Bites alone do not prove bed bugs, and treating the wrong pest wastes money. A professional inspection checks the mattress, bed frame, skirting and furniture for live bugs, eggs, shed skins and dark spots, and tells you how far the problem has spread. As a guide it costs £50 to £150, and many firms waive the fee if you go on to book a treatment.
A free matching service, not a pest control firm. We find a bed bug exterminator near you and tell you who they are before anything is shared. How it works
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Visual inspection A pest controller checks the bedrooms and furniture | £50 to £150 |
| Inspection before treatment Many firms include it, or refund it if you book | Often free |
| Detection dog inspection A trained dog and handler, room by room, with a written report | From about £145 |
| Council pest service Some councils inspect for free before quoting, such as Manchester | Varies |
Visual inspection prices from MyBuilder (£50 to £100, 21 August 2026), Checkatrade (£60, May 2026) and Bed Bug Hunters (from £100, free if treatment is booked); detection dog price from PGH Pest Control (from £144 including VAT); Fantastic Services includes the survey in its treatment prices; Manchester City Council offers a free survey. Read 26 October 2026. A guide, not a quote.
Ask for these six points in writing. Two quotes that cover them can be compared line by line.
Every bedroom, the living room and any sofa someone sleeps on, not just the room with the bites.
Live bugs, eggs, shed skins, and dark spots of droppings around 1mm across, as the BPCA describes.
A visual check by torch, a detection dog, monitors left in place, or a mix. Ask which, and why.
What was found and where, ideally with photos, so you can share it with a landlord or the next firm.
Whether the inspection is charged on its own or taken off the price of a treatment.
If bugs are found, the treatment they recommend, the number of visits, and a fixed price.
Not sure whether it is bed bugs? Tell us what you have found and we will find a pest controller to check.
Ask for a free quoteWhere the bites or marks are, when they started, and any recent travel, guests or second-hand furniture.
Mattress seams and labels, the base and frame joints, the headboard, and bedside units.
Skirting boards, sockets, picture frames, curtain folds and any sofa or chair used for sleeping.
You hear what was found, which rooms are affected and what treatment would follow.
You can look. The BPCA suggests checking for rows of itchy bites, dark spots about 1mm across on the bed frame or the underside of the mattress, blood smears and small brown insects. Bed bugs hide well, though, so a professional is more likely to spot an early infestation.
Trained dogs can search a room quickly and pick up small infestations people miss, which is why hotels and housing providers use them. Even firms that offer them say no method is perfect, so a dog alert is usually followed by a visual check.
Do not strip or wash the bedding the day before, and do not spray anything. The inspector needs to see the signs where they are. You can tidy clutter away from the bed so they can reach it.
Then the bites may have another cause. Flea bites, for instance, are usually around the ankles. See bed bugs vs fleas, and speak to a pharmacist if the bites are bothering you.
For a typical home, usually under an hour. Larger properties, hotels and shared houses take longer, and a dog inspection of many rooms can be quicker per room than a visual one.
Three short steps: where, what and who. The more you tell us now, the better the exterminator can plan the first visit.
This is a free matching service, not a pest control firm. We find a bed bug exterminator who covers your area and name them to you first. Nobody calls you until you say yes.