How Much Does Wildlife Removal Cost? [2024 Data]

Wildlife Removal Cost by Animal Type

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. 

Raccoons 

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.

Squirrels

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.

Skunks 

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 

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. 

Rats and Mice 

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.

Moles

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.

Groundhogs 

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.

Bats

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.   

Birds

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. 

Wildlife Removal Cost Breakdown

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.

Infestation Damage

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 

Length of Time

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.

Number of Animals

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. 

Location

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

Cost to Remove Animals Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro 

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.

How to Remove an Animal Yourself

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.

How to Reduce Wildlife Removal Costs

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.

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 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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