Pest Control Industry Statistics and Trends for 2026
Table of Contents
Every other day I post a question in the Pest Control Millionaires Facebook group, a private group of 5,000+ pest control owners. Usually a good number of owners reply. In 2026, 141 of those questions drew 2,800+ answers from nearly 800 owners, so I had Grok Bot pull every one of them and we counted them up.
These are the numbers, grouped by topic. The short version is that most owners started small, referrals still bring in the most customers, and owners split on almost everything else, from door knocking to billing to robots.
How These Numbers Work
The numbers are a little skewed, because they only come from owners who were willing to reply, and it isn’t a massive sample. I still think they’re useful, especially next to what Jonas, Jake and I teach.
So every stat below says how many owners answered. Polls with fewer than 20 answers are marked as smaller polls, and questions with fewer than 12 answers aren’t counted at all. Each owner counts once per question. My answers are left out, and so are Jonas’s, Jake’s and our sponsors’.
If you want every question and every answer breakdown in one place, get the full results as a free PDF.
Starting a Pest Control Company
- 60 of 86 owners started their company with under $10,000, and 11 started with nothing.
- 42 of 99 owners got into pest control because they needed a job; 34 came in through family, friends or church.
- 29 of 68 owners have been in business under 5 years, while 18 have been at it 20 years or more.
- 17 of 21 owners have reached $500K in revenue, 12 of them within 3 years.
- 15 of 24 owners hired their first employee before $200K in revenue, 10 of them on day one.
- 15 of 37 solo operators say they feel stuck; 11 stay solo by choice.
- 11 of 22 owners say they became millionaires within 10 years; 7 said net worth is the wrong yardstick.
From the PCM Facebook group
How much money did you have to start your company?
60 of 86 owners started their company with under $10,000, and 11 started with nothing.
Jonas puts a lean start at roughly $15,000 to $30,000, and probably even less, in our guide on how to start a pest control business. Most owners in the group did it for less. For what comes after the first truck, see why most pest control companies get stuck at $300K and why your first pest control hire should not be a tech.
Pest Control Marketing and Lead Statistics
- Referrals are the #1 lead source for 11 of 32 owners; Google is #1 for 8.
- 10 of 19 owners say referrals and great service are the cheapest way to get leads. Smaller poll.
- 7 of 15 owners say referrals gave them their best recent marketing return. Smaller poll.
- 9 of 15 owners who gave a number spend 10% or more of revenue on marketing. Smaller poll.
- Billboards, print and phone books, and digital ads and agencies tie as the worst marketing spend, 6 of 21 owners each.
- 24 of 27 owners sponsor local teams or events.
- 24 of 30 owners brand their trucks, 21 with full wraps.
- 11 of 24 owners say yard signs or door hangers work, at least with the right offer; 3 say no.
- 19 of 25 owners say door knocking isn't required to grow a big company; 6 call it the fast lane.
- 16 of 25 owners don't knock doors at all; 6 only knock around current customers.
- 6 of 15 owners pay a dollar credit or check per referral; 4 give a free or discounted service. Smaller poll.
From the PCM Facebook group
What is your #1 source of leads in 2026?
Referrals are the #1 lead source for 11 of 32 owners; Google is #1 for 8.
Jonas doesn’t set the marketing budget as a percent of revenue. He spends as fast as the numbers allow, which our pest control marketing guide breaks down. He also calls door-to-door Pest Badger’s most expensive channel and the fastest way into a new market. The channel by channel costs are in our pest control lead generation guide, and the referral system Pest Badger runs is in how to get more pest control customer referrals.
Most owners in the group don’t think door knocking is required to grow big. When I asked, Tony Carder of True North Pest Control answered, “2 years in business zero door knocking $7 plus million.”
Sales, Pricing and Billing
- 21 of 40 owners bill monthly; only 1 bills residential customers quarterly.
- 17 of 20 owners are upfront about pricing, and 8 post starting prices.
- 19 of 26 owners respond to new leads immediately or within seconds.
- 9 of 21 owners credit a closing technique like asking for the sale; 6 say listen and educate first.
- Owners split on price shoppers, 10 of 22 sell value and 10 let them go.
- Speed and quality tie as owners' biggest competitive advantage, 6 of 37 each; only 1 named price.
- All 18 owners who answered back their work with a warranty or guarantee. Smaller poll.
- 20 of 29 owners would rather have 100 residential accounts than 10 commercial ones.
- 6 of 22 owners get half or more of their revenue from commercial; 5 get under 10%.
From the PCM Facebook group
Do you charge customers monthly, quarterly or something else?
21 of 40 owners bill monthly; only 1 bills residential customers quarterly.
Billing is where the group and Pest Badger part ways. Jonas moved new Pest Badger customers to quarterly billing after data from Alex Hormozi’s team showed monthly subscriptions cancel at about 12.5%, quarterly at about 6% and prepaid at 2%. The full reasoning is in pest control selling subscriptions, and pricing is in our pest control pricing guide.
Team, Trucks and Operations
- 27 of 46 owners run 8 to 15 stops per tech per day; 9 run more than 15.
- 17 of 24 owners pay techs a base plus commission or production pay.
- 43 of 69 owners regularly work weekends, 16 of them Saturdays only.
- 15 of 23 owners work 60+ hours a week or say they're always working.
- 11 of 25 owners still have the owner or family answer the phone; 2 use AI.
- 11 of 25 owners spend $20K to $60K per truck; 4 spend $60K or more.
