How much does animal in attic removal cost?

Raccoons occupying your attic may be quite a handful, yet it is possible to get rid of them. A for the animal in attic removal cost, though… this is a whole new question.

The short answer for it would be “It depends,” slightly longer one “You may get a free raccoon removal, but conditions apply,” and the one closest to the truth – “There is no way getting the specific full raccoon removal cost from the internet, each removal situation has to be evaluated and priced accordingly.”

“Conditions” that sounded so lovely in the second answer, though, apply that you are the one doing your job. It is not the end of the world, not exactly as scary as you may have been picturing it in your head, and there are lots of guides and checklists available online that can get you through the process absolutely for free.

If you feel more like hiring professional help, the price will vary both on your location and on the situation itself. Beware that some companies may not have your best interest in mind and overcomplicate the job to make it more expensive. We suggest studying the average prices in your area beforehand and trying to estimate the situation and related expenses.

Free removal

As was discussed earlier, the only scenario when you do not need to pay for the removal is when you do it yourself or get some help from your friends and acquaintances. To do so, you should get familiar with the removal process itself, security measures, possible equipment required, etc.

Animal in attic removal cost, average prices

Prices vary from situation to situation and from one location to another, so there is no unique average price for everyone. In a way, you can compare it to car repair: the job is always different and different companies will give you different prices that they decided on for themselves.

Try not to read too much into it. Usually, this phenomenon is simply a business motivation. The price-to-quality ratio’s correlation will also vary quite a lot, and more expensive will not always mean better.

Cages, traps, and removal process

There are various points of view about which trap to choose and how does it impact animal. For instance, in some states, a cage-trapped animal must be euthanized. Cage trapping as a service has also received its share of critique due to the process’s deficiency – extracted by cage raccoons soon are replaced with new ones.

Cage trapping is one of the easiest ways, though, so many companies engage in this kind of service. Many people see it as the exterminators’ fundamental job, to capture the animal and proudly walk away with it in a cage.

The fee the companies charge usually comes in two parts: a service fee or a trap setup fee – covering them coming to the house and setting traps, and the fee per animal or return trip. As we mentioned earlier, raccoon in attic removal cost tends to vary a lot, starting from $150 and to reach $1000 in certain cases, changing by the company, the number of animals caught, and service trips made.

Special cases

Sometimes even a trap will not allow you to do the work yourself, and it would be necessary to call the specialists and extract the animal manually. To these particularly challenging cases, we can relate when a female raccoon would have babies, and you should transport the whole family, or the other variation – babies extracted manually and the mother trapped.

The point is, in some cases, a very delicate and gentle approach is a must, and these cases will cost you $300 and higher. You would probably not like googling “how much does it cost to remove a dead animal”. Although if you are the unfortunate neighbor of a raccoon family, your biggest trouble would be repairing and cleaning up costs.

Damage repairs

This is the essential part of the process that enables you to escape getting the same problem repeatedly. After occupying your attic for quite a while, raccoons surely left some damage behind. The usual victims are insulation materials and pipes; thus, your new agenda will consist of ductwork, removing insulation, and some others.

You would likely require professional help with these operations, and based on the type – an HVAC company, a plumber, or an insulator, or some combined – the cost will differ.

Useful Tips: Animal in Attic Removal Cost, How to Get Rid of Raccoons in the Attic

This video is about how to get rid of raccoons in the attic.

Exclusion barriers

Also, the raccoons did get somehow inside, so it is essential to check how they do it and if the pathways are possible to seal up.

You may find a raccoon under the house in some cases – it is usually an elevated one – or a shed, a deck, a porch, or any other ground structure. And then you probably should consider installing an exclusion barrier that would prevent the raccoons and various stray animals too from entering there again.

An exclusion barrier is bolted to the structure steel mash barrier burrowed into the ground. The minimal cost for such a tool comes around $10-20 per linear foot, but you can always find a more expensive one.

Cleanup expenses

Not only do raccoons scratch, bite and make noises in the attic, but they also leave after them quite a lot of residue. The worst part of it is that the droppings may be hazardous to health, triggering allergies or containing raccoon roundworm. This worm is infamous for its eggs that can survive a long time, become transmittable by air, and later be inhaled by a human infecting him/her.

The worm is not so widespread, yet it does exist. Therefore it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. Due to their chaotic eating behavior, raccoons are usually carriers for various parasites, but they don’t survive long outside the carrier. Another problem with raccoon droppings – they tend to attract new wildlife, cockroaches, and many others.

All this is to give you an idea of the importance of cleaning up the attic. Many people followed this logic and decided to go for it.

Many other business-minded people decided to exploit it and formed a whole industry around cleaning the attics inhabited by raccoons, which is quite smart considering the special loophole the homeowner’s insurance often covers such a cleanup. This allows them to drive critter removal cost crazy, like $10,000 and higher.

Even if you make a part of this scheme, the cost will not be yours to pay. However, be prudent to the cleaning company’s evaluation approach and pricing strategies.

Remember, they exist specifically for these situations and therefore have quite limited specialization. You can find a company with a more broad palette of services that would do a more modest cleanup, that still would include the removal of all feces, contaminated insulation, and proper antimicrobial fogging, and only charge you around $500.

All in all

Of course, it is your house, and the call is yours. But whatever your decision would be, we strongly suggest finding a local raccoon professional beforehand and getting an estimate so that you avoid paying a fortune for absolutely useless service.

These professionals vary, like everything else in this topic: some can consult you on the phone, some will arrive to give an on-site inspection, some will find their own way of interaction. Go for the one that sounds just right for you, and check and double-check.