How Much Does a Rat Exterminator Cost in 2025?

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.

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 $613. 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:

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.

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.