A pest control plan is an annual or monthly fee for scheduled inspections and treatments: typically an annual termite inspection with a written report, a general pest treatment, and priority call-backs between visits. Queensland's building regulator recommends termite inspections at least every 12 months, and more often in high-risk areas. Commercial plans for food businesses, strata and property managers are usually quarterly or monthly. Price per property from your real cost per visit.
Key takeaways
- Annual termite inspections are the natural anchor: the QBCC recommends them at least every 12 months, more often in high-risk areas.
- Customers forget. An automatic booking and reminder is most of the value.
- Commercial customers (food businesses, strata, property managers) want scheduled visits and documented records.
- Free call-backs between treatments are a strong benefit. Price them in.
- Only licensed pest management technicians can do the work in each state.
Pest control businesses have a head start on subscriptions. The work genuinely recurs. Termite risk doesn't go away after one inspection, and general pests come back every season.
Yet a lot of pest control revenue is still one-off: a customer calls when they see a cockroach or a mud lead, gets a treatment, and isn't heard from again until the next problem. A plan changes that relationship.
The termite inspection anchor
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission's guidance on termite management for homeowners recommends inspections at least every 12 months, or more often in high-risk areas, carried out by a licensed contractor. It's also worth owners checking for signs of activity between professional inspections.
That's a recurring job with a clear reason behind it. A plan that books the inspection automatically, issues a written report, and includes priority treatment if activity is found is an easy offer for homeowners.
What to include
| Home Essential | Home Complete | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual termite inspection and written report | ✓ | ✓ | As required |
| General pest treatment (internal and external) | ✓ annually | Quarterly or monthly | |
| Free call-back between treatments | ✓ (within an agreed period) | ✓ | |
| Rodent monitoring stations | ✓ | ||
| Records for food safety audits | ✓ | ||
| Discount on termite treatment if activity found | 10% | 15% | Negotiated |
| Indicative price | A$22/month | A$39/month | Quoted per site |
Illustrative prices only. Work out your own from your costs.
How to price it
A worked example: Home Complete
A Gold Coast pest control business prices a plan with an annual termite inspection, one general pest treatment and call-backs.
| Item | Annual cost per member |
|---|---|
| Termite inspection: 1.5 hours + 0.5 hours travel at A$90/hour loaded | A$180 |
| Report preparation | A$15 |
| General pest treatment: 1 hour (combined visit) at A$90 | A$90 |
| Chemicals and consumables | A$35 |
| Allowance for call-backs (1 in 4 members, 1 hour + travel) | A$34 |
| Admin, reminders and payment fees | A$20 |
| Total cost to deliver | A$374 |
| Price: A$39/month incl. GST = A$468 a year | |
| GST (one-eleventh) | A$43 |
| Ex-GST revenue | A$425 |
| Margin per member | A$51 (about 12%) |
At A$35 a month the plan would barely break even, so this business set it at A$39. The call-back allowance is the number to watch. If call-backs run higher than you expect, the plan stops making money fast. Test your own figures in the maintenance plan calculator.
Commercial plans
Food businesses, aged care, strata buildings and property managers often need regular, documented pest control. For them, a plan is less about convenience and more about evidence:
- Scheduled visits at an agreed frequency.
- Records and reports that stand up in a food safety audit or a strata meeting.
- Agreed response times for call-outs.
Quote these per site, with a clear scope. They're usually the most valuable plans in the business.
How to launch
- Contact every customer who's had a termite inspection in the past two years. Offer the plan as "we'll book your next one automatically".
- Include a plan offer in every inspection report.
- Talk to real estate agents and property managers about plans for their landlords.
- Schedule visits in quieter months where you can. In much of Australia, pest activity and demand peak in the warmer months.
- Bill monthly or annually by direct debit or card.
- Track members, renewals, call-backs per member and treatment work generated.
The rules to get right
A maintenance plan is a subscription, so the same rules apply as for any other subscription sold to Australian households. Here's the short version, as at October 2026. It's general information, not legal advice.
