Justin Clements: The pest control industry needs a tech overhaul, integrating services with property management boosts efficiency, and preventative measures ensure long-term success | SaaS Interviews

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Key takeaways

The traditional pest control industry is fragmented and outdated, necessitating a technological overhaul.
Integrating pest control services with property management software streamlines operations and enhances visibility.
Growth in the pest control sector is often measured by door counts and logo counts.
PestShare’s pricing model is akin to a warranty system, with fees per door ranging from $5 to $29.
Managing over 300,000 doors indicates PestShare’s significant presence in the market.
Preventative pest control is crucial, as the absence of pests often signifies effective service.
PestShare aims to achieve $18 million in annual recurring revenue by year’s end, reflecting robust growth.
The company has consistently doubled its revenue annually since its inception.
Onboarding processes can delay revenue recognition due to leasing cycles.
Contracted revenue is often met with skepticism during fundraising efforts.
PestShare’s integration with property management systems offers property managers valuable insights into resident experiences.
The company’s growth strategy focuses on expanding door counts and enhancing service visibility.

Guest intro

Justin Clements is the co-founder and CEO of PestShare, an on-demand pest control platform embedded in property management software. He bootstrapped the company from 2019 to 2020, raised about $5 million before closing a $28 million Series A at a $100 million valuation in 2025, and crossed $10 million in ARR that same year.

The broken model of traditional pest control

The traditional pest control model is fragmented and broken, requiring a technology layer to improve the process

— Justin Clements
Pest control services are often inefficient from request to execution.
We still believe that professional pest control is the best remediation effort

— Justin Clements
A deep technology layer is necessary to facilitate effective pest control services.
Current models do not adequately support seamless pest control operations.
It’s a very fragmented very broken system right now

— Justin Clements
Technology can address inefficiencies in pest control service delivery.
The integration of technology is crucial for modernizing pest control.

Integrating pest control with property management

The platform integrates with property management software to streamline pest control requests and reporting

— Justin Clements
Integration provides property managers with visibility into pest control issues.
We want to integrate ultimately in with that and that creates a number of benefits

— Justin Clements
Enhanced visibility allows property managers to understand resident experiences better.
Integration simplifies the pest control process for property managers.
Property managers as a client ultimately have the visibility to see what residents are experiencing

— Justin Clements
Streamlined operations lead to improved pest control service delivery.
Integration is key to modernizing pest control within property management.

Measuring growth in the pest control industry

Our growth is primarily tracked by door counts and logo counts from property management companies

— Justin Clements
Door counts serve as a primary metric for growth in pest control.
Logo counts reflect the company’s market presence and partnerships.
We track mainly our door counts; our door counts are really more based off of our logo counts

— Justin Clements
Growth metrics are crucial for assessing the company’s success.
Understanding growth metrics helps in evaluating market strategies.
Door and logo counts are indicators of the company’s expansion.
Growth measurement is essential for strategic planning and investor relations.

PestShare’s pricing and market presence

Their pricing model is based on a coverage system similar to warranties, with fees ranging from $5 to $29 per door

— Justin Clements
The warranty-like pricing model offers flexibility for property managers.
By door ultimately it ranges from anywhere from $5 plans all the way up to a $29 plan

— Justin Clements
PestShare manages over 300,000 doors, showcasing its market reach.
We just breached over about 300,000 now

— Justin Clements
The pricing strategy aligns with the company’s service delivery model.
Market presence is a testament to PestShare’s growth and strategy.
Understanding the pricing model is crucial for evaluating the company’s value proposition.

The importance of preventative pest control

Preventative pest control is essential because not seeing pests is often a sign that the service is working

— Justin Clements
Absence of pests indicates effective pest control measures.
One of the common misconceptions is that if I’m not seeing anything then I have any pest control issues

— Justin Clements
Preventative measures are key to maintaining pest-free environments.
Effective pest control requires ongoing service and monitoring.
It’s your not having any issues because you have pest control

— Justin Clements
Preventative strategies challenge common misconceptions about pest control.
Ongoing service ensures long-term pest management success.

Revenue growth and financial forecasting

The company is targeting $18 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of this year, indicating strong growth expectations

— Justin Clements
Revenue growth reflects the company’s strategic focus and market expansion.
We’re looking to do the same thing last year… targeting 18,000,000 ar by the end of this year

— Justin Clements
Doubling revenue annually highlights PestShare’s growth trajectory.
We’ve doubled pretty much every year since inception

— Justin Clements
Financial forecasts are crucial for strategic planning and investor confidence.
Revenue growth is a key indicator of the company’s market success.
Understanding financial forecasts aids in evaluating the company’s future prospects.

Challenges in revenue recognition and fundraising

The onboarding process creates a lag in revenue recognition due to the leasing cycle

— Justin Clements
Leasing cycles impact the timing of revenue recognition in SaaS models.
We have kind of this lag of revenue that comes through at the onset of an onboarding

— Justin Clements
Contracted revenue is often viewed with skepticism during fundraising.
When you’re raising the contracted revenue is you know unvalidated hopefully

— Justin Clements
Investors require validation of revenue streams during fundraising rounds.
Understanding revenue recognition challenges is crucial for financial planning.
Contracted revenue skepticism highlights the need for transparent financial reporting.