Homeowners can expect to pay $394 for a visit from a rat exterminator. Depending on the size of the infestation and where it’s located in a home, you may spend between $176 and $613.
While the average cost of removing a rodent from your home is $394, prices can range from $176 and $613, depending on the infestation size and type, how difficult your rodent "hideouts" are to access, and where you live. Keep in mind that most pest control companies will deduct the cost of an inspection from your total bill.
Rat exterminators typically offer several levels of service. Your price will increase as you select more thorough options that prevent rats from coming back, and include repairing any damage to your home.
An inspection to confirm your suspicions regarding signs of mice and rats typically costs $100 to $200. During an inspection, the rat exterminator will determine the extent, location, and potential causes of your rat problem. Again, most exterminators will deduct your inspection costs if you sign on for extermination.
Easier access generally means a faster job with lower costs. More complicated spots could require specialized services. For hidden infestations, exterminators may use thermal imaging to locate rat nests so you can get a more accurate estimate of what a full extermination will cost.
For example, attics, basements, sheds, and barns tend to be easy to access and cost less to clear for rats. However, extermination in crawl spaces and under foundations becomes significantly more expensive. And rat infestations inside the walls or ductwork often need specialized work and renovation, adding to the cost.
Extermination costs scale with how many rats and rat nests you have. Bigger infestations mean more traps, more cleanup, and more labor time. If an infestation is severe enough, then fumigation may be required, which is a large-scale project with many associated expenses.
A more extensive rat infestation will cost more because it will involve more planning and materials. Your exterminator may need to come back several times to check rat traps if you have multiple rats in your home.
Keep in mind that the average rat will produce five to six litters consisting of 10 offspring annually. Multiple rats also make it more likely your home will need repairs to drywall, floorboards, and crawl spaces.
The more rooms and spaces that a professional has to inspect for signs of rats, the more it will cost. If you choose exclusion services to seal and block any rodent-friendly entrances, bigger homes may also require more work.
If you choose an option like fumigation, you'll pay by square footage, usually between $1 and $3 per square foot.
Rats make a big mess. They leave nests, gnawed materials, and large droppings even after they’ve been removed. That process takes significant cleanup, and usually requires protective equipment to avoid any potential bacteria or viruses, plus a thorough decontamination sweep afterward.
Preparation costs for rat extermination are minimal. The exterminator may ask you to clean up trash and seal away any food containers before an inspection. Otherwise, preparation won’t take much time and shouldn’t affect your expenses.
Once you’ve confirmed signs of a rodent infestation, rat exterminators can approach your rodent infestation in several ways. Let’s look at common rat extermination methods, and how much exterminators charge for those services.
If you decide to use live traps, most exterminators will charge around $50 to transport each rat caught from your property. Exterminators charge for removal because they incur fuel and labor costs while traveling at least a mile from your home to send the rat to its new happily ever after.
Many exterminators will seal off all entry points where rats can enter your home. The most common exclusion strategy is sealing holes. However, exclusion can also include screening crawl spaces, screening roof vents, repairing holes, and pruning back trees that serve as "stairs" into your home. The cost of exclusion is usually included in a rat removal service and ranges from $200 to $600.
For your peace of mind that the exclusion efforts are working, you can hire the pest control pro to make monthly or quarterly visits. Exterminators can schedule these visits ahead of time, which may help save on costs. Quarterly visits to check up on the status of your home generally start at $500. Monthly visits typically cost less if you want regular check-ups.
If your rat exterminator suggests fumigation, which is typically a last resort method for a severe and dangerous rat infestation, the typical cost is $1 to $3 per square foot. Similar to termite fumigation, your household members will likely need to leave the house for one to two days while the chemical fumigation does its job.
Rat extermination costs tend to be higher in cities, usually about $50 more because the rat exterminator will have to drive farther from the city to drop the rat off in its new home. Here are some average rodent removal costs from cities across the country:
| City | Cost |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | $765 |
| San Francisco | $516 |
| Denver | $265 |
| Portland, Oregon | $294 |
| Pittsburgh | $192 |
| New Orleans | $402 |
| New York | $340 |
While the cost of removing rats on your own isn't high, not everyone is successful with DIY rat extermination. But, if you have the stomach for it, it’s something you can attempt on your own. Keep in mind that you'll also need to purchase gloves and other protective gear for handling rats because they may harbor diseases. That’s also why it’s important to keep pets away from an infestation, even if they may want to “help.”
Live rat traps can cost between $5 and $20 each. Bait stations that use poison can cost between $5 and $15. DIY rat extermination means that you'll need to check the traps on your own. If you'd like to relocate the rats you collect, you'll need to fit this very unpleasant task into your schedule.
You can buy poison from home improvement stores and department stores. Rat poison packs or bait typically cost $20 to $30 each. Common brands include Tomcat™, Motomco™, Farnam™, and Neogen™.
However, we advise against using DIY poison for a few important reasons. First, rats aren’t like ants or termites that will return poison to a hive. They will die inside nests in your home.
Decomposing rat corpses create nasty odors and are notoriously difficult to find, plus they increase the risk of contamination from bacteria and other problems. Second, if a pet eats a dead poisoned rat, they may become very sick. Poison is best left to trained professionals while homeowners can look for ways to get rid of rats naturally.
Rat deterrents offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to poisons and are easier to manage than traps. However, there’s limited evidence that deterrents are effective, especially against determined rodents. You can spray ammonia, peppermint, or eucalyptus (among other scents) using homemade preparations for around $10.
Another rat-repellent option is an ultrasonic device, which is also largely unproven but may help protect small spaces like behind a stove. Ultrasonic noise emitters typically cost between $40 and $60.
| Method | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Live trap | $5–$20 |
| Poison pack | $20–$30 |
| Scent-based repellent | $10+ |
| Ultrasonic noise emitter | $40–$60 |
Hire an exterminator if preventative measures and deterrents aren’t doing the job. We don’t recommend trying to handle a rat infestation yourself as you can put your safety and that of your family and pets at risk. If you see any signs of illness in the rats invading your home, call a professional right away.
If you need a professional rat exterminator but want to save as much money as you can, don’t skimp on service quality. Instead, keep these steps in mind:
Contact a professional early
Look for discounts
Seal your home
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Like any other animal, rats are attracted to food sources, water, and shelter. Clean up food messes right away, don’t leave pet food out, and secure your garbage to make your home less appealing. Fix leaky pipes and dripping faucets, and declutter spaces that rats might think to nest in.
The full process of using a rat exterminator can take several weeks. If you have a larger infestation, the exterminator may need to return several times to collect rats.
While you might want to cut corners by either borrowing or purchasing used live traps for catching rats, this can be dangerous because those traps could contain leftover viruses and bacteria that will enter your home. Always start fresh with new materials to avoid contamination.
The easiest way to determine whether you have rats or mice is to see the rodent. Mice are much smaller than any species of rats. It’s similar to comparing your thumb to your entire palm. As a result, rat nests are typically larger, too. But if you can’t see any pests or find their nests, telling them apart may be difficult without a professional inspection.
If you find droppings from the invading rodent, take a glance before you clean them up. Rat droppings are larger and rounder than mouse droppings (which are pointed).
If rats found a spot they liked to build a nest, then it’s possible more rats will show up or return to that same spot. That’s why it’s important to close off any access points rats may be using to get inside your home.
