Last Updated on September 8, 2026
Finding
A mouse or rat treatment costs £91 through Lancaster City Council and £258.80 through Kensington and Chelsea at their published fees, while private published guides average £120 to £240, a spread Whito read at source on 4 September 2026.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/for/pest-control/pest-control-cost-uk, September 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Pest control is one of the few trades where public bodies publish exact prices for the same jobs private firms quote. That makes the market unusually readable, and it makes price silence from a private firm unusually expensive. Here is what is published.
Private published prices, 2026
| Treatment | MyJobQuote | Checkatrade |
|---|---|---|
| Standard domestic treatment | £150 average, £75 to £250 range | day rate about £230 |
| Wasp nest removal | £75 to £150 | £75 to £200, average £137.50 |
| Rat or mouse treatment | £120 to £240 | £120 to £240 over two visits, average £180 |
| Bed bugs | £100 to £280, heat treatment £1,000 to £1,500 | £100 to £280, average £190 |
| Cockroaches | £100 to £250 | £120 to £260, average £190 |
| Ants | £100 to £200 | £100 to £230, average £165 |
Both guides read 4 September 2026. Rentokil, the biggest name in the market, publishes no prices at all: its site offers a phone number, checked the same day.
What councils charge for the same jobs
| Council | Rats or mice | Wasps | Bed bugs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea (updated July 2026) | £258.80, four visits | £101.90 per nest | £428.30, two treatments |
| Lancaster City Council (2025-26 fees) | £91 including call-out, up to five visits | £64.50 | £209 to £585 by house size |
The spread between two published council fees for the same rodent job is £167.80, which tells you geography and subsidy, not competence, drive much of pest pricing. Lancaster also publishes a 50% discount for residents on benefits, a reminder that some councils still treat this as a public health service. Many no longer offer one at all.
For pest firms: use the anchor, do not hide from it
Your customer can find a published council fee in one search. Publish your own from-prices next to the local council’s figure and waiting time, dated, with what yours includes: same-week attendance, proofing advice, follow-up visits. Fewer than half of business websites publish any price, per Whito’s price transparency study, so the firm that frames the comparison honestly usually wins it.
Common questions
How much does pest control cost in the UK?
At published 2026 rates, a standard domestic treatment averages about £150, wasp nests £75 to £200, rodent treatments £120 to £240 over multiple visits, and bed bug treatment £100 to £280, rising to £1,000 to £1,500 for whole-home heat treatment. Read 4 September 2026.
Is council pest control cheaper than private?
Often, where it still exists: Lancaster publishes £91 for a rodent course against private averages of £120 to £240, but Kensington and Chelsea charges £258.80 for the same job. Many councils have withdrawn the service entirely, and waiting times vary.
Why does Rentokil not publish prices?
Rentokil’s UK site published no prices when Whito checked on 4 September 2026; its site offers a quote line instead. Unpublished pricing is common among national providers, which is exactly why a local firm publishing honest from-prices stands out.
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