How Much Does Animal Control Cost? [Rates by Animal Type]

Gary Evans
by Gary Evans

Wild animals are constantly motivated by a need to seek shelter and sustenance. They are willing to head into any location in pursuit of those things and your home is not an exception. Once inside your home, a wild animal can cause a lot of damage and possibly even injure someone.

You cannot allow something like that to happen. Removing the wild animal from your property should be your top priority and animal control experts can help with that. So, how much should you expect to pay for the services of animal control experts?

The average cost of professional animal control is $340. That number can change based on the specific animal you’re asking the experts to remove from your home. You may also have to pay more based on the number of wild animals in your home. Professionals can also check if wild animals are in your home for the price of $190.

A wild animal can wreak plenty of havoc after entering your home. Dealing with that creature by yourself can be dangerous so call professional animal control if you need assistance. Find out how much you’ll have to pay for animal control services by reading through the rest of this article.

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Cost of Animal Removal by Type

Type of AnimalCost
Birds$200
Groundhogs$180
Mice$300
Moles$280
Opossums$380
Raccoons$500
Skunks$450
Squirrels$400

On average, homeowners will have to pay $340 if they need professional animal control services. However, that number will change based on the animal that has invaded your property.

Let’s start with birds. Birds may take up residence in your chimney or other high points in your chimney. To get rid of them, you should expect to pay $200.

Groundhogs can be nightmarish to deal with if you’re tending to a garden on your property. They are voracious eaters and they will feast on your plants if you don’t remove them immediately. Professionals will charge $180 to remove groundhogs from your garden.

Next up are mice and they are familiar pests to many homeowners. Removing mice from any home can be tricky because of how well they hide. Animal control experts will charge $300 if you need them to remove mice from your household.

Similar to groundhogs, moles can also invade your yard and cause a lot of damage there. The moles won’t necessarily target your plants since they’re after insects, but they can still damage your lawn. The average cost of animal control for moles is $280.

Opossums may sometimes stumble upon private property while searching for food in garbage cans. You can get them professionally removed from your property for $380.

Speaking of scavengers, you may also find raccoons running around your property in search of food. They are feisty creatures and they must be handled carefully. Professional raccoon removal costs $500.

Skunks are also known to prowl properties while looking for food, especially at night. Animal control will deal with your skunk problem for $450.

Finally, your home may be invaded by scurrying squirrels. Squirrels can be hard to capture if you’ve never done so before. Professionals will catch and remove the squirrel on your property for $400.

Cost to Remove Bats

Estimate TypeCost
Low-End Estimate$200
Mid-Range Estimate$380
High-End Estimate$3,000

Another animal that has been known to take up residence on private property uninvited is the bat. The average cost of animal control for bats is $380.

We separated the bat from the other animals because there are special rules regarding how they must be dealt with. For starters, the bats residing on your property likely cannot be harmed. Because many types of bats qualify as protected species, harming them in any way is an absolute no-no.

There are also limitations on when bats can be removed from their current habitat. If the animal control expert sees that the bat is caring for offspring, they will not remove them from your property. The offspring need to be given time to grow before they can be moved.

Also, the price of animal control for bats rises significantly if the experts have to deal with more than one. You could be looking at a potential bill of $3,000 if you want multiple bats removed from your home.

Cost to Remove Dead Animals

Estimate TypeCost
Low-End Estimate$150
Mid-Range Estimate$250
High-End Estimate$350

Animal control is not just for living creatures that are currently on your property. You can also hire professional animal control if there are dead animals on your property and you need to get rid of them. The average cost of dead animal removal is $250.

Two factors will greatly affect how you’ll ultimately have to pay for dead animal removal. The first factor is the location of the dead animal.

If the dead animal is in an easily accessible area like your yard or attic, then the professionals won’t charge extra. However, you should expect to pay more if the dead animal in question is stuck behind a wall or trapped in a pipe.

The other factor that can impact the cost of dead animal removal is the disposal fee. Some services may charge extra to properly dispose of the dead creature. You’ll have to pay up if you don’t want to deal with the animal’s remains by yourself.

Cost Factors for Animal Removal

We already know that the cost of animal removal can vary significantly. It will change based on the animal that you need to get removed from your property.

Aside from that, there are other cost factors that matter. Check out those additional cost factors below.

Accessibility of the Animal

We already touched on this a bit, but the specific location of the animal will affect how much removal will cost. Simply put, animal control experts will charge less if the creature is found in an accessible part of your property.

Consider that as another reason why you should repair your walls as soon as you notice any damage. Small creatures can crawl in there and die and you will be saddled with the huge animal removal bill.

Number of Animals

The number of wild animals currently in your home will impact the cost of animal control. Even the experts will have trouble handling more than one wild animal. It’s no surprise that they will charge more if you’re asking them to do that.

Length of Time the Animal Has Been in Your Home

The length of time the wild creature has been in your home also affects animal control prices. If the animal has been in your home for a while, it may be staying in an area covered with its waste. Experts will ask for more money if they have to deal with that and the wild animal.

Cost of Animal Inspection

Estimate TypeCost
Low-End Estimate$80
Mid-Range Estimate$190
High-End Estimate$300

Just as you’re drifting off into slumberland, you may suddenly be jarred awake by noises echoing through your walls. You don’t know exactly where those noises came from, but you suspect that a wild animal is to blame. After paying $190 for animal inspection, an expert can tell you if a wild animal is indeed prowling through your home.

We do want to point out that paying for animal inspection is not always a necessity. Some services will offer animal inspection for free if you’re also paying for removal.

In some cases, the cost of animal inspection can be quite high. You may have to pay as much as $300 for the aforementioned service. That’s probably because you’re asking the experts to look in hard-to-reach areas.

Do You Need Pest Control Services?

Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you.


Related Questions

How Do You Get Free Wildlife Removal?

Getting someone to remove a wild animal from your property is possible. Call up the animal services office in your area and ask if they can remove the wild animal for you. They will usually handle that task free of charge.You can also try contacting the police or the fire department. There’s no guarantee that they can take on that job, but it’s worth checking anyway.


Does Insurance Pay for Raccoon Damage?

Some insurance plans do account for the damage that raccoons do to your attic or your roof. Review your plan to make sure that you’re covered. However, insurance plans often don’t cover items that were damaged by raccoons.


How Long Does the Stench of a Dead Animal Last?

The stench of a dead animal can linger in your home for 10 days or more. The most effective way to get rid of that small is to remove the dead animal itself.

Gary Evans
Gary Evans

Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.

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