIY ant treatment for a small pavement ant infestation in a kitchen might cost $20-40 in gel bait from a hardware store and 30 minutes of your time. For this specific scenario, DIY is a reasonable first attempt. Carpenter ant treatment is a different calculation: professional-grade protein bait costs $80-120 in small quantities, but the borescope inspection to locate galleries and moisture meter readings are the real value add — not the product itself. Most carpenter ant DIY attempts fail because the moisture source is not identified, not because the product is wrong.
The cost of doing nothing
Carpenter ant damage is slow but cumulative. A colony that takes 5 years to cause visible structural damage may cost $3,000-8,000 to repair in framing replacement, compared to $600-1,200 for treatment when first detected. The economic argument for early treatment is straightforward. Pavement ant infestations do not compound this way — the structural cost of ignoring them is essentially zero, though the food contamination and nuisance costs are real.