How Much Does Bat Removal Cost? [2024 Data]

Bat Removal Cost Factors

Any of your local bat removal services will typically charge a flat fee that covers inspection, labor, and materials. It is illegal to kill bats in many parts of the country, as they are a protected species. Instead of extermination, your technician will practice exclusion. This method involves luring bats out of your home via one-way doors and sealing up entry points. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how you can expect to spend your money when hiring a bat removal specialist:

Inspection

Even if you’ve already spotted telltale signs of a bat infestation, your pro will inspect to determine the size and location of the colony, as well as any entry points they created along the way. An inspection costs up to $300, but most pros will wrap this up in your final bill.

Size

The size of your bat problem will drastically impact bat removal costs. Removing a single bat from your home is much less expensive and extensive than removing an entire colony. Below are the average costs for each, but speak with your local exterminator for a more specialized quote.  

Single Bat Removal

If a bat accidentally enters your home, a humane wildlife control company will catch it and release it back into the wild. This service costs an average of $430, though it depends on how easily they can reach the critter. If your pro spotted some obvious entry points during the removal, they might recommend sealing them up to dissuade future bats from entering your home. Sealing costs $150 to $1,500, depending on the number of entry points and how accessible they are.

Exclusion of a Colony

Unlike removing one bat, removing a larger colony will require your local exterminator to use the exclusion method described above. 

Once the bats have left, the technician seals up all entry points. Excluding a colony of two to 50 bats and sealing multiple entry points costs $400 to $1,500. Excluding a larger colony of 50 to 200 bats along with sealing multiple entry points costs $2,000 to $8,000.

Location

The location of your bat infestation will also play a role in your total project costs. Bats like to hide out in dark places like crawl spaces, attics, basements, and the insides of walls. You’ll pay less overall if the infestation is in an easily accessible location, as more difficult locations require special equipment to handle the job. 

Presence of Other Pests 

If you have a bat infestation, you might have other pests camping out in your home, too. Bat ticks, cockroaches, fleas, and beetles are common pests you’ll find alongside a bat infestation. Cockroach extermination costs range from $100 to $600 on average, whereas tick extermination costs average from $50 to $150. Your bat removal pro will advise if they can remove the other pests besides the bats or if you need a different specialist. 

Guano Removal

Bat droppings are officially called guano, and they pose a fairly significant health risk. Bat guano can cause an infection called histoplasmosis, which spreads via airborne spores of a fungus that lives on the droppings. Therefore, it is crucial to have a professional handle the removal process. 

Guano removal costs anywhere from $500 to $8,000, depending on how bad your infestation was and the size of your home. Talk to your bat removal specialist before setting up an appointment for guano removal, as they may suggest waiting a few weeks (or even months) to see if the exclusion worked.

Cost of Common Bat Removal Add-Ons

Budgeting for bat removal costs is one thing, but several other indirect costs for this project must also be considered.

Repairing Damage and Attic Restoration

Photo: David Papazian / Photodisc / Getty Images

Bats can cause damage to drywall, insulation, and various structures throughout the home. Additionally, bat guano can ruin insulation and drywall, necessitating replacement. If bats took up residence in your attic or elsewhere in your home, hire a general contractor to repair any damage they caused. These repairs cost $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the level of damage.

Installing a Bat Habitat

Providing an alternative habitat for a bat colony could provide them with a new place to roost, thus dissuading the bats from trying to gain re-entry to your home. Bat houses cost $100 to $2,700, with professional installation costing $100 to $500. Some bat houses can hang from a tree on your property, eliminating the need for added labor costs. Encourage the bats to use these alternative accommodations by ensuring they are at least 12 feet high.

5 Signs You Might Have a Bat Problem

It may be a while between the time bats move into your attic, and you notice their presence. They're nocturnal creatures, so you're unlikely to see them flying around or hear them moving around during the day. Still, bats aren't entirely undetectable. You'll likely notice some signs that they've moved in, such as:

• Scratching noises in the attic: Bats have claws that can scrape and scratch across the walls or floors in your attic.

• Chirping sounds: Bats communicate by chirping, so if you hear anything at night that sounds like birds, it could very well be bats.

• Visible bat droppings: Gross, we know, but bat droppings are usually a telltale sign that they've decided to call your house their home. Bat droppings, or guano, often have a strong, ammonia-like odor, too.

• Bat stains: Bats are greasy, and their outer coating of grease tends to stain the areas around their entry points. 

• Bats flying near your home: Typically, bats won't fly inside your home. But, if you see them circling around outside suspiciously near your home at sunrise or sunset, that can be a sign that they're living in your attic.

DIY Bat Removal Costs vs. Hiring a Pro 

DIY exclusion kits cost anywhere from $25 to $150, though opting for one of these kits instead of hiring a professional carries some serious risk. Bats carry rabies and fleas, and bat guano can cause severe respiratory illness, which primarily spreads during removal. Additionally, exclusion can be tricky and time-consuming. There are ways to remove the bats from your home on your own, but it doesn’t guarantee success. 

Instead, opt to hire a local bat removal company to remove your bat infestation. This is the best alternative to remove the bats safely (both for your safety and theirs). Plus, working with bats, their feces, and the other pests they bring can be downright gross—this is one DIY project you should skip. 

Ways You Can Save Money on Bat Removal Costs 

You should call your local pest control to remove bats from your home, but there are some DIY steps you can take to help save on costs: 

• Seal holes and cracks in the attic or ceiling

• Use scent repellents like mothballs or essential oils

• Install lights outside the home

• Set up a bat habitat in the yard to keep bats away from the house

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We’ve surveyed thousands of real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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