Pricing is one of the most common questions I get from pest control owners. What should I charge? Should I discount? How do I bundle services? There’s a lot of confusion around this topic, and the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

But there are proven principles that work. At Pest Badger, we’ve tested different pricing models, experimented with offers, and learned what actually converts customers and keeps our business profitable. Here’s what I’ve found works best when it comes to pricing and building irresistible offers.

Every Market Is Different, So Know Your Costs

Before you copy someone else’s pricing, understand that every company is different. We all have different overhead, cost of goods sold, and break-even points. Pricing in California is going to look very different from pricing in Iowa.

That said, the structure you use matters. You need a plan that supports profitability, cash flow, and long-term growth, no matter your market.

Subscription vs. Quarterly Billing

One of the first choices to make is whether you want to charge monthly or quarterly. Both have pros and cons.

I like monthly billing because it’s easier to sell. Telling a customer it's $70 a month feels better than saying it's $240 per quarter. Monthly billing also means you’re prepaid before you show up for service. That helps with cash flow.

The downside is that monthly subscriptions often have higher cancellation rates. We’re all subscribed to dozens of apps. Pest control becomes just another line item to cancel when money gets tight. That’s the risk you run.

On the other hand, with quarterly billing, you often get paid in larger chunks and customers don’t think about it as frequently. We’ve found a hybrid model works well, where we do an initial service and then shift them into a monthly payment structure that still aligns with a quarterly service plan.

Get Your Cash Back Faster

One thing I focus on a lot is how quickly I can recover my customer acquisition cost. Think of your business like a vending machine. Every time you put $100 into marketing, how much are you getting back?

If I can spend $100 to get a new customer and they pay me $850 the same day, I’ll do that all day long. But when you’re doing monthly billing, it might take three months before you recover that money. That’s a cash flow problem, not a profit problem.

That’s why I like prepay offers. In lawn care and mosquito control, it’s normal to offer discounts for prepaying the full season. You can do the same thing in pest control. Offer a bonus service or add-on if the customer prepays. It brings the cash in sooner, and it creates a higher commitment.

Avoid Discounts, Use Value Stacking Instead

I’m not a fan of discounts. When you discount your services, customers start to see you as a discount brand. If someone signs up for a $29 special, they’ll expect that kind of pricing forever. It’s hard to shake that perception.

Instead, I prefer value stacking. This means loading up the offer with additional services that don’t cost you much but feel valuable to the customer.

For example, you might offer:

• A free flea and tick treatment with the first service

• A free mosquito treatment

• A soil test or yard inspection

• A complimentary bait box installation

These extras don’t take much time or product, but they make the offer feel irresistible. You’re not lowering your price. You’re giving them more for the price they’re paying.

And when those extra services wear off, they call you back. That free mosquito treatment they loved? It fades in 21 days, and now they want to sign up for regular mosquito control.

Price to Reflect Your Brand

If you want to be seen as a premium company, your prices need to reflect that. People associate price with quality. When they pay more, they are more emotionally invested and more likely to trust you.

Your pricing has to match the brand you want to build. If you want to be the cheap guy, then discount away. But if you want to be seen as the best in the market, charge like it.

We raise prices every year by three to five percent. It’s expected. Everything else is going up. If you’re doing a good job, customers won’t blink.

One Simple Shift That Doubled Profitability

Let’s say you have 100 customers paying $100 a month. That’s $10,000 in revenue. If you double your prices and lose half of them, you’re still making $10,000 with 50 customers. Same revenue, less work, and better margins.

That’s a mindset shift that took me a while to adopt, but once I did, everything changed. Fewer customers, higher profit, and better overall business.

Final Thoughts

If you’re trying to figure out what to charge, stop thinking about discounts and start thinking about value. Build offers that make sense for your cost structure, your market, and your brand.

Structure your pricing around recurring revenue, offer value-packed bundles, and never be afraid to charge what your service is worth.

The goal isn’t to have the most customers. The goal is to have the most valuable ones.