Found termites in your townhouse? You can't fumigate just your unit — the tent must cover all connected units. Here's why, what it costs, how to talk to your neighbors, and how to coordinate the fumigation.
Why the Tent Has to Cover All Connected Units
The question comes up at every townhouse termite inspection: "Can you just fumigate my unit and leave the neighbors out of it?"
The answer is no — and the reason is physics, not policy.
Drywood termites live inside the wood they infest. In a townhouse, the structural framing — the roof joists, wall studs, and attic floor framing — is continuous across unit boundaries. There is no physical separation between your attic and your neighbor's attic. The termite colony that started in your roof framing has almost certainly spread into theirs.
Tent fumigation works by filling the entire enclosed air volume with Vikane gas at a concentration lethal to termites. If the tent only covers your unit, gas escapes through shared walls and penetrates the neighboring structure at sub-lethal concentrations. The result: your unit is treated but the shared framing where the colony actually lives is not.
California regulations require the tent to form a complete sealed perimeter around the structure. For attached townhouses, that means the tent covers all units sharing a common wall, common roof, or common foundation.
What This Means Practically
Everyone in the connected units must be on the same page:
- All residents in all connected units vacate for 2–3 nights
- All units follow the same preparation protocol (Nylofume bags, pets out, plants out)
- Every unit's key must be provided to the fumigation crew
- Gas utility shut-off affects all units simultaneously
- Re-entry clearance happens for the whole structure, not unit-by-unit
This coordination is why townhouse fumigations often take longer to schedule than single-family home fumigations. You're coordinating multiple households, not one.
How to Talk to Your Neighbors
Most neighbors respond reasonably when approached with facts, not alarm.
Lead with the inspection report. Show your neighbors the written report. "The inspector found drywood termites in the shared attic framing — here's the documentation" is far more persuasive than "I think we might have termites."
Explain that delay costs everyone more. Drywood termite colonies grow over years. The infestation you have now is cheaper to treat than the infestation you'll have in 3 years. Treatment cost scales with damage extent.
Share the cost math. A 4-unit townhome row fumigation typically runs $16,000–$23,000 total — roughly $4,000–$5,750 per unit. Each owner paying that versus trying to handle it separately (which isn't structurally possible anyway) makes the economics clear.
Offer to coordinate. Volunteer to handle the scheduling, get the 3 quotes, and manage the communication with the fumigation company. Reducing the ask on neighbors — all they have to do is pack and leave — dramatically reduces resistance.
If neighbors still resist: Loop in your HOA board. They typically have the authority to mandate treatment when an infestation threatens the common structure. Under California's Davis-Stirling Act, the HOA has both the responsibility and the authority to maintain the structural components of the development.
What Does It Cost to Fumigate a Townhome Complex?
Cost is based on total cubic footage of all connected units plus shared attic and garage space.
Example: 4-unit townhome row
- Each unit: 1,400 sq ft, 2 stories
- Effective ceiling height: 19 ft (9 ft ground floor + 10 ft second story)
- Cubic footage per unit: 1,400 × 19 = 26,600 cu ft
- Total cubic footage: 4 × 26,600 = 106,400 cu ft
- Plus shared 2-car garage: +7,200 cu ft
- Total: ~113,600 cu ft
- Estimated fumigation cost: $17,000–$25,000
- Per unit: $4,250–$6,250
Add resident relocation (2 nights × 4 units × $160/night) = $1,280 — typically split between units or covered by the HOA.
Use the HOA mode in our fumigation calculator to run the numbers for your specific complex.
Who Pays — HOA or Individual Owners?
If you have an HOA: The association almost always pays for fumigation of the common structure, and is required to under California law. The board makes the decision; the cost comes from reserves or operating budget. Individual unit owners are not billed separately for the fumigation itself (though they cover their own hotel stay unless the HOA reimburses).
If there is no HOA: Neighbors split the cost. The most common arrangements are equal split by unit (simplest) or proportional split by unit size (most equitable). Get a written cost-sharing agreement signed before the fumigation date — this prevents disputes later.
In both cases: The termite company is paid directly by the HOA or by the group. Do not arrange for each owner to pay separately — the fumigation is one job for one structure, not four separate jobs.
The Preparation Process for All Units
Every unit must complete the same preparation:
- Seal all food, beverages, tobacco, medicine, and pet food in Nylofume bags (provided by fumigator)
- Remove all living plants from the unit
- Remove all pets — including fish (fish tanks cannot simply be covered; fish must be relocated)
- Unlock all interior doors and cabinets
- Leave keys with the fumigation crew or HOA manager
- Turn off gas appliances before departure
- Be out by the agreed date and time
The fumigation crew needs access to every unit to complete the job. One locked unit can delay the entire project.
What to Expect After
Clearance testing: The fumigator tests air quality in every unit before re-entry is authorized. All units are cleared together — you don't get back in before your neighbors.
Frass still visible: Termite pellets (frass) will still be visible after fumigation. The gas kills the termites but does not remove or dissolve the droppings. This is completely normal and is not a sign that the treatment failed.
Annual inspections: Fumigation has no residual protection. New drywood termite colonies can re-establish over time. Annual inspections catch new activity before it becomes a whole-complex problem again.
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Schedule a townhome fumigation inspection — we serve Orange County, LA County, the Inland Empire, and Riverside County, and have extensive experience coordinating multi-unit fumigations.
Related: HOA Fumigation Costs in California · Fumigation Calculator (HOA Mode) · Tent Fumigation Process