- Consumer guarantees still apply. Your plan can't take away customers' rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Don't describe it as a "warranty" that replaces those rights.
- Be careful about promising to pay for repairs. A plan that sells your pest control services (inspections, servicing, priority attendance, discounts) is a service contract. A plan that promises to cover the cost of repairs or replacement if something breaks starts to look like an extended warranty, which ASIC says can be a financial product. If you want to include repair cover, get legal advice first.
- Clear terms. State the price, what's included, how often, the term, renewal and how to cancel, before the customer signs up. Unfair terms in standard form contracts can be void, and using them can attract penalties.
- GST. If you're registered, plan fees are generally taxable. On an annual plan paid upfront, the GST is generally reported when you're paid or invoice. See GST on subscriptions.
- Direct debit. If you collect by direct debit, follow the direct debit rules.
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From 1 July 2027, the national subscription-trap rules add disclosure at sign-up, prescribed notices and an easy way to cancel. They apply to plans entered into from that date, and to earlier plans once renewed or varied. Build them in now. See subscription trap laws.
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Licensing. Pest management is licensed in each state, and only appropriately licensed technicians can do inspections and treatments. Follow the relevant Australian Standards and your state's requirements for inspections and reports.
- Termite treatment warranties. Many treatments come with a manufacturer or installer warranty linked to regular inspections. Be clear about what your plan covers versus what the product warranty covers, and don't overstate either.
Why your accountant cares: a business worth more
Recurring revenue changes what your business is worth. Two pest control businesses with the same profit can sell for very different prices if one has hundreds of customers on automatic plans and the other relies on the phone ringing. Buyers pay more for revenue they can see coming, that's billed automatically and that doesn't depend on you.
It also changes the day-to-day. Plan revenue arriving every month covers wages and vehicle costs before the month starts, and scheduled work fills the quiet weeks. See how much is my business worth and how to value a subscription business.
What to do next
Pull last year's termite inspection customers into a list. That's your first plan campaign, ready to go. Offer the plan, book their next inspection on the spot, and see how many say yes.
Free Subscription Profit Review
Australian business owners can book a free 30-minute review with a BPAG Accountants adviser. An honest conversation about:
- whether a subscription model could work for your business
- how recurring revenue could cover your fixed costs each month
- how it could lift what your business is worth
No cost, no obligation. General information only until we understand your situation.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you get a termite inspection?
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission recommends termite inspections at least every 12 months, or more often in high-risk areas, by a licensed contractor. Homeowners should also check for signs of activity between inspections.
What should a pest control service plan include?
Most residential plans include an annual termite inspection and written report, a general pest treatment, free call-backs within an agreed period, and a discount on termite treatment if activity is found. Commercial plans add more frequent visits, monitoring and records for audits.
How much should a pest control plan cost?
Price from your costs: inspection and treatment time plus travel at your loaded rate, chemicals, report preparation, an allowance for call-backs, admin and payment fees, plus margin. In our worked example, about A$39 a month including GST covered an inspection, a treatment and call-backs.
Is a pest control plan the same as a termite warranty?
No. A plan is a service: scheduled inspections, treatments and benefits. A termite warranty is usually tied to a specific treatment or product and its conditions. Be clear in your terms about which is which.
Do I charge GST on pest control plans?
If you're registered for GST, plan fees are generally taxable at 10%. On an annual plan paid upfront, GST is generally reported when you're paid or invoice.
General information only, current as at 29 October 2026. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice and doesn't consider your circumstances. Speak to a qualified adviser before acting.
Talk it through with a BPAG adviser
Free for Australian business owners: a 30-minute Subscription Profit Review on whether a subscription suits your business.
Robert Coorey, MBA
Robert is the author of The Subscription Playbook and Feed a Starving Crowd and a Director at BPAG Accountants in Sydney. More about Robert.
Sources and further reading
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission, Termite management systems: information for homeowners and builders
- ASIC, Extended warranties
- ACCC, Warranties
- ACCC, Contracts guidance for business (unfair contract terms)
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026 (No. 64, 2026)
Sources checked 29 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.