Wildlife removal costs the average U.S. household $399. Depending on the type, accessibility, and removal method, most spend between $190 and $611.
On average, wildlife removal costs between $190 and $611. Immediately calling a wildlife removal pro is essential to avoid more costly damages to your home—and potential illness from disease-carrying wildlife. Once wild animals make it into your home, they can be a huge pain to remove.
Your animal removal costs will vary depending on how long animals have lived in your home and how much damage the infestation they caused. Follow our guide to learn the average costs of wildlife removal.
| Animal | Cost to Remove |
|---|---|
| Bats | $230 – $700 |
| Birds | $100 – $300 |
| Groundhogs | $150 – $200 |
| Moles | $100 – $550 |
| Possums | $250 – $500 |
| Rats and mice | $175 – $550 |
| Raccoons | $400 – $600 |
| Skunks | $300 – $600 |
| Squirrels | $200 – $600 |
Many varieties of animals would love to make your home or garden their permanent residence. Each of these critters comes with its own removal methods, and it’s always preferable to use humane options, such as live traps and exclusion.
Raccoon removal costs average between $400 and $600. You can expect to pay for services like live trapping, sealing the entrances to your home, and relocating the raccoons. Raccoons must be removed by a professional. In fact, many states protect raccoons by law, and they must be properly removed and relocated.
Squirrel removal costs run between $200 and $600. You can expect wildlife removal pros to live trap and remove squirrels. Squirrels are very active once they get inside homes, and you’ll need to remove them quickly. They’ll destroy walls, insulation, and siding while building their nests, so you’ll need to also factor in the cost of repairing damages.
Skunk removal costs average between $300 and $600. Your costs will include live trapping, sealing home entrances, and relocation. Skunks often find their way into crawlspaces and basements while looking for mice, insects, or rats to eat. Since their spray can stick with you and the house, we recommend calling in a pro for this removal and using DIY tactics to get rid of the skunk smell.
Possum removal costs cost between $250 and $500. You can expect to pay for live trapping and sealing off your home from future possum visitors. Opossums can cause a lot of damage quickly, so it’s vital to identify and remove them swiftly.
Rat, mice, and rodent removal costs average between $175 and $550. The most common removal method is live trapping. Wildlife removal pros will only use poison as a last resort, as it can harm humans and household animals. You want to remove rats and mice as quickly as possible—as they can breed and multiply quickly.
Yard mole removal costs average between $100 and $550. You can expect to pay for live trapping and relocation. Less popular and humane methods include poisonous bait and fumigation. Since moles are generally in your yard and not your house, trapping them tends to be less expensive.
Groundhog removal costs average between $150 and $200. You can expect to pay for live trapping and relocation. Like moles, they’re easier to catch than animals in your home or crawlspace. You’ll also want to budget for repairs to your foundation, lawn, and house.
Bat removal costs average between $230 and $700. You can expect to pay for live trapping, releasing the bat back into the wild, and sealing up entry points to your home. Bats are a protected species, and it is illegal to kill them in many parts of the United States. You’ll also want to budget for bat droppings cleanup—which can run between $600 and $8,500, depending on the size of the bat infestation.
Bird removal costs range from $100 to $300, but removing an active nest can cost up to $2,000. You can expect to have a wildlife pro humanely remove an inactive bird’s nest, sanitize the area, and discard the nest. You can also opt to pay for preventative services—such as installing spikes, which cost between $20 and $35 per 10 feet. Also, if the bird’s nest is in a hard-to-reach area, you can expect your costs to rise.
| Type of Bird | Removal Cost |
|---|---|
| Crow | $100 – $300 |
| Pigeon | $100 – $3,000 |
| Robin | $100 – $350 |
| House Martin | $300 – $500 |
| House Sparrow | $300 – $500 |
| Barn Swallow | $100 – $650 |
| Woodpecker | $450 – $650 |
Wildlife removal costs run the gamut—and there’s no set price for dealing with unwanted house guests. Before you begin, you’ll want to hire a professional inspector to check out your property to determine the best course of action. Let's review the factors that will impact your wildlife removal cost.
