How Much Does Raccoon Removal Cost in 2024?
Highlights
Raccoon removal typically costs between $350 and $600 per raccoon but can range from $150 to $1,500.
The total cost of raccoon removal varies depending on the number of raccoons, their location and current state, and the required cleanup.
The most common removal types include live cage-trapping and manual removal.
Installing barriers, which cost $10 to $200, helps to prevent raccoons from returning.
Raccoon removal typically costs between $350 and $600 per raccoon but can range from $150 to $1,500 depending on the type of removal, the number of raccoons, and damage repair.
If you have raccoons, you’ll need to hire an animal control professional to safely and humanely remove the raccoon family and prevent these pests from spreading diseases or making messes in your home.
Average Raccoon Removal Cost
| Average Cost | High Cost | Low Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $350–$600 | $1,500 | $150 |
Raccoon Removal Cost Factors
From inspections to cleanup, several factors affect the cost of raccoon removal.
Inspection Costs
Inspections will cost about $100. A professional will need to assess the issue first to determine how many raccoons to remove, if there are nests, and whether any damage needs to be repaired afterward.
Raccoon Location
A raccoon hanging out around your yard can be easier to catch than one that has built a nest in your attic or beneath your porch.
Yard: Professional removal of raccoons from your yard costs about $200 to $300.
Attic: Capturing a raccoon in an attic can be dangerous, even for professionals. The cost for this service ranges from $200 to $750, with the higher cost factoring in the removal of baby raccoons.
Roof: Capturing a raccoon on a roof is particularly risky, and if you don’t remove them quickly, they can cause a lot of expensive roof damage. Professional removal of raccoons from your roof costs $300 to $700.
Chimney: Pregnant raccoons seek out chimneys to build their nests and give birth. But once they make this their home, a professional will have to use special traps to lure and collect the mother from this narrow space, plus manual removal of the babies and nest. Expect to spend around $1,000, with $300 to $500 to remove the mother and another $600 to $700 to remove the babies manually.
| Raccoon Location | Cost to Remove |
|---|---|
| Yard | $200–$300 |
| Attic | $200–$750 |
| Roof | $300–$700 |
| Chimney | $900–$1,200 |
Removal Frequency
For persistent pests, you might need to hire a local animal removal professional to assess your property regularly for signs of raccoons.
One-time service: $350–$600
Quarterly service: about $200 each quarter
Monthly service: about $50 each month
Dead Raccoon Removal
Professional removal for dead raccoons costs around $250 per raccoon. Unfortunately, sometimes a raccoon can make your home its own and then die, which causes a host of issues. It could attract more pests, it could have diseases, and the smell will come into your home.
Nest Removal
A professional must manually remove a nest, and this service costs about $500 per nest.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
Cleaning and sanitizing costs are around $200 to $500. Because raccoons can carry pathogens and diseases, a professional will clean and sanitize the area after the raccoons are removed.
Damage Repair
Repairing damage from raccoons costs about $100 to $1,000, depending on needed repairs. Raccoons can cause damage to your yard, roof, and attic. You might need to have your drywall, insulation, HVAC system, or roof tiles fixed. Check with your home insurance, as it might cover repairs from raccoon-related damage.
Raccoon Prevention Costs
To remove raccoons, you’ll need traps, and you can also opt for added barriers to prevent them from returning.
Cages
For trapping, expect to spend $50 to $150 for a cage.
Bait
To lure the raccoons into the live-trapping cages, you’ll need bait. You can use fruit or sugar-coated vegetables, which cost a few dollars total, or you can buy manufactured raccoon bait for $10 to $20.
Barriers
You can buy objects that deter climbing or protect your chimney and roof vents. These devices cost $10 for simple spikes or up to $200 for large animal barriers. Typically, barriers and installation cost $10 to $20 per linear foot.
Raccoon Removal Cost by Type
The most common raccoon removal methods are live cage trapping and manual removal. While other types of deadly traps and poisons are available, they are inhumane and should not be used.
Cage Traps
This involves using bait to lure a raccoon into a cage, which closes and traps the animal once it has entered. Cages cost $50 to $150, and removal can cost up to $350 per raccoon.
Manual Removal
Manual removal can cost $350 to $600 per raccoon and is typically used to safely remove raccoon families and nests.
Budgeting for Raccoon Removal
If raccoons are invading your property, consider these tips to make removal more budget-friendly:
Contact a professional when you notice a raccoon on your property to prevent further damage and costly removal fees.
If the raccoon has damaged your property, check with your home insurance provider to see if they’ll cover the costs.
Add barriers to prevent raccoons from returning.
How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data
No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raccoons are nocturnal mammals, which means they are awake and active at night. Those aren’t ghosts rummaging around the attic that you hear; it’s probably a mother raccoon looking to nest. Noises in the walls or chimneys also indicate that you have raccoons in your home.
You might also notice raccoon feces around your property or damage to your walls or roof. If you have a family of raccoons, at least one will eventually die, and the smell will enter your home.
Aside from making scratching and crawling noises all night, raccoons can carry some particularly nasty zoonotic diseases. These diseases can pass from animal to human. They can also cause a lot of damage to your home, from tearing up drywall and insulation to ruining roof tiles.
Raccoons can enter your home through any small entry point. They might reach your roof and attic by climbing a nearby tree or coming in through a vent. Particularly determined raccoons can even tear a hole in your walls. They’re searching for a warm, dry, and quiet place to nest.
You can hire a professional for barrier installation, which costs $10 to $20 per linear foot. These barriers can prevent raccoons from entering your home's chimney, attic, porch, or other openings.
To deter raccoons from entering your home, you can also try light or smell deterrents, although these have a low success rate. Raccoons do not like the smell of garlic, peppermint, hot peppers, or onions.
