How Much Does a Rat Exterminator Cost in 2025?
Highlights
Rodent extermination usually costs $394.
Cost factors include infestation severity and the extent of cleanup required.
Professional exterminators charge $90 to $150 per visit.
You may need to pay for home repairs after rodent removal.
You can reduce costs by investing in a proper inspection and setting your own traps.
Professional rodent removal will cost an average of $394 with a typical range between $176 and $614. Depending on the size and infestation location, some mouse and rat removal projects can run up to $1,200 or more.
Mouse and Rat Exterminator Cost Factors
The most important factors for the cost of rodent removal are the size of your property and the extent of the infestation, but other factors will determine the final price as well.
Infestation Severity
The severity of the infestation determines the price because it impacts what treatment methods are necessary and how many follow-up visits the rodent exterminator needs to make. A small infestation costs between $200 and $500, while a moderate incursion costs around $500 to $1,500. A severe infestation typically costs $1,500 to $8,000 to remove.
| Infestation Size | Process | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Sealing one entrance, minimal cleaning needed, complete in 1-3 visits | $200–$500 |
| Medium | Multiple entrances sealed, some cleaning needed, complete in 3-4 visits | $500–$1,500 |
| Large | Traps and fumigation are both used, building is sealed, major cleanup needed, complete in 5-10 visits | $1,500–$8,000 |
Type of Property
The property type impacts the price you'll pay for rodent removal. If you have a large, sprawling property with a widespread infestation, expect to pay more than the average price. That's because a large property and widespread infestation require more labor to inspect the area, identify entry points, and lay traps. Additionally, the exclusion process will take longer because there are likely to be more entry points than the average, compact property.
If you've got a rodent problem confined to a small area, like a shed, you'll pay at the lower end of the price range. It's comparatively easier to remove rodents beneath a shed than from a whole house or an attic.
Labor
Labor is the main cost factor for rodent extermination, so it’s not counted separately from other expenses. Most extermination companies offer a free inspection. If those in your area don’t, expect to pay $90 to $150 for the inspection and call-out fee. For large properties or those with multiple buildings, you might pay as much as $250. The initial examination finds the type and extent of your infestation. After this, you should receive a written estimate for continued treatment.
Follow-Up Visits
Most pros include the first follow-up in their first invoice. If you need more than one, it can add around $90 to $150 per visit or more. Pest control companies sometimes offer monthly, bimonthly, or even quarterly follow-up plans.
Cleanup
Pros almost always include cleanup costs as part of the total project price, at around $200 to $700. However, large infestations requiring multiple visits with multiple cleanup sessions might increase the price to $1,500 to $4,000, depending on the scope of cleaning needed. Keeping a clean home after removing the infestation is the best way to keep them from returning.
Blocking or Repairing Entry Points
The cost of rodent exclusion, which is the process of eliminating rodent access to your home, is included in the extermination and removal fees of $176 and $614. The pro will seal all entry points against further incursions, but exclusion requires more than sealing holes. You'll also need to:
Prune trees: Rats and mice use these like stairs to gain access to your home
Screen crawl spaces: Screens over air vents can prevent rodents from traveling through them
Repair roofs: Keep your roof vents inaccessible with screens and repair any holes
Repair Costs
Besides the actual removal service, rats, mice, and raccoons often create expensive messes and damage. Here are the repair costs you might have in store after the removal:
| Repair Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Cleaning | $200–$700 |
| Drywall repair | $200–$750 |
| Electrical repair | $5–$17 per square foot |
| HVAC duct replacement | $25–$55 per linear foot |
| Attic insulation replacement | $2–$6 per square foot |
| Roof repair | $150–$1,000 |
| Ceiling repair | $200–$500 |
Mouse and Rat Removal Costs by Method
You can choose from various methods to catch or kill rodents. We discuss them in detail below.
Live Removal
Live removal costs are incredibly situational and regionally dependent, but you can expect to spend at least $50 to $80 per rat or mouse that is trapped and released. The added expense comes from relocating the pests at least one mile from any home, which takes time, adds mileage to vehicles, and uses extra fuel. Imagine the time, energy, and work it would take to remove rodents from a large city like Los Angeles to an unpopulated area versus the short drive to a field outside a rural town in Nebraska. Some pros advise against this method for rodents since they’re likely to die outside in the winter. It’s also illegal in some areas to prevent rodents from becoming invasive to new ecosystems and harming the environment.
Fumigation
Rat and mouse fumigation costs around $1.50 to $4 per square foot. So, for a 2,000-square-foot home, you'll pay anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000. However, qualified pros can easily control any rodent infestation with bait, traps, and exclusion; most don't even offer fumigation services. Only fumigate as a last resort. It's disruptive and harmful for several reasons, such as the following:
You’ll potentially expose yourself, your family, and your pets to chemicals.
You'll need to move out of your home for a few days.
It leaves dead rodents to decompose in the walls.
Chemicals escape into the environment, possibly causing harm.
Lethal Traps
Lethal traps are the most common way that exterminators remove rodents from a home. On average, it costs $150 to $600 to have a pro set up traps, plus an additional fee for them to return and remove the dead rodents and reset or remove the traps. Fees usually increase if your local rodent exterminator needs to set more than 10 traps.
Trap costs vary depending on the type of trap used, with the most common being traditional snap traps, jaw traps, glue traps, CO2 traps, and electronic traps.
| Trap Type | Description | Average Cost per Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Snap trap | Traditional design using spring tension to break the rodent’s spine—can be hazardous to people and pets | $1.50–$3 |
| Jaw trap | Tension-sprung design that uses teeth to cut rodents in half—less hazardous to people and pets | $4.50–$9 |
| Glue trap | Single-use patch of sticky glue that traps rodents by the feet, leaving them to starve—considered inhumane | $3–$15 |
| CO2 trap | Reusable trap using a gas-powered piston to strike rodents in the head, humanely killing them—resets automatically | $100–$200 |
| Electronic trap | Battery-powered trap that activates an impact bar when a switch is triggered, humanely killing the rodent—safer for pets and kids | $30–$75 |
Budgeting for Rodent Extermination
There’s no way to get around paying for rodent extermination when you need it, but there are a few ways you can reduce the costs:
Invest in a rodent inspection from an exterminator to determine the extent of the problem, ensuring you don’t overspend on unnecessary extermination services.
Consider setting up your own traps if you have a minor infestation.
Seal any entry points into your home as soon as you notice them—you can also fill cavities with steel wool to discourage rodents from traveling through them.
Contact a professional as soon as you notice rodents, as unchecked infestations can get exponentially worse quite quickly.
Pay to have your home professionally sealed after extermination to prevent future infestations.
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. We surveyed thousands of real 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rodent exclusion eliminates rodent access to your home and costs around $200 to $600.
Rodent exterminators use a combination of traps and bait stations to kill mice. They also seal up your home and clean up any droppings.
The best way to identify rat entry points is with a local pest control pro who is trained and experienced in finding them. They’re not always obvious, and leaving even one open can lead to re-infestation.
The best way to keep rodents away from your home is to keep all food sources secure and block all entries. Keep a clean home and your food in secure, airtight containers.
A humane rodent trap is the best way to eliminate rats in your walls and attic. Poisons also work but present a health hazard for both your family and pets. For the most humane solution, either choose a live trap and release the animal at least a mile from any human dwelling or use an electronic or auto-reset CO2 trap that kills the animal quickly and painlessly.
There are plenty of conflicting reports on peppermint’s effectiveness at deterring rats. However, most experts agree that peppermint oil won’t get rid of already nesting rodents, but it might help deter future infestations.
