Whole-structure tent fumigation for widespread drywood termite infestations, a separately licensed branch of California pest work.
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Termite fumigation in Los Angeles treats an entire building by sealing it under a tent and filling it with a lethal gas, which reaches termites inside walls and framing that local treatment cannot. California licenses it separately as Branch 1. Los Angeles Pest Control answers 24/7 across Los Angeles County, and the price is confirmed on site first.
Fumigation is the largest tool in termite work and the one with the most rules. A fumigator seals the structure, usually under tarps, and introduces gas that penetrates wood throughout the building. Nobody can be inside while it works, and nobody can go back in until the company has cleared the building for re-entry.
In California it is also its own licensed trade. The Structural Pest Control Board divides structural pest work into three branches: Branch 1 for fumigation, Branch 2 for general pest and Branch 3 for termite and wood-destroying organisms. This page explains when a technician recommends fumigation for drywood termites, how it compares with local treatment, what you do before and after, and what to ask first.
Never re-enter a house that is tented or has been treated until the company has cleared it in writing, and never remove a tarp or open a door to look. Fumigation gas is lethal. Keep children, pets and curious neighbors well away from the structure for the whole period.
Fumigation is priced by the size of the structure and by access, such as roof pitch, raised foundations, attached buildings and landscaping that has to be protected. Published cost guides give these ranges.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Tent fumigation, whole structure, California | $1.30 to $4.35 per sq ft; about $2,000 to $4,500 for a 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft home | Fixr, California figure |
| Tent fumigation, national | Most $2,000 to $5,000, average about $3,000 | Angi, national figure, not a Los Angeles price |
| Liquid termite barrier plus tent, California | $420 to $2,000, average about $650; about $7,600 high end for tent plus barrier on a 2,500 sq ft home | HomeGuide, California figure |
These are published estimates, not quotes. Your exact price for Los Angeles County in 2026 is confirmed on site before any work starts. Our pest control cost guide explains the factors, including hillside lots and access to raised foundations and attics.
This treats the entire building at once and is the option most often chosen for widespread drywood infestations, since the gas reaches wood no one can open. It has the most preparation, you must leave for the treatment period, and it does not leave a lasting barrier against new colonies.
If evidence is limited and accessible, a technician may recommend treating only the affected wood. It costs less and needs less disruption, but it can miss hidden colonies, so it fits best where the inspection is confident about extent.
Where a structure has both drywood and subterranean termites, tenting treats the wood and a subterranean termite treatment addresses soil contact. The two are different jobs and are priced separately.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Fumigation is typically considered when drywood termite activity is widespread or hidden in framing that cannot be reached. UC IPM says limited infestations can be handled by replacing wood, while extensive ones call for chemical treatment of the whole structure. The inspection should show where evidence is and why local treatment would not be enough.
The deciding factor is how many separate colonies the structure may have. Pellets across the attic and the eaves point to more than one, and the technician cannot open every wall to check.
Our guide to drywood versus subterranean termites in Los Angeles explains how the two types are treated.
Because the gas is lethal. The Structural Pest Control Board licenses fumigation as Branch 1 and issues only Field Representative and Operator licences for it, while general pest and termite branches also issue Applicator licences. Only a licensed Operator can qualify a company as its qualifying manager, based on experience requirements set by the Board.
A Field Representative secures work, identifies, inspects, bids and contracts for a registered company. That means the person who sells you a fumigation is licensed under the Board, and you can ask the company for its licence number before work starts.
A company working in Los Angeles County must also register with the county Agricultural Commissioner, which is a separate requirement from the state licence.
The treatment period is set by the fumigator, and you cannot return until the building has been aerated and the company clears it. Plan for a stay away from home that spans at least the treatment and aeration time. Ask the company for the exact schedule in writing before you book.
That includes pets, and the preparation instructions will say what to do about food, medicines and plants. If you rent, the landlord or property manager usually coordinates notices for other units. Ask about those arrangements before the date is set.
