You run the route. Own the business behind it.
Recurring accounts, steady income, and a company with your name on the truck. Going solo, without going it alone.
We're looking for licensed Bay Area pest control professionals who want to go independent. We help the people we back get launched, build a route, and handle the business side.
No fee to apply. About 5 to 8 minutes.
Where we're starting
Built for the Bay Area. Five counties first.
Every business in the first cohort launches in one of five counties. That is where we know the market, the licensing, and the neighborhoods, and where we can show up in person.
- Marin CountySan Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley
- San Francisco CountyThe city, all neighborhoods
- San Mateo CountyDaly City to Menlo Park
- Alameda CountyOakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward
- Contra Costa CountyWalnut Creek, Concord, Richmond
Live outside these counties? Apply anyway and tell us where. We expand based on where strong candidates are.
Why ownership
Why owning this business is worth it.
Recurring service is built in
Pest control runs on quarterly and monthly service plans. A route of loyal customers is predictable income and a business asset you own.
Customers stay with people they trust
Homeowners and property managers stick with the technician who shows up on time and solves the problem. That loyalty should build your company.
Routes scale
Once a route fills, the next step is a second technician. Pest control companies grow in a clear, repeatable way.
The honest part
What usually makes it hard
Most people who are excellent at this work never start a company. It is rarely the work that stops them. It is everything around it.
- Getting your operator license and company registration through the Structural Pest Control Board
- Missed calls while you're at a stop, and the customer who books the next company instead
- Building a route from zero without paying a lead service for every account
- Keeping quarterly and monthly services on schedule through reschedules and no-shows
- Collecting on service plans every month, one card at a time
- Callbacks and cancels eating into a route you worked hard to build
- Chemical use logs, labels, and compliance paperwork after a full day of stops
- Hiring and training a second technician you'd trust with your accounts
What Framework does for a pest control business
You bring the skill and reputation. We help build everything around it.
Setup
Year 1 costs covered
Everything that has to be in place before your first service call, handled with you and mostly for you.
- LLC or S corp formation, EIN, and a business bank account
- Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) company registration and operator license coordination
- General liability, pesticide applicator, and commercial auto insurance
- Truck and equipment planning: backpack and B&G sprayers, chem box, bait stations, PPE
- Chemical storage, labeling, and use-reporting setup
- QuickBooks Online bookkeeping and Gusto payroll from day one
Software and playbooks
Year 1 costs covered
The systems a good pest control company runs on, configured for you, with a written playbook for the day to day.
- FieldRoutes or PestPac for routing, scheduling, and recurring accounts
- CRM with every account, service history, and renewal date
- 24/7 phone answering and website chat, so calls get picked up while you are on a stop
- Online booking, quotes, and e-signed service agreements
- Recurring billing with autopay and card on file, synced to QuickBooks Online
- Inspection checklists, treatment protocols, and pricing sheets
- Automated reminders, review requests, and re-service handling
Demand generation
$25,000 per business
We put $25,000 into demand generation for each business we back, and we run it with you. For pest control, that means:
- Brand, truck wrap design, and a website that converts
- Google Business Profile and Google Local Services Ads
- Google Search and Nextdoor campaigns timed to the season: ants in spring, wasps in summer, rodents in fall
- Yard signs, door hangers, and neighborhood campaigns around every new account
- HOA and neighborhood group outreach
- Referral program for existing accounts
- Every lead answered in minutes, not hours, including after hours
- Grow without knocking every door yourself
Hiring
No recruiting fees for your first 10 hires
When the route fills, the next step is a second tech. We help you make that hire well.
- Job posts, screening, and interview support
- Field rep licensing path for new techs
- Onboarding, ride-along plan, and training checklists
- Pay structure and route assignment
- Workers' compensation and HR basics
Tools we typically set up
- FieldRoutes
- PestPac
- QuickBooks Online
- Gusto
- Google Local Services Ads
- Google Business Profile
- Nextdoor
- Yelp
- Structural Pest Control Board
The specifics depend on the business and on you. We work them out together, in writing, before anyone commits.