- 12 of 23 owners will send a tech 1.5 hours or more for a job.
- GorillaDesk is the CRM for 12 of 27 owners, ahead of FieldRoutes (5).
- 22 of 35 owners have a spouse involved in the business.
- 18 of 27 owners say hiring friends and family works, 5 of them with boundaries.
- Bad hires and trusting the wrong people were the most expensive mistake for 10 of 32 owners.
- April or May is the busiest month for 13 of 24 owners.
From the PCM Facebook group
How many stops do your techs make a day?
27 of 46 owners run 8 to 15 stops per tech per day; 9 run more than 15.
Route density is what moves the stop count, which is the whole point of our guide to improve route efficiency in pest control. For trucks, see our pest control truck setup, and for the software side, pest control business software.
Customers, Reviews and Retention
- Moving, selling the home or passing away is the #1 reason customers cancel for 10 of 28 owners.
- 12 of 24 owners say relationships and communication keep customers longest; 10 say quality service.
- 11 of 25 owners handle upset customers by listening first.
- 9 of 20 owners answer 1-star reviews professionally in public, then move on; 5 work on preventing them.
- 9 of 17 owners got their first 100 reviews within a year. Smaller poll.
- 8 of 13 owners with a review strategy use review software. Smaller poll.
From the PCM Facebook group
What is the #1 reason customers cancel?
Moving, selling the home or passing away is the #1 reason customers cancel for 10 of 28 owners.
After moving, the reasons on that list come down to how the service was sold and delivered, which starts with first impressions in pest control and pest control service communication. For reviews, see our guide to pest control Google Business Profile optimization.
Services, Profit and Selling
- 15 of 43 owners say rodent and wildlife exclusion is their most profitable service.
- 25 of 33 owners offer mosquito control, and 4 more offer it on a limited basis.
- 16 of 22 owners do termite work, and 3 more are waiting on a license.
- 19 of 31 owners say adding wildlife services is worth it.
- 10 of 26 owners refuse wildlife work; 6 refuse bed bugs, fleas or termites.
- 19 of 27 owners say premium products make a real difference.
- 13 of 20 owners have landed a single job worth $50K or more; 7 topped $250K.
- Answers ran from a loss to 40%+, and 5 of 17 owners said little or no profit right now. Smaller poll.
- 4 of 13 owners pay themselves nothing and reinvest; 3 take a salary plus distributions. Smaller poll.
- 16 of 33 owners plan to sell or would for the right offer; 6 plan to pass the business to family or employees.
- 11 of 20 owners say credit is a tool for growth; only 2 say avoid it.
- 9 of 17 owners call private equity evil or bad; 5 say it's good for owners who sell. Smaller poll.
From the PCM Facebook group
What is your most profitable service right now?
15 of 43 owners say rodent and wildlife exclusion is their most profitable service.
The margins behind those services are in our guide to pest control business profit margins, and adding services without losing focus is in the pest control service stack. If you’re one of the owners building to sell, start with selling a pest control company. What owners take home at each revenue stage is in our guide to pest control business owner salary.
Not every owner wants to sell. As Griffin Thomas of Preferred Pest Management told the group, “a business worth buying, is a business never worth selling.”
AI and the Future of Pest Control
- 15 of 19 owners already get customers from AI search like ChatGPT. Smaller poll.
- 8 of 12 owners use AI on calls, 4 of them only after hours or for overflow. Smaller poll.
- Owners split on robots, 12 of 23 expect them to replace techs at least partly, and 11 say no.
- 9 of 14 owners see AI, drones or robots shaping the future of pest control. Smaller poll.
From the PCM Facebook group
How many customers do you get from AI search?
15 of 19 owners already get customers from AI search like ChatGPT.
AI search is my side of the business, and owners are already getting customers from it. How to show up there is in how Dan Leibrandt wins at SEO in the age of AI search and our local SEO for pest control companies guide.
Get the Full 2026 Results
The page above has the headline numbers. The free PDF has every question with 12 or more answers and the full answer breakdown for each one, so you can check your own numbers against other owners.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a pest control business?
Less than most people think. In 2026 polls of the PCM Facebook group, 60 of 86 owners said they started their company with under $10,000, and 11 started with nothing. Jonas Olson puts a lean start at roughly $15,000 to $30,000 for licensing, insurance, products and a used truck.
What is the best source of pest control leads?
Referrals. Referrals and word of mouth were the number one lead source in 2026 for 11 of 32 owners in the PCM Facebook group, ahead of Google for 8 and Facebook for 5.
Do pest control companies bill monthly or quarterly?
Most bill monthly. 21 of 40 owners in the PCM Facebook group bill monthly, and only 1 bills residential customers quarterly. Jonas Olson moved new Pest Badger customers to quarterly billing because monthly subscriptions cancel the most.
How many stops does a pest control technician make a day?
Usually 8 to 15. 27 of 46 owners in the PCM Facebook group run 8 to 15 stops per tech per day, and 9 run more than 15. Route density decides most of the difference.
What is the most profitable pest control service?
Rodent and wildlife exclusion. 15 of 43 owners in the PCM Facebook group named it their most profitable service, ahead of bed bugs and lawn and weed at 6 each.
Where do these pest control statistics come from?
From question posts in the private Pest Control Millionaires Facebook group between January 1 and November 2, 2026. 141 questions drew 2,800+ answers from nearly 800 owners, counted once per owner. The owners chose to reply, so the numbers show what active owners said, not the whole industry.
