What fumigation is, and when TDA points to it
TDA's category for structural fumigation covers structures not primarily intended to contain food, feed or grains. For drywood termites TDA lists spot treatment, fumigation or physical removal, and says a wood-penetrating gas fumigant is the only sure way to get them all.
EPA says sulfuryl fluoride, a restricted use pesticide, is the only structural fumigant with residential uses and replaced methyl bromide.
What fumigation costs in Texas
Our estimate for fumigating a home of about 2,000 square feet in Texas is $1,525 to $8,200, and the table adds a per-square-foot estimate. Both come from one national range adjusted by Texas's pest control wage ratio of 0.89, and neither is a quote.
The estimate rests on a national range only. Ask what the price covers for the warning agent, the notice and the aeration visit, and who is responsible if drywood termites remain.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,525 to $8,200 per home, about 2,000 square feet | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas pest control worker wage ratio (0.89). Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range per square foot, not a quote | $1 to $4 per square foot | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas pest control worker wage ratio (0.89). Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Pest control worker wage, Texas mean | $19.90 an hour | Texas mean wage for the occupation (BLS, May 2025), shown for scale; it isn't a fumigation price. |
| State fee, business license, each location | $300 to license, $300 to renew | TDA's business license fee for each location, from the schedule effective January 1, 2016; the company pays it. |
| Fine for a fumigation notice violation | up to $3,000 | TDA's page says any violation of the notice rule results in a fine of up to this amount. |
| Liability cover a licensed business must carry | $500,000 injury and property, $1,000,000 total | Filed with TDA on form ALS-1101: at least $500,000 bodily injury and property damage, $1,000,000 aggregate. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Texas's pest control worker wage ratio to the US (0.89, BLS May 2025), with no permit fee added because pest control has no city permit. Not a quote. Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Texas company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
The notice a company files with TDA
Notice of every fumigation under a contract goes to SPCS through its online system between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., at least 4 and no more than 24 hours before the application. It gives the address, the chemical, the date and time, the approximate square footage and the licensee's name and address.
A cancellation must be sent within 3 hours of learning of it, and TDA's page says any violation will result in a fine of up to $3,000. The online system has been mandatory since January 9, 2018.
The gas, the warning agent and who has to be there
Sulfuryl fluoride is odorless and colorless, so EPA requires chloropicrin in residential structural fumigations as a warning agent. EPA approved revised residential labels on July 11, 2024, which changed the clearance-device references, and its registration review is still open.
TDA's FAQ says a certified applicator for the pest company must be present at the time the gas is released and again when the house is released for occupancy after proper aeration. Ask the company to show you the clearance steps on the current label.
Who may contract for it
A business needs the structural fumigation category on its license to contract or subcontract fumigation, though a business without it may refer customers. A person qualifies for the category's exam with a 40-hour fumigation school that has at least 16 hours of hands-on work, or 40 hours of on-the-job training with at least 16 hours hands-on. Ask the company to name the category on its license and the certified applicator who will be on site.
Fumigation: what can wait
- Anyone ill after the fumigation: the Texas Poison Center at 1-800-764-7661, or for pesticide questions the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.
- Choosing between fumigation and a spot treatment after an inspection.
- Collecting a second written bid before you agree to a date.
Before the fumigation
- Ask the company to name the structural fumigation category on its license.
- Ask when it will file the notice with SPCS and who will be on site as the certified applicator.
- Ask for the clearance steps from the product label.
- Ask what you need to remove and who will be present at release and at reoccupancy.
- Get the proposal and warranty terms in writing.
License and notice rules for fumigation
Occupations Code 1951.005, in a 2018 copy of the statute, lets a city adopt fire or building rules for fumigation and thermal insecticidal fogging as preventive safety measures. Ask your city's fire department or building office whether it has one. The state side is the structural fumigation category, the $300 business license and the insurance floor of $500,000 with a $1,000,000 aggregate.
Ask for the company's TDA business license number and the applicator's name, and check both with TDA's Structural Pest Control Service before any work starts.
Questions people ask
How far ahead must a fumigation be reported in Texas?
At least 4 and no more than 24 hours before the application, through TDA's online system. The notice gives the address, chemical, date and time, approximate square footage and the licensee's details. A cancellation goes in within 3 hours of learning of it.
Who must be at the house during fumigation in Texas?
A certified applicator for the pest company, when the gas is released and when the house is released for occupancy after aeration. That is TDA's wording in its termite FAQ.
Can any pest control company fumigate in Texas?
No: it needs the structural fumigation category, though a business without it may refer customers. TDA's page says a business without the category cannot contract or subcontract fumigation.
Why does fumigation use chloropicrin?
EPA requires it in residential structural fumigations as a warning agent because sulfuryl fluoride is odorless and colorless. Sulfuryl fluoride is a restricted use pesticide. EPA approved revised residential labels on July 11, 2024.
What does fumigation cost in Texas?
About $1,525 to $8,200 per home, about 2,000 square feet in our model, an estimate only. That span comes from one national range adjusted for Texas pay. Ask what the price includes and who pays for a second visit.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: SPCS Fees Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Business Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Fumigation; SPCS home page Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Licensing Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Termite FAQs Read Oct 23, 2026.
- EPA: Sulfuryl Fluoride Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas Occupations Code §1951.005: Municipal preemption and exceptions Read Oct 28, 2026.