Orkin Review (2023)

When you have a pest infestation, there are many pest control companies you could call for assistance. However, they don’t all offer the same services, pricing models, or customer experience. The This Old House Reviews Team has researched the best pest control companies nationwide. We wrote this Orkin review to help you determine whether this provider is right for you.

Orkin offers industry-leading technology and decades of experience dealing with all different types of pests. The company has been tackling termites for more than 70 years and has 100-plus years of bed bug treatment under its belt. Its pest control specialists must complete 160 hours of targeted training, and the company serves more than 1.7 million residential and commercial customers worldwide.

Pros and Cons of Orkin

Here are a few of Orkin’s notable pros and cons:

Orkin offers both a general pest control plan and targeted extermination and prevention services for specific pests.

General Pest Control

Under its general pest control plan, Orkin protects your home from up to 20 common household pests, including ants, moths, crickets, fleas, hornets, scorpions, silverfish, roaches, mice, spiders, centipedes, and earwigs.

You can choose whether you want to include interior and exterior mosquito control as part of this plan. Orkin bills monthly and also charges an initial service fee. Its technicians schedule visits to your home approximately every 60 days.

During scheduled visits, Orkin addresses household and environmental conditions that attract pests, eliminates current infestations, and stops the pests’ life cycles to prevent future infestations. The pest control company follows a six-step plan called Points of Service.The steps are as follows:

1. Investigate: Orkin inspects your entire home—inside and out—for any current or potential pest issues.
2. Protect: Orkin treats the perimeter of your property and removes all accessible wasp nests and spiderwebs.
3. Fortify: Orkin seals, caulks, plugs, and secures gaps and cracks to keep pests out.
4. Keep Watch: Orkin treats your home’s interior and installs pest monitors in key places, such as your garage, utility rooms, bathrooms, and kitchen.
5. Report: Orkin writes a detailed report of services and future recommendations to keep your home pest-free.
6. Follow Up: Orkin maintains communication between scheduled visits so a specialist can return for any immediate request.

Termite Controlan

Orkin offers continuous, tailored treatment for termites using three methods: Termidor Liquid Termite Treatments, Dry Foam and Orkinfoam, and Sentricon Bait and Monitoring.

• Termidor Liquid Termite: Safe for both indoor and outdoor application, Orkin applies Termidor liquid treatments to your foundation to provide a protective barrier around your home. This method is dual-action, providing immediate protection and preventive maintenance.
• Dry Foam and Orkinfoam: The proprietary Orkinfoam treats voids around heating ducts and water pipes, under slabs, in interior and exterior walls, and in other spaces. The foam expands to reach key areas, providing extensive protection from termites. Orkinfoam’s low moisture content prevents it from causing household damage.
• Sentricon Bait and Monitoring: This treatment inhibits the termite growth period by disrupting the molting process. Orkin applies this treatment to the most at-risk areas of your home, such as mulch, most soil, old tree stumps, sprinkler heads, and downspouts.

Bed Bug Services

Orkin offers bed bug inspection, treatment for active infestations, and ongoing monitoring. As with termites, Orkin uses its Points of Service system to treat bed bugs. Control strategies may include pesticides and heat treatments.

Mosquito Service

Orkin combines several treatments to interrupt the mosquitoes’ life cycle through monthly, seasonal, or one-time applications. The treatments help protect against Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Treatment methods include microbial insecticides, traditional insecticides, and insect growth regulators.

Extra Services

Orkin also tackles carpenter ants and ticks with inspections, treatments, and year-round solutions. If you find stinging insects, Orkin will treat your home’s exterior and remove the source. You can select a one-time or seasonal visit for these specialized services, or you can enroll in an annual plan that includes treatment for general pests.

Orkin is available in 49 states, excluding Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Treatment prices can vary significantly depending on several factors:

• Infestation: Severe infestations often require more expensive treatments.
• Home size and location: A larger home will cost more to treat, and some ZIP codes are more expensive than others.
• Pest type and treatment: Certain pests require a more targeted treatment approach and may cost more to exterminate.
• Number of treatments: Infestations that require follow-up treatments will cost you more.

