Pest Operators Double Down on Technology, FieldRoutes Report Finds

ST. LOUIS — FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan product, released its 2026 Pest Control State of the Trades, showing that pest control companies entered 2026 with optimism while making significant investments in technology to address rising operational costs, the company said. 

According to the report, 53% of operators expect market conditions to improve, and 62% anticipate revenue growth. As material costs continue to pressure margins, planned investment in software more than doubled year over year, from 20% in 2025 to 44% in 2026, reflecting growing demand for automation and AI to drive operational efficiency.

“It’s encouraging to see optimism returning to the pest control industry, but confidence alone won’t determine who succeeds,” said Scott Traina, general manager of property care at ServiceTitan. “Operators are navigating higher costs, tighter margins, and rising customer expectations all at once. The businesses that invest in technology to improve visibility, automate workflows, and make faster decisions will be best positioned to turn today’s optimism into long-term growth."

Material Costs Are the Industry's Top Business Risk. Nearly seven in 10 operators (68%) cited the cost of materials as their biggest challenge heading into 2026. Material availability (51%), customer retention (51%) and maintaining profitable margins (49%) also ranked among operators’ top concerns, reinforcing the need for technology that improves efficiency and protects margins.

Technology Investment Surges as Operators Focus on Efficiency. FieldRoutes said planned investment in software more than doubled year over year as operators increasingly looked to technology to improve efficiency. AI was identified as the technology expected to deliver the greatest business value over the next one to three years, with 40% of operators selecting it as their top choice, ahead of marketing automation (33%) and data analytics (31%). Among businesses that have yet to expand their AI capabilities, cost (42%), implementation time (23%) and uncertainty about where to start (21%) remain the biggest barriers.

To view the full findings and key takeaways, download FieldRoutes’ 2026 Pest Control State of the Trades here.

About the Research. The survey was conducted on behalf of FieldRoutes by Thrive Analytics, an independent third-party research provider and a leading digital marketing research firm, polling 1,027 pest control and lawn care businesses. This research is for informational purposes only and FieldRoutes provides no assurances (express or implied) with respect to the accuracy of the survey data. Forward-looking economic and industry outlooks represent the views of the survey respondents, and may not represent the view of FieldRoutes, ServiceTitan or its affiliates. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied.