Pest Control Estimate Template (+Free PDF Download)

A well-designed pest control estimate showcases professionalism and expertise, ultimately helping boost retention, earn referrals, and win new clients. 

Using a template to build estimates streamlines operations by reducing manual tasks, helping you bid and win more jobs. At the same time, it frees up bandwidth so you can think strategically about growing your business. 

But there’s an art to designing an effective pest control estimate template. Capturing too little information will create problems downstream, such as homeowners who feel surprised by payment terms. Likewise, capturing too much information will slow down your field service, leaving less time to schedule new jobs.

With some planning, you can create an estimate template that supports all stages of the customer lifecycle, including follow-up after the job. Thanks to our free downloadable estimate template, you don’t have to start from scratch or buy standalone estimating software.  

Why Use A Pest Control Estimate Template?

A well-designed pest control estimate template empowers your employees by simplifying their fieldwork and creating a smoother customer experience, ultimately leading to positive reviews and repeat business.

Additional benefits include: 

• Improved accuracy and consistency. An estimate template replaces guesswork with standardized procedures for assessing each job. That makes planning timelines easier, tracking costs and inventory, and avoiding over- or undercharging customers.  

• Better field service efficiency. Estimate templates reduce time spent on potential jobs, giving you more time to focus on booked jobs. The result: greater cash flow as invoices get out the door faster. 

• Superior  customer experience. A detailed estimate communicates to customers what to expect, from your pest control pricing to how long the job will take. Transparency creates trust, giving you an edge when customers consider multiple bids.

These benefits, of course, depend on how well you’ve set up your estimate template — or templates––since each type of pest control service has different factors to consider. 

What Should A Pest Control Estimate Include?

When building a pest control estimate template, consider top-down and bottom-up things. By top-down thinking, we mean starting at the beginning and asking yourself, “What’s the minimum amount of information needed to accurately estimate the job and communicate it to the customer?” 

By bottom-up thinking, we mean starting at the end and working backward. Imagine the job is done, and the customer has paid their invoice. What information would the estimate need to capture at the start to set you up for success through to the end?

Doing so will help identify the most important fields to fill in for every job. These may include:

• Company name and contact information, including emergency contact.

• Client contact information, including name, address, phone number, and email, so you can personalize your communication.

• Type of pest or pests and type of pest control treatment to be used.

• Estimation of total cost, including materials, labor, equipment, taxes, and discounts.

• Scope of work, such as duration of service and area to be treated.

• Payment policy, such as deposit amount and credit card terms. 

• Warranty or guarantee information if applicable.

• Terms and conditions, such as cancellation policy and how long the estimate is valid.

• Estimate ID number to make tracking, filing, and invoicing easier.

• Field for ad hoc line items, such as recommendations, declined services, or any work that may fall out of the template’s range.

Some fields may seem more appropriate for a quote than an estimate. But remember, the more thorough your estimate, the easier it is to turn it into a quote. Also, don’t overlook design details. Showcasing your business name alongside your company logo and brand colors will create professional-looking estimates in customers’ eyes.

Downsides of a Pest Control Business Estimate Template

An estimate template significantly improves field operations efficiency. That said, it doesn’t remove all points of friction. That’s especially true for pest control companies who stick with paper-based workflows over transitioning to end-to-end pest control software.

Can Easily Get Lost In Your Files And Folders

Lost paperwork is inevitable in the field. An estimate could end up in the wrong folder, blown out the window, or left behind at a customer’s house. 

A software platform such as FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan company, solves this by allowing you to go paperless. The FieldRoutes Mobile app lets you digitally capture information, access files in the field, and send contracts back to the office instantly.

Limited Functionalities

Downloadable templates are a great head start, but you likely hit other walls after downloading them. For instance, they may play poorly with your accounting program or other business software, creating more downstream problems than they solve.

Compare that to using FieldRoutes, which integrates with other software you depend on, such as QuickBooks Online. Making your accounting software part of your workflow ensures materials are only purchased from approved vendors. 

Manual Data Entry — No Automation

If you manually fill out paper estimates in the field, someone has to manually enter that information later. Messy or incomplete handwriting leads to errors, eating up more time as you figure out what happened. You must ensure customers manually sign each document — time that could be saved with an e-signature or one-click e-sign.

The right field app simplifies all that work. Instead of juggling papers and jumping between systems, your team can get contracts signed, accept payments, and even start service the same day from the app. 

Difficult To Customize

Most downloadable estimate templates are an Excel spreadsheet, Google doc, or PDF. You’re a business owner, not a spreadsheet magician. Editing these templates so they work for your pest control company might take more effort than it’s worth.

FieldRoutes makes it easy to add custom fields so your workflows fit how your pest control company operates. Those fields enable actions like quick categorization, filtering, and reporting that visualize where your best opportunities are. 

No Support Or Customer Service

Downloadable templates typically do not come with support or customer service. If the user has questions or runs into issues, they may be on their own to figure out how to resolve them. Want to integrate that template with your CRM so you can attach it to each customer’s profile? Those instructions won’t be included. 

In contrast, software platforms often offer extensive support and customer service to help pest control companies get the most out of the product. FieldRoutes backs you with a dedicated customer support team responsible for helping you get the most value out of the FieldRoutes Operations Suite.

Use Pest Control Estimate Software Instead

So how do you benefit from using a pest control estimate template — streamlined operations, greater profitability, happier customers — without the downsides? By turning to a software platform such as FieldRoutes. 

FieldRoutes pest control software makes customizing your workflow easy, letting you automate your scheduling, routing, and payment collection. It streamlines estimating and quoting, too. To start, margins and markups for direct costs such as labor, materials, and subcontractors are automatically factored in. That helps ensure profitable estimates job after job.

See it for yourself with a free demo.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Estimates are often thought of in a broad context. However, it’s essential to understand that legally speaking, an estimate template is not the same thing as, say, a contract template. Quotes, proposals, and contracts are all related but distinct types of business documents. 

Understanding the differences between these docs will establish proper expectations between you and your customers and protect you in the event of legal action.

What’s The Difference Between A Quote And An Estimate?

A quote spells out a firm price based on a detailed itemization of the pest control services to be performed – labor, square footage of treatment area, materials, timeline, etc. A quote becomes legally binding once you and a customer sign it, which becomes a contract.

An estimate, on the other hand, is your best guess based on initial impressions. It establishes a price for you and your customers to start from as you look deeper at their pest problems. As such, estimates are generally not considered legally binding.

That said, depending on the job's complexity, it’s possible to set up your estimate template to be so thorough that it readily converts into a quote.

What’s The Difference Between A Proposal And An Estimate?

A proposal is a persuasive document that outlines your plan to win a customer’s business. For instance, a food warehouse may ask local pest control professionals for proposals to eliminate a cockroach infestation. The warehouse will likely have unique concerns it wants you to address, such as how you’ll stay compliant with storage regulations. 

An estimate is a factual document that, when accompanying your proposal, details what your plan will cost. These two documents will ideally convince the customer to pick your company for the job. Just like with your estimates, it’s a good idea to have a pest control proposal template ready for these situations.

What’s The Difference Between An Invoice And An Estimate?

An invoice itemizes what a customer owes you for pest control services your company has performed. You send it after the job is done to collect payment. Invoices are generally considered to be binding documents.

By contrast, an estimate is created before any pest control services have been performed. It forecasts the scope and cost of work before it’s done.

Fieldroutes pest control software streamlines manual tasks, giving you the technology to go paperless, customize agreements in the field, and more. See how with a free demo.