How to start a pest control business

Start with general pest plans for homes. Add termites, rodents or mosquito service once you hold the right category and know your area's main problems.

The EPA says federal law requires anyone who applies or supervises the use of restricted-use pesticides to be certified, that state, territorial and tribal authorities certify applicators, and that many states require all commercial applicators to be certified, not only those using restricted-use products. In practice, a business treating homes for pay should expect to need a state applicator license, and often a business license with the same agency, before the first job.

States split certification into categories, and termite or structural work is often its own. Contact your state's pesticide regulatory agency and ask which categories you need for the services you plan, and whether a licensed operator has to supervise your techs.

The SBA lists the launch steps in this order: pick a location, choose a structure, choose a name, register, get federal and state tax ID numbers, apply for licenses and permits, open a business bank account, and get insurance. For a pest control business working out of a truck, the location is usually your home address and the area you will serve.

• Structure. A sole proprietorship is the simplest. An LLC keeps the business separate on paper. Ask an accountant which fits your state and your plans.
• Tax ID. The IRS gives out an employer identification number (EIN) online, and says you never have to pay a fee for one. Websites that charge for an EIN are not the IRS.
• Self-employment tax. The IRS lists the self-employment tax rate as 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. Income tax comes on top, so set money aside from every job.
• Bank account. Open it before the first payment lands, so every dollar in and out is easy to find at tax time.

Your name goes on the truck, the invoices, the Google profile and the yard signs, so pick it once. The free pest control name generator gives 36 ideas for your town and style, each with a domain idea, and lists the checks to run before you commit: your state's business name search, a federal trademark search and the domain itself.

The SBA describes general liability insurance as cover for financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses and defending lawsuits. It says businesses with employees are required to carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance, and some states ask for more.

Ask your agent for general liability that covers pesticide application, since many standard policies limit it. Add commercial auto for the truck and its chemical storage. Commercial accounts will ask for a certificate.

No total here on purpose. What you spend depends on what you already own, new or used, and how much work you plan to take on. Price your own list with a local supplier, then put the numbers in the startup cost table of the free business plan template, which adds them up for you.

• A truck with locked, ventilated chemical storage and a spill kit
• Backpack and handheld sprayers, a duster, and a power sprayer for exteriors
• Bait stations, monitors and traps
• Flashlight, inspection mirror and moisture meter
• Protective gear the labels call for: gloves, eye protection, respirator

Products are bought as you go, so the startup spend is mostly the truck setup, sprayers and your certification and license fees.

Price recurring plans so each visit covers your time on site, the drive and the product. The free maintenance plan pricing calculator works out a monthly or quarterly price from your costs, and the labor rate calculator sets the hourly cost under it. Charge more for the first visit, which takes longer, and price one-time treatments high enough that the plan is the better deal.

• Answer fast. Someone who just saw a rodent calls until they get an answer. Koira answers on your number and books by text.
• Neighbors. Pests do not stop at the property line. Koira mails nearby homes after each new account.
• Realtors and property managers. Inspections for sales, and rentals that need regular service.
• Google. A profile with your service area and reviews. Koira asks for the review after the visit is paid.

Put every customer on a plan with a card on file. Koira bills the plan, books the visits and reminds the customer, so renewals happen without a phone call. For one-time jobs, invoice on the spot.

Add techs once routes are full, and check your state's rules on who must be certified and who may work under supervision. Keep each tech's routes tight with stops in driving order. Read how pest control companies run on Koira.