Jeffery Hollington

This simplified guide to pest control will help you learn what you can expect to pay for professional pest services, decide whether to DIY or call a professional, and figure out how to find the right pest control company.

How Much Does Professional Pest Control Cost in 2021?

The cost of professional pest control services can vary depending on what pest you are dealing with, your geographic location, and whether you live in an urban or rural community.

For treatments targeting pests such as ants and spiders, cost should be on the lower end of that range (about $200 to $300), while treatment for rodents or larger pests will be priced on the higher end ($300 to $500). Yellowjacket treatments are in their own category and generally cost somewhere between $150 and $300, depending on the circumstances.

DIY Pest Control or Professional Help?

When it comes to pest control, the internet is in no short supply of DIY options, but do they really work? First understand that if you don't know what you're doing, you could make your pest control issue worse, and potentially get hurt in the process. But the good news is that, if you're pretty savvy, DIY pest control can be simple if you are prepared to carefully address the issue according to the pest's biology.

Think Like a Pest

Whether you decide to DIY or shop for professional pest control services, it is absolutely essential that you understand Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, before getting started. A well-rounded IPM plan is based, in part, on the following:

• What is causing the pests to be drawn to that spot?
• What are the pests feeding on?
• What is their lifecycle, and where could they be reproducing?
• Where are they seeking harborage?

Keep in mind that certain situations may require some element of chemical control, but there are many downsides to chemical applications, especially when misapplied or overused. Many pest control methods (and well intentioned DIYers) focus too heavily on chemical treatment, while Integrated Pest Management seeks to focus on the entire surrounding ecosystem and limits the need for chemical applications by considering what conducive conditions are present.

If conducive conditions are present, someone with IPM knowledge can assess how to manipulate those factors to make the environment less desirable for the pest.

DIY Pest Control

When it comes to DIY pest control, there are very few pieces of equipment as important as a quality flashlight. Professionals use them in a variety of situations, including crawlspace and attic checks, illuminating hidden rodent entry points along a roofline or detecting hard-to-see trailing ants along the foundation of a structure.

Finding an IPM Specialist

If you have no interest in performing your own pest management or if you've attempted some DIY pest control with little success, it may be time to call in the pest specialists.

Pest control isn't easy, and sometimes a professional can make all the difference in resolving an unpleasant or puzzling pest scenario.

Build a Relationship

This may seem obvious, but finding a pest company you trust is of utmost importance. There are too many companies out there willing to tell clients what they want to hear just to make a quick sale. These companies do not have the best interest of their customers in mind.

Environmentally conscious, long-term pest control solutions can take time, work, and patience from both the pest specialist and the homeowner. An IPM expert will prepare you for this. Be on the lookout for a company that knows the biology of the pest you are dealing with and focuses on solving the issue from an Integrated Pest Management perspective.

Don't Get Hung up on "Green" Services

Green (natural, eco-friendly) products can be vital to certain pest control plans, but many companies use this green advertising jargon because they know it's popular and sells well (typically for higher prices). Overuse of chemical is overuse of chemical, regardless of whether the product is "green."

When looking for someone proficient in IPM, remember that their knowledge of pest biology is far more important than buzzwords.

More (and Cheaper) Isn't Always Better

Pest control can be expensive, but the allure of a good deal can cause some homeowners to fall prey to short-term solutions, many of which involve overuse of chemicals, including essential oils.

Many times these quick fixes end up being more expensive in the long run, can cause pest issues to worsen, and can also involve health and environmental risks that come along with improper chemical treatments.

If the 'ick' factor of pest control doesn't bother you, you can do this! Grab your flashlight, do your research, and be ready to address the biology of the pest. Should you find yourself in need of expert for whatever reason, you can feel well prepared to shop for professional pest control assistance with confidence and know that the cost will lead to fewer pests in your home.

Embarking on a construction project is exciting and often a little overwhelming. Once you're ready to hire your team, you need to start by gathering construction project estimates. How do the professionals create them? Learn more, along with a few tips to help smooth the process, in this quick guide.

How Construction Project Estimates Are Created

Whenever you hear people talking about a construction project or hiring a contractor, you hear a lot about getting estimates for the work. However, how do the professionals create these estimates?

Construction projects used to require estimates done by hand. Today's technology has changed that and provided a more efficient alternative. Construction project estimator software allows construction professionals to create prices quickly, establish a solid database for future use and compare the pricing to relevant data to make sure it's on track, accurate and up to date, as noted by Fine Homebuilding.

There are many factors that go into a construction project's cost estimate. They typically fall into one of two main categories: direct and indirect costs. Direct costs may include things like materials and labor, including wages for different parts of the team, equipment fuel and resources needed to get the job done.

Indirect costs are a little less specific. Indirect costs may include things like legal fees, bonds, transportation permits, utilities, security and quality control, as noted by Smartsheet.