Apartment buildings, attached townhomes and multi-unit properties add complications because neighbors may need to be out too. Dingbat-style apartment blocks, with ground-floor carports and two or three storeys above, were built across the county in the 1950s and 60s, so ask how a multi-unit building like that is handled when you call.
Ask for the licence number, the written inspection findings, the exact dates and re-entry process, the preparation list and the full price including any repairs. Ask whether local treatment was considered and why it was ruled out. A clear written explanation is a better sign than a low quote.
You can also ask whether the company has registered with the Agricultural Commissioner in Los Angeles County and how it files the required paperwork with the Board. These are reasonable questions, and a legitimate company answers them without hesitation.
A technician inspects the structure and explains whether the evidence points to fumigation or to local treatment, and why. The recommendation should be in writing, with the areas of evidence listed.
The company gives written preparation instructions. Typically these cover food, medicines, plants, pets and anything the fumigator asks you to remove or secure. Follow them exactly, because they exist for safety.
The structure is sealed, usually under a tent, and the gas is introduced by licensed personnel. Everyone must be out of the structure and stay out for the full period.
After the treatment period, the structure is aerated. You may not re-enter until the company confirms in writing that the building is cleared.
A registered company must report the property address to the Board on its prescribed form within 10 business days after the work is done. Keep your copy of the completion paperwork for any future sale.
Drywood termites live in dry wood above ground, and the city's dry climate, with July and August each averaging under 0.05 inch of rain, keeps roof frames and attic timbers dry for much of the year, which is the habitat drywood termites use. UC IPM places the western drywood termite along the Pacific coastal region and into the Central Valley and deserts, and whole-structure fumigation is the option for infestations spread through that wood.
The housing mix shapes the job. Craftsman and Arts and Crafts houses such as those in Bungalow Heaven in Pasadena, with more than 800 homes from 1900 to 1930, and in Highland Park-Garvanza, with about 2,500 structures, carry exposed rafters, fascia and trim. Lower Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena includes some homes on cobblestone foundations, and access to foundation areas can affect how a technician plans the job.
Historic overlay zones, such as the Hancock Park overlay established in 2007 with 90% contributing homes, govern exterior changes. If a house in one of these zones needs trim or fascia replaced after a fumigation finding, check with City Planning first. Santa Ana winds from October to March are also worth raising when you book: ask the company how it handles scheduling in windy weather.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Inspection and treatment for drywood termites living in dry attic framing, fascia, rafters and exposed trim.
Inspections and wood-destroying pest reports for Los Angeles home sales, and checks of attics, trim and foundations for termite evidence.
Soil-contact termites need a different plan from the drywood kind: find the colony's route into the structure, then treat the soil and wood.
Published ranges for Los Angeles run from about $125 to $363 for a general bug treatment and $785 to $1,777 for termite control, while whole-structure tent fumigation is often quoted at $2,000 to $4,500 for a typical home.
Drywood termites live inside dry, above-ground wood such as attics, rafters and fascia, and need no soil contact.
It is a regulated process that uses a lethal gas, so safety depends on the licensed company following its procedures and on you following the preparation instructions. Never enter before written clearance, and ask the company to explain its aeration and clearance steps before the date is set.
Follow the written preparation instructions exactly. These typically cover food, medicines, plants, pets and access around the building. Ask the company if anything is unclear before the date.
No. It treats the colonies present at the time, but new swarmers can settle in the wood later. Regular inspections and prompt attention to new pellets are the practical safeguards, and the technician can explain what else is available.
Ask the company for its licence number before work starts, and check it with the Structural Pest Control Board. Fumigation is Branch 1 work, so the company should hold the right branch. The call line connects you with an independent licensed local company.
Fumigation treats the entire structure, so a single room is not tented on its own. If only a small area is affected, the technician may recommend local treatment instead. For attached units, ask how the building is handled as a whole.
The company gives written preparation instructions that cover plants and landscaping near the structure. Follow them carefully and ask about any trees or shrubs that touch the building.