A sample quote we received stated that general pest control for a 2,000-square-foot home in Houston would cost $700 annually.

Orkin will conduct a pest inspection at your home to determine the degree of your infestation and customize a pest control plan before providing final pricing.

When you call Orkin to request a quote, you will first go through an automated process to specify the type of pest infesting your home. An Orkin representative will then take your call and request more details. The sales representative will ask for the following information:

• The severity of your infestation
• Where the issue is happening in your home or business
• How you’ll be paying for the inspection/treatment

After receiving a quote and scheduling an inspection, here’s what you can expect:

1. An Orkin specialist will examine your basement or crawlspace for moisture, your foundation for wood debris, and other problem areas for issues that could attract an infestation.
2. The specialist will use moisture meters, termite detection systems, and other equipment to assess your home.
3. Once the specialist is done with the inspection, they will create a custom report that outlines any problems identified and recommend treatments for your home.

Orkin offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If pests return to your home between treatments, an Orkin pro will return for a touch-up at no extra cost. If they can’t resolve your issue, they will refund your last service payment.

Orkin has a solid reputation with customers, holding an A+* rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). During our research process, we analyzed more than 100 customer reviews and listened to customer service call recordings to get a sense of homeowners’ satisfaction.
While most reviews are positive, highlighting satisfying experiences with knowledgeable exterminators, some reviews mention scheduling issues and inconsistent service from local branches. Here are some reviews from the BBB:

“We have been pleased with our Orkin pest services. We have not had any pressure to buy unneeded services. We have a bimonthly contract and getting appointments to work with our schedule has not been a problem. We have not had ******** issues to date. Our field service agent is respectful of property and professional as well as friendly. Seems knowledgeable in response to my questions. We have had Orkin services at our previous homes and had excellent service at each” — Chris S, January 20, 2023, on BBB

“The Orkin man showed up right on time, located the source of the problem and sprayed the area. He then told me how to prevent future problems.I would definitely use them again.” — Robert H, October 22, 2021, on BBB

“Started service and paid $348 to initiate. Then scheduled second follow up – had techs show up on wrong days/times. 3 no shows. I asked to cancel my membership today as I was charged monthly rate of $46 when the initial stuff hadn’t been completed. I will take my business elsewhere. Also, calling Orkin is a total nightmare – on hold for at least 30 minutes. Left 2 messages for Orkin and never received a return call. I requested a refund for all money spent – thankfully they granted this.” — Andrea S, October 13, 2022, on BBB

“We had an annual contract to check the bait traps at our place in the country. According to the reports, they only checked 3 out of 18 traps in December of 2021 and 6 of the 18 traps in April of 2022. I made 3 calls to Orkin; the local office did not return the 1st call, and the home office did not return the 2nd call. With the 3rd, an appointment was set up. The tech was a no-show! We won’t waste another $300 per year but purchase bait traps from Lowes or Amazon.” — Gail B, July 28, 2022, on BBB

*BBB information accurate as of May 2023

*BBB ratings accurate as of March 2023

The This Old House Reviews Team gives Orkin an overall score of 94 out of 100. Not only does Orkin offer comprehensive general pest control service, it offers targeted treatment for specific pests, such as ticks and carpenter ants.

Unlike many competitors, Orkin breaks down its specific treatment processes and products on its website.

Its site also includes multiple videos, with instructions on how to identify termite and bed bug infestations. Orkin provides links to additional resources that educate customers on pest life cycles, behaviors, control methods, and more.

Orkin rated highly on our metrics, but we still recommend requesting quotes from three pest control companies before making a final decision.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our pest control recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider. We review pest control plans, navigate the provider website, speak with customer service representatives by phone and online chat (if available), request quotes, and analyze customer reviews for each provider. We then score the provider against our review standards for plan options, additional benefits and convenience factors, availability, trustworthiness, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.