No fee to apply. About 5 to 8 minutes.
Apply nowYour first year
From application to a route of your own.
Pest control is seasonal and recurring. The plan below follows how a route actually fills. Timing varies by person and by license status.
Weeks 1–2
Phase 1: Conversation and fit
We talk through your experience, your license status, and what you want to build.
- Introductory call
- License review: field representative or operator
- Territory and service mix discussion
Weeks 2–8
Phase 2: Setup
Company registration, insurance, truck, and brand come together while you keep working.
- Entity, bank account, insurance
- Structural Pest Control Board registration
- Truck, sprayer, and chem box setup
- Brand, website, phones, and software live
Weeks 8–12
Phase 3: Launch
Phones on, ads on, first recurring accounts signed. We handle the office while you run the route.
- Demand generation begins
- First recurring accounts signed, initials priced to convert
- Every stop followed by a review request
Months 3–6
Phase 4: Filling the route
Spring ants and summer wasps drive volume. The goal is density: neighbors of existing accounts.
- Neighborhood campaigns around each account
- Property manager and HOA outreach
- Route optimization as density builds
Months 6–12
Phase 5: Growing beyond one truck
Fall rodent season fills the calendar. When the route is full, we help you hire your first technician.
- Second truck planning
- First tech hire and field rep licensing path
- Year-two growth plan
Residential first
Built around homeowners and neighborhoods.
The first year is a residential route. Homeowners sign up for recurring plans, refer their neighbors, and stay for years when the technician is reliable. That is the business we help you build.
- Recurring general pest accounts as the core product, with the initial priced to convert
- General pest first. Termite (Branch 3) comes later, once the route is dense
- Seasonal programs: ants and spiders in spring, wasps and yellowjackets in summer, rodent exclusion in fall
- One-time jobs (bed bugs, fleas, wildlife referrals) priced to convert into recurring accounts
- Route density: the goal is the neighbors of every existing account
- Fewer callbacks and cancels: text reminders, photo reports, and a real person on the phone
- Reviews on Google and Nextdoor as the engine for the next street
Timing varies by person. Apply and we'll map yours.
Apply nowWho we look for
Who is a strong candidate
We care more about your ability and ambition than whether you've started a business before.
- Significant pest control field experience
- Applicator or field representative license, with a realistic path to an operator license
- Reliable and detail-oriented
- Strong reputation with customers
- Genuine desire to own a company
Licensing and eligibility
In California, pest control companies are regulated by the Structural Pest Control Board. Operating a company generally requires an operator license and company registration, with experience and exam requirements. We can help coordinate the process, but you must meet all applicable requirements to operate.
Applicants must satisfy all applicable licensing, professional, and regulatory requirements for their field. Framework can help coordinate the process but does not grant, waive, or substitute for any license or credential.
- We put up to $25,000 into customer acquisition for each business we back.
- Framework also covers year-one setup and software costs where applicable, and works alongside you on systems, hiring, and growth.
- You own and control the company.
- There is no franchise fee and no ongoing royalty.
- If your business becomes more valuable, our 7% becomes more valuable too.
Some regulated professions, including law practices, require a different legal structure with similar economics. We review the exact terms with you, in writing, before anyone commits.
- I'm a field rep. Do I need the operator license before I apply?
- No. Apply first. We review your experience and the exam timeline together. The operator license and company registration are part of the setup phase, and we coordinate it with you.
- Do I have to buy a truck and equipment myself?
- Truck and equipment planning is part of the launch plan we build together, including how it is financed. The specifics depend on you and are agreed before anyone commits.
Your next chapter
Ever seriously thought about owning your own pest control business?
Tell us about your experience. If it looks like a fit, we'll set up a conversation. No fee, no commitment.
Let's build what's next, together.