Common Factors in Construction Project Estimates

Creating estimates is a complex process. Similar construction projects are often a go-to reference for many contractors and homeowners alike who look to the final cost of similar projects to gain a ballpark idea of the final price tag. The constructor points out that additional factors go into the cost, including:

• Cost of construction materials, including applicable taxes and shipping fees
• Labor wages, which vary from place to place and could vary widely among subcontractors
• Site conditions where the construction project takes place could affect the cost. For example, if there's poor soil, utility conflicts or heavy traffic, it could increase the project costs
• Inflation has to be factored in, especially for large projects that might not be completed for several years
• Regulatory requirements, approvals and permits
• Insurance requirements for workers, tools and general liability may increase with some projects

Finding the Best Construction Project Estimator Software

For construction professionals, having the right construction project estimator software on their side makes all the difference. Business.com came out with a list of some of the best options, which include:

• ProContractor Estimating and PlanSwift, each of which is simple to learn and use
• B2W Estimate, which offers access to numerous supplier databases for up-to-date pricing
• Sage Estimating, which is geared toward commercial construction projects

Tips for Homeowners

Embarking on a construction project can be stressful. Most experts will tell you to get estimates from more than one professional to get the most competitive pricing. Additionally, Today suggests that you:

• Do your research, check references and read reviews
• Verify the contractor's insurance and license
• Get everything in writing, including how you'll handle costs that exceed the estimate
• Give yourself an emergency fund of about 20 percent more than anticipated expenses to provide a buffer for unexpected costs

MORE FROM QUESTIONSANSWERED.NET

Not only will a bit of advance trip planning allow you to get the most out of your visit to California, it can also help you save you money and avoid travel missteps. Below are some resources that will help you get your planning process started.

The State of California's tourism website provides both a digital brochure and a way to request that a magazine-like travel guide be mailed to you.

When you click here, you'll see an option to choose either a Single or Bulk Order, and underneath that you'll see links to access Digital versions of the Visitor's Guide and Road Trips Guide. The digital Visitor's Guide is available in several languages, but the Road Trips guide is only available in English. Both guides include overview-style maps for reference purposes.

If you live in the U.S. or Canada and need a printed tourist guide sent to you by mail — freshly updated for 2021 — click on the Single Order option. The next screen presents choices for Language (only English is available at the time of this writing) and Country Version (U.S. or Canada are the present choices). Once you've made your selections, clicking the Next button takes you to a screen at which you'll provide your name and email address and be given an option to subscribe to the state's email list. When you've completed that screen, click Next and a screen for your address details will appear. Once you've completed that, you'll also need to acknowledge consent for them to mail the guide to you and then click the Submit button.

In our experience, processing and delivery within the U.S. can take anywhere from two to eight weeks. If your departure date doesn't allow for the mail option, you may want to stop at one of the state's Tourist Information Centers when you arrive.

California Tourist Information Centers

There are California Tourist Information Centers at various locations throughout the state — click here for the list complete with physical location, email addresses and phone numbers — where you can obtain free brochures, maps, attraction offers and lodging information once you arrive in the area.

California Tourism Maps

For each of the California Tourist Guide's areas (see the navigation buttons at the top of the page) you'll find a map within an article that provides a general overview of what there is to see and do there, and you'll also find links to maps that have been created by other websites in many of our articles. Most of those maps — some are for self-guided walking tours, others are for wine appellations, etc. — are made available as downloadable and printable pdf files.

When it comes to mapping out a specific route to locations that you plan to visit in California, we always use Google Maps and the associated free smartphone app. One thing worth noting here is that there are areas where you may lose cell phone reception, so if you're traveling to an off-the-beaten path location it's a good idea to search for the map(s) you may need before your trip and either take a screenshot or otherwise save them for offline use.

The State also provides online map resources: this one is useful if you're wondering about current road conditions (weather, accidents, etc.), and here's a good map for an overview of California cities and highways (again, though, we think Google Maps is the best travel planning resource for all your mapping needs, including accessing information about public transportation options).

Tourism Resources in California Cities

All the major California vacation destination cities – and even many of our smaller cities – have visitor information centers that are funded and staffed by the local tourism authority. These local convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) also provide travel information (brochures, maps and sometimes even discount coupons), and they are typically staffed with knowledgeable local residents that are happy to help you. You can check out our CVB list here, and if you don't see your destination listed there you can try an online search for the name of the city + CVB to see what may be available.

Visitor Information for California National Parks

All of the California National Parks also have facilities to help travelers make the most of their visits. Additionally, in February 2021 the National Park Services released a new smartphone/ipad app wherein you can access maps and information about all the Parks; app details and download access can be found at the preceding link.

Photo of Elton John wax figure at SF Welcome Center by gérard via flickr (Creative Commons).

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