Rodent control quotes are unusually hard to compare, because two companies can quote the same property for genuinely different scopes of work and only one of them will solve the problem.
This page is written to be useful even if you hire someone else. We would rather you asked us these questions than not asked anyone.
The twelve questions
1. Does the quote include exclusion, or only trapping?
The most important question on the page. Trapping removes animals; exclusion stops replacements. A trapping-only quote will always be cheaper and will not end the problem.
2. Is the exclusion itemised point by point?
"Seal entry points — $X" can mean four openings or forty. An itemised scope lets you compare quotes properly and gives you a record to check against later.
3. Does it include the roofline specifically?
Ground-level sealing is common and near-useless against roof rats. Ask directly whether tile terminations, ridge closures and vent screens are included.
4. Will you show me photographs before quoting?
You should be able to see every opening they found. If nobody photographed it, ask how they know it is there.
5. How will you confirm the species?
"Rodents" is not an answer. Pack rats, roof rats and mice need different plans, and a company that has not distinguished them is guessing.
6. Does it include midden removal?
If pack rats are involved and the answer is no, the problem will regrow. Ask how the material will be handled and what protective equipment is used.
7. What is the warranty, and is it in writing?
Ask for the duration, what it covers and what voids it — before you approve anything. Verbal assurances are worth exactly what you paid for them.
8. Are you licensed and insured?
Arizona pest control operators are licensed through the state. Ask for the licence number and confirm it. Ask about liability insurance, particularly for roof work.
9. Do you use glue boards or interior poison?
A legitimate preference question. Both have real drawbacks — glue boards are inhumane and catch non-target wildlife; interior poison means an animal dying somewhere unreachable, plus secondary poisoning risk for owls, hawks, bobcats and pets.
10. Is there a contract?
Many companies default to ongoing service agreements. That is fine if you want it. It should be a choice, not a condition of getting the problem fixed.
11. Will I get a written prevention plan?
Property-specific and actionable — trimming distances by tree, irrigation fixes by location — not a generic leaflet.
12. Who actually does the work?
Ask whether the person quoting is the person working, and whether any of it is subcontracted. Relevant for roof and insulation work in particular.
Six red flags
- A firm price over the phone. Entry point count is the main cost driver and cannot be assessed by telephone. The number is either a partial scope or padded.
- Pressure to sign today. Discount-expires-tonight tactics have no place in a trade where the correct answer depends on an inspection.
- No inspection before quoting. Same problem as above.
- Trapping-only proposals presented as a solution. It is a temporary measure and should be described as one.
- Vague scope documents. If you cannot tell what is being sealed, neither can anyone else later.
- Reviews that all sound the same. Look for specifics — species, neighbourhood, what was actually found. Generic five-star text is worth little.
How to compare two quotes fairly
Put them side by side and check these five lines specifically:
- Number of entry points sealed. If one quote lists 22 and the other lists 6, they are not the same job and the cheaper one is not cheaper.
- Roofline included, yes or no.
- Midden removal included, yes or no.
- Decontamination included, and to what extent.
- Warranty duration and terms.
Once those are aligned, compare price. Before they are aligned, the price comparison is meaningless. More on this on our pricing page.
Local knowledge matters here
Tucson has specific conditions that a national script does not cover: barrel tile terminations, block wall weep holes that must be screened rather than sealed, adobe that needs substrate-compatible repair materials, citrus canopy bridges, monsoon displacement timing, and the kissing bug link to pack rat middens.
A reasonable test: ask what they would check first on a tile roof, and whether they would seal or screen a weep hole. The right answers are "eave and rake terminations for missing bird stops" and "screen — sealing traps moisture in the wall." Someone who cannot answer those is reading from a script written for somewhere else.
What our scope documents contain
For transparency, since we are telling you what to demand: photographs of every opening found, each sealed point listed individually with location and material, species identified, midden locations and removal method, decontamination extent, warranty terms, and a written property-specific prevention plan.
Trust your read of the salesperson
One last thing that no checklist captures. Pay attention to how the visit feels.
A good inspection is unhurried, shows you what was found, explains the reasoning, and leaves you with a document and no pressure. A bad one rushes to a number, talks over your questions, and pushes for a signature before you have had time to think. That difference is information, and it is usually reliable.
You are hiring someone to work on your roof and in your attic, largely unsupervised. If the sales interaction already feels evasive or pressured, the work is unlikely to be better than the pitch.
You can see it for yourself at a free inspection — no obligation, and the scope document is yours whether or not you hire us. Take it to another company and compare it properly.
Want it confirmed properly?
A free inspection identifies the species, every entry point and the scope of work — with photographs, in writing, before anyone quotes a figure.