How Much Does a Missed Call Cost a Termite Control Company? (2026)

Bottom line: on Angi's 2026 termite treatment average of $621, a missed call from a homeowner who just found swarmers costs a termite control company about $373 on the first job, and about $913 once three years of warranty renewals are counted. A drywood tenting call is about $888. Miss 18 real calls in a 100-call April and it's about $9,722.

About the author: I'm Justin McKelvey, and I own Local Call AI, an AI receptionist for contractors. I'm biased toward answering the phone. The numbers below are worked out in the open so you can check them.

Why termites get their own math

When we worked out what a missed call costs a pest control company, we left termite work out on purpose. A general pest call is a quarterly plan. A termite call is a bigger first job with a warranty behind it, and the renewal is where a lot of the money sits. Angi lists annual termite plans at $200 to $400 a year, on top of a treatment that averages $621 from 7,800 verified projects.

The swarm call

The Texas Department of Agriculture puts it plainly: subterranean termites are "often detected during swarming, usually in the spring." So the phone gets busy in a few weeks, and the caller is a homeowner looking at wings on a windowsill. They call two or three companies and book whoever can get out first.

On the first job, a missed swarm call is $621 × 75% you'd get it × 80% you don't win back on a callback = $372.60. Add three years of renewals at $300 (the middle of Angi's range) and the customer is worth $1,521, so the missed call is $912.60. That's the number to plan around, because the company that does the treatment usually holds the warranty.

The tent call

Drywood termites are "mainly a problem in the South," per the same TDA page, and the fix is often a tent. Angi puts tenting at $1,200 to $2,500 or more. At the $1,850 midpoint, a 60% close and a callback that fails 80% of the time, a missed tent call is $888. Fewer of these come in, but each one is worth more than two swarm calls on the first job.

A 100-call April

Say 35 swarm calls, 5 tent calls, 30 price shoppers and 30 calls that aren't termite jobs. Your techs are under houses all day and you miss 9 swarm, 1 tent and 8 shoppers:

• 9 × $912.60 = $8,213.40
• 1 × $888 = $888
• 8 × $77.63 = $621 (a shopper at 25% close and 50% saved on a callback)

Total $9,722.40, and 84.5% of it is swarm calls. Drop the renewals entirely and the month is still $4,862.40, with swarm calls at 69% of it.

In Texas, you can't quote it on the phone anyway

Here's the detail that changes how the phone should work. The TDA says that before treating, a termite company must give the customer disclosure documents: a diagram of the structure, the label and concentration of the termiticide, the full warranty details, definitions of the treatment types, and the licensed applicator's signature. "At no time will a proposal be given on the back of a business card." The warranty paperwork also has to spell out renewal options and cost.

So in Texas, the phone's whole job is to get you to the house. Nobody wins a termite job by quoting it over the phone. They win it by getting there first. We haven't read other states' rules for this post, so check yours.

What the phone should ask

What did you see: wings, mud tubes, damaged wood? Where in the house? Slab, crawlspace or basement? Has the house been treated before, and by whom? Are you buying or selling the house? Then book the inspection in the slots you set. On our plans the AI never tells a caller the house is or isn't infested, never promises what the inspection will find, and never quotes a treatment. Buyers with a wood-destroying insect report on a closing deadline are a separate rush; our home inspector missed-call math covers the inspector's side of that clock.

What answering costs

Our plans: Standard at $297 a month with 250 call minutes, Connected at $497 with 500, Concierge from $750 with 1,000. Minutes past your plan are $0.35, and every plan answers in English or Spanish. The April above, at 3 minutes a call, is 300 minutes, so Standard runs $314.50 that month. One saved swarm call with its renewals covers almost three months. We integrate with Jobber and JobNimbus only. If you're comparing services, our pest control answering service comparison covers the rest of a pest company's phone, and the pricing page has the plan details.

Your number

Pull last spring's calls and count how many mentioned wings or swarmers. Then check how many of those customers renewed. Every trade we've worked out is in our 2026 missed-call cost research.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a missed call cost a termite control company?

About $373 on the first job from a swarm-season caller and about $913 counting three years of renewals, on Angi's 2026 average treatment of $621 and our assumptions. A drywood tenting call is about $888.

How much does termite treatment cost in 2026?

Angi's national average is $621 from 7,800 verified projects, with most homeowners paying $263 to $1,033. Tenting runs $1,200 to $2,500 or more, and annual plans run $200 to $400.

When do termite companies get the most calls?

In spring. The Texas Department of Agriculture says subterranean termites are often detected during swarming, usually in the spring, which is when homeowners see wings and start calling.

Can a termite company quote a treatment over the phone in Texas?

The Texas Department of Agriculture requires disclosure documents before treatment, including a diagram, the pesticide label, warranty details and the applicator's signature, and says a proposal is never given on the back of a business card. The phone's job is to book the inspection.

What does an answering service cost a termite control company?

On Local Call AI, a 100-call April at about 3 minutes a call is 300 minutes, so $314.50 on Standard ($297 with 250 minutes, then $0.35 a minute). Plans are month-to-month with no setup fee.

Sources: Angi, "Termite Treatment Cost" (angi.com, updated September 25, 2026, read November 4, 2026: average $621 from 7,800 verified projects, most $263 to $1,033, annual plans $200 to $400, tenting $1,200 to $2,500 or more). Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service, "Termite FAQs" (texasagriculture.gov, read November 4, 2026: spring swarming, drywood mainly in the South, disclosure documents required before treatment). Local Call AI pricing page, read November 4, 2026. Call counts, missed calls, win and callback rates and renewal years are planning assumptions, not measured customer data.