Animals that make themselves cozy in your home can cause severe damage to your walls and ceiling. These critters can also destroy insulation, chew through electrical wires, and damage your ductwork, and leave droppings behind. The typical costs to repair damage from a wildlife infestation include:
Drywall repair costs: $300–$900
Insulation replacement costs: $1,000–$2,500
Electrical wiring repair costs: $2–$4 per square foot
Duct repair costs: $12–$25 per linear foot
Siding repair costs: $350–$1,400
Crawl space repair and cleaning costs: $500–$15,000
The longer the animals have been living in your home, the greater the chance that the animal has died. Your dead animal removal cost will run between $150 and $250, depending on accessibility. You can expect to pay additional fees for animals located in hard-to-reach spots, such as removing critters from your attic.
With a larger number of animals, you can expect more traps, higher labor costs, and several follow-up visits to ensure the proper removal of critters from your home.
Usually, a local animal removal service will charge a flat fee of $150 to $250 for basic trapping and removal. But it becomes more expensive when animals are in hard-to-reach places. These hard-to-reach spaces include:
Attic removal costs: $200–$1,500
Inside walls removal costs: $350 on average
Chimney removal costs: $180–$560
DIY animal removal is rarely a good idea. You'll save hassle and money by calling a professional removal service at the first sign of trouble rather than trying to remove an animal yourself.
The same goes for sealing off damage left by animal visitors. For example, plugging the holes used by squirrels to get into your attic may seem like a good idea, but chances are it won't work—the squirrels will either cause more damage around the edge of your patch job or become trapped in the attic, forcing them to chew through interior walls. Professional expertise helps seal this correctly.
While we don’t recommend removing wildlife yourself—if you’re going to try, make sure you follow your state’s wildlife management methods. Certain animals require a special license to trap and release.
So, if you’re going to attempt to remove an animal yourself, here are the steps you should take:
Identification: Properly identify the animal to ensure you choose the correct removal method.
Make a plan: Understand how to humanely catch and remove an animal. Check with your local municipality to find a safe space to release the animal.
Live trapping: You’ll need to purchase a trap and choose the right bait for this method. Once you catch the animal, you’ll also need to release it back into the wild safely.
Repellants: To keep critters away from your home and garden, you can purchase or make your own repellant spray.
Noise devices: Another prevention option is to purchase a noise maker to keep wildlife out of your yard.
While you should always consult a wildlife professional, there are ways to save on animal removal costs, including:
Interview at least three animal removal services to ensure you’re choosing the best service for your infestation.
Act fast and call a wildlife removal specialist at the first sign of an infestation. Swift action will stop animals from reproducing in your home.
Set and reset mouse traps quickly.
Humanely remove an inactive bird’s nest.
Check your home’s foundation for cracks and seal them up.
Seal off your roof, vents, and pipes from curious animals.
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 over 10,000 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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Set live traps or install a one-way door to evict squirrels, rodents, and other animals from your attic. Once they’re out, seal any entry points to prevent the animals from returning. If you’re dealing with an infestation, call a pro.
You’ll want to call a licensed and insured wildlife removal company that offers:
Full property inspection—indoor and outdoor
Proper animal identification
Written management plan with follow-up visits included
Humane removal techniques
Preventative exclusion measures
If it’s an emergency and you can’t wait, you’ll need to contact an emergency animal control company near you.
Calling your local exterminator at the first sign of a wild animal problem might be tempting. But pest control isn’t the same as wildlife removal, and you’ll want to stick with a wildlife removal pro for this job. Pest control exterminators treat for insect removal and may even use poisonous sprays. Wildlife removal companies only use poison as a last resort and always try humane methods first—taking special care not to harm wild animals.
