Hearing noises in your attic is a stressful experience, and the cost of removing the intruding animal is often the first concern. While both are common culprits, the cost of removing raccoons is typically higher than removing squirrels due to their size, the increased risk they pose, and the more extensive damage they tend to cause.
Understanding the costs requires looking beyond a simple “removal fee.” The total cost of wildlife removal is a combination of the initial inspection, the trapping and removal process, and the essential exclusion and repair work. This guide breaks down the average costs for each animal and explains the factors that will influence your final invoice.
Average Cost Breakdown: Squirrels
Squirrels are smaller and generally easier to deal with, which is reflected in the price. The total project cost often falls between $300 and $600.
* Inspection Fee: $75 – $150. This fee is often waived or credited back if you proceed with the full service.
* Trapping & Removal: $200 – $400. This usually includes setting several traps, checking them over a period of days, and removing the captured animals.
* Exclusion & Repairs: This is highly variable, but for squirrels, it often involves sealing a few small entry points with hardware cloth and sealant, which can range from $100 to $300+.
Average Cost Breakdown: Raccoons
Raccoons are larger, stronger, and more destructive, which increases the time, risk, and labor involved in their removal. The total project cost typically ranges from $400 to $1,000+, often higher than for squirrels.
* Inspection Fee: $100 – $200.
* Trapping & Removal: $300 – $600. This is more expensive due to the larger, heavy-duty traps required and the increased safety risk to the technician.
* Exclusion & Repairs: This is where the cost can escalate. Raccoons don’t just find holes; they create them. They can tear off roof vents, rip apart soffits, and destroy attic insulation. The repair work is often more extensive and costly than for squirrels.
Key Factors That Influence Your Final Cost
1. The Presence of Babies: This is the biggest variable. If a mother raccoon or squirrel has a litter of young in your attic, the job becomes much more complex. A professional must either locate and remove the babies by hand (if possible) or wait until they are old enough to be trapped with the mother. This increases the labor time and the cost.
2. Location and Accessibility: A squirrel that is easily trapped in an accessible attic will be cheaper to remove than a raccoon that has nested deep inside a chimney or a difficult-to-reach crawl space.
3. The Number of Animals: The initial quote is often for a set number of animals. If it turns out you have a larger family of raccoons than initially thought, there may be an additional per-animal charge.
4. The Extent of the Damage: The cost of exclusion is directly related to the amount of damage. Sealing one small hole chewed by a squirrel is a minor repair. Rebuilding a soffit or replacing a roof vent destroyed by a raccoon is a much larger and more expensive job.
FAQ
Q: Is trapping a raccoon more expensive just because it’s bigger?
A: Yes, in part. Raccoons require larger, more robust, and more expensive traps. More significantly, they are a rabies vector species and can be very aggressive when cornered, which presents a higher safety risk to the technician. This increased risk and the specialized handling required are factored into the price.
Q: My quote includes a “trap setup fee” and a “per animal” charge. Is this normal?
A: Yes, this is a very common pricing model in the wildlife control industry. The setup fee covers the initial inspection and the labor of placing the traps. The per-animal charge covers the removal and disposal of each animal captured. Be sure you understand this structure clearly when you get your quote.
Q: Why can’t I just use a one-way door like for squirrels?
A: While one-way doors are the preferred method for squirrels, they can be more complicated for raccoons, especially if babies are involved. A mother raccoon locked out from her young will cause an incredible amount of damage trying to get back in. A professional will assess the situation to determine the safest and most effective method, which is often trapping for raccoons.