Licensed pest control
Cockroach Extermination Services
A cockroach exterminator finds where roaches hide and breed, then wipes them out with gel baits, dusts and growth regulators, and a one-time visit costs $200 to $350. The species changes everything. German cockroaches breed indoors and need two or three visits, while big outdoor roaches often stop after a perimeter treatment and some sealing. Tell us which roach you’re seeing and we’ll connect you with a licensed cockroach company near you for a free quote. You compare the plan and price before you agree to anything.
- Licensed & insured techs
- Free, no-pressure quotes
- Homes, apartments and businesses
What Do Cockroaches Look Like?
Cockroaches are flat, oval insects with long antennae and spiny legs, and the four common US species run 1/2 inch up to nearly 2 inches. German cockroaches are the small ones, 1/2 to 5/8 inch, tan, with two dark stripes running back from the head. American cockroaches are the big reddish-brown ones, about 1 1/2 inches, with a pale yellow band behind the head.
Oriental cockroaches are about an inch long, almost black and shiny, and can’t fly. Smokybrown cockroaches run 1 to 1 1/4 inches and are a solid dark mahogany color.
A roach you only see at night in the kitchen is almost always German. Big roaches near the garage or patio usually came in from outside.
Signs of Cockroaches in Your House
Roaches Running at Night
Bugs that scatter when you flip on the kitchen or bathroom light. Seeing one in daylight often means hiding spots are full.
Droppings Like Pepper
Small dark specks or smears in cabinet corners, drawers, behind the fridge and along hinges.
Egg Capsules
Brown, purse-shaped cases about 1/4 inch long tucked into cracks, behind appliances or under shelves.
Musty, Oily Smell
A stale odor in cabinets or a closet that gets stronger as the cockroach population grows.
Common Cockroach Species in US Homes
Four cockroach species cause most calls in the states we cover. The species tells you where the roaches live and how hard they’ll be to clear.
| Cockroach | Where in the US | What It Means for You |
|---|---|---|
| German | All 10 states we serve, indoors year round | Breeds inside kitchens and baths and spreads unit to unit in apartments. Plan on baits plus follow-up visits. |
| American | Southern states, plus sewers and steam tunnels in big cities | Comes up from drains and basements. Sealing gaps and treating outside cuts sightings fast. |
| Oriental | Cooler states like Illinois, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania | Lives in damp basements, crawl spaces and floor drains. Fixing moisture matters as much as the treatment. |
| Smokybrown | Florida, Georgia, Texas, the Carolinas and parts of California | Lives in trees, gutters and attics and flies toward lights. Outdoor work does most of the job. |
How Cockroach Extermination Works
Cockroach extermination relies on baits, not bug bombs. A tech puts dabs of gel bait in cracks near food and water, where roaches eat it, crawl back and poison others that feed on their droppings. Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, stop young roaches before they become breeding adults, and the University of Florida says they take four to six weeks to show a clear drop.
UC IPM warns that foggers and broad sprays scatter roaches deeper into walls instead of killing them. In apartments, German cockroaches travel along shared plumbing and wall voids, so treating one unit while the neighbors stay infested just resets the clock.
What Happens on a Cockroach Job
- Inspection
- The tech checks under sinks, behind appliances, inside cabinets and around drains, and may set sticky traps to find the hot spots.
- Bait and Dust
- Gel bait goes into cracks and hinges, dust goes into wall voids and outlets, and an IGR gets added to stop breeding.
- Follow-up Visits
- German cockroach jobs need a return visit a few weeks later to rebait and check traps, sometimes a third after that.
- Exclusion
- For outdoor species, the tech seals pipe gaps and door sweeps and treats the foundation, mulch beds and drains.
How Much Does a Cockroach Exterminator Cost?
A cockroach exterminator charges $200 to $350 for a one-time visit on most homes. The price follows the species, the size of the home and how many follow-ups it takes. German infestations in big homes or multi-unit buildings cost the most.
Prices come from HomeGuide’s cockroach exterminator cost guide. Ask if follow-up visits are included, because a German roach job almost never ends after one.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Roach inspection | $40 to $80, often folded into the treatment price |
| One-time visit | $200 to $350 |
| Gel bait treatment | $100 to $600 per visit depending on the infestation |
| Monthly or quarterly plan | $50 to $100 per monthly visit, $100 to $200 per quarterly visit |
| Home of 2,000 to 3,000 square feet | $200 to $650 |
| Fumigation or tenting | $1,000 to $7,500, only for severe cases |
Can You Get Rid of Cockroaches Yourself?
DIY cockroach control works for a few stray roaches. Store-bought gel bait and bait stations with fipronil, abamectin or hydramethylnon do a decent job, and boric acid dust in wall gaps helps. Skip the spray cans while baiting, since spray on bait makes roaches avoid it.
Call a licensed company when you see German roaches in daylight, find them in more than one room, or share walls with neighbors. A single German female can produce several egg capsules of up to 48 eggs each, and Penn State says one year can bring over 10,000 descendants.
So: one big roach that wandered in from the yard, seal the gap and move on. Small tan roaches in the kitchen, get a pro.
How to Keep Cockroaches Out
- Fix dripping faucets and leaky pipes under sinks, since roaches need water more than food.
- Store food, pet food included, in sealed plastic or glass containers.
- Check grocery bags and cardboard boxes before they go into the kitchen cabinet.
- Seal gaps around pipes and add door sweeps to keep outdoor roaches out.
- Clean grease off the stove sides and the floor under the fridge every few weeks.
Cockroach Control in Your State
Cockroach species shift with climate across the states we cover. Choose your state for local roach pressure and city pages.
How It Works
Tell Us The Problem
Tell us the size and color of the roaches you’re seeing and your ZIP.
Get Matched With A Local Pro
We send it to a licensed cockroach exterminator working near you.
Book Your Treatment
The company prices the visits, you approve the plan, and treatment starts.
Cockroach Extermination FAQs
Got a cockroach question we missed? Ask through the form, and add a photo of the roach if you can.
How many visits does it take to get rid of cockroaches?
German cockroaches usually take two or three visits spread over several weeks, because baits and growth regulators need time to work through the population.
Outdoor species like American or smokybrown roaches often need one visit plus sealing, then a quarterly plan at $100 to $200 a visit in warm states.
Why do I see more roaches after the exterminator came?
More roaches in the first week or two is normal. Bait and dust drive roaches out of hiding as they get sick and look for water.
Still seeing roaches by day after four to six weeks? Call the company back. Ask before booking if rebait visits cost extra.
Do I need to treat my whole apartment building for roaches?
For German cockroaches, building-wide treatment works far better. They travel through plumbing and wall voids, so one clean unit gets reinfested from next door.
Ask your landlord or HOA to treat neighboring units at the same time, and seal gaps around pipes under your sinks.
Do cockroaches mean my house is dirty?
Not always. Outdoor roaches come inside after rain or heat, and German roaches ride in on boxes, grocery bags and used appliances.
That said, grease, crumbs and leaky pipes feed an infestation. Cleaning up won’t kill roaches, but it makes baits work much faster.
Are cockroach treatments safe for kids and pets?
Gel baits go into cracks and hinges in small dabs, out of reach, so kids and pets have little contact with them. That’s one reason pros prefer bait over sprays.
Ask the tech where bait went, and keep pets from licking treated spots.
Get a Free Cockroach Extermination Quote
Use the form to tell us about your roaches and your ZIP. A licensed cockroach company in your area sends a free price, with no pressure to book.
Along with cockroach work, the companies we match you with handle Ant Control, Rodent Removal and Bed Bug Treatment, plus every other pest control service we list.