How Much Does Bat Removal Cost?

Common Range: $600 – $1,500

National Average: $1,100

Updated: November 17, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

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Cost Range for a Bat Exterminator

Bat removal cost depends on how many entrance points the bats are using, what’s required to repair the access points, and cleaning up bat guano. The size of the bat colony can also affect price.

All factors considered, bat exterminator cost is $600 to $1,500 for most homes. Cost starts around $250 for removing a few bats getting in through one access point, such as a damaged screen over a gable vent. Cost can be more than $10,000 when many access points are found, the bats have been using the space for years, a large amount of bat droppings have to be cleaned up, and there are repair issues from the damage it has caused.

Terminology talk: Bat extermination isn’t the most accurate term because killing bats is illegal, almost everywhere. It’s definitely illegal in my state, North Carolina – so before you attempt anything on your own, check state laws. You can’t fumigate, for example, as you can to get rid of bed bugs. Trapping bats is also prohibited because traps often cause death.

Instead, pros use the term “bat exclusion,” a method of getting the bats out without killing them. That is the focus of this Costimate – bat exclusion, though other commonly searched terms are used.

Average Cost

The average cost to hire pro bat exterminators is $1,100. But keep in mind that cost varies widely based on factors explained below. Professional bat removal services report jobs where cost to remove a large number of bats from a hole-filled area and secure the home against future infestation is much higher.

Average Do It Yourself Cost
$115 (One-way tubes and screening)
Average Exterminator Cost
$1,100
Typical Cost Range
$400 – $1,500

bat hanging from a ceiling

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Overview of Bat Exterminating

While bats are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem, and therefore protected, they sometimes find their way into occupied dwellings and become a serious nuisance.

Your bat exclusion options are DIY, which is often ineffective when bats have multiple entry/exit points, or hiring a bat exclusion company for the work.

Note – These professional bat removal services advertise as bat exterminators, but excluding these critters is the only legal way to get rid of bats.

What’s the best way to get rid of bats?

Bat removal is a 4-step process involving inspection, exclusion, cleanup and repair.

1). Inspection: The first step is to inspect the attic, chimney and other potentially infested areas to locate the bats and determine where they are getting in. Some services offer free estimates. Others charge a fee of up to $300, but the fee is often waived if you hire the company for the work.

2). Exclusion: Then, for effective bat eradication, major openings the bats are using are fitted with a one-way exclusion device or netting.

*Tubes or cones with one-way valves or tabs on the exit side which bats can push through to get out but not return through.

*Netting draped over holes and secured on three sides allow bats to crawl out but not lift the loose netting to get back in.

The bats leave at night to feed but can’t re-enter. Once excluded, they depart your yard after a few days to look for a new dwelling.

When to do bat exclusion? In other words, what time of year should you get rid of bats with these methods? Early spring and late summer are the best times.

Bats have their young between April in warm climates and June in the North. The young can’t fly for 4-6 weeks. If you don’t notice the bats in early spring when they first enter your dwelling, wait to use bat pest control until late summer when the young bats can fly and leave your home. If they get trapped, they will go looking for food, potentially ending up – and dying – in your ductwork, walls, basement or living space. Nobody wants that scenario.

Legal tip: Your state might have a designated period when bat exclusion is prohibited unless they are deemed an immediate health threat to residents of the home. For example, in Wisconsin, the prohibited period is June 1 to August 15.

3). Cleanup: Bats make a major mess. And when a large amount of bat guano accumulates, a fungus called histoplasma can grow in it. The spores, if breathed, can cause a dangerous condition called histoplasmosis. In these situations, the droppings should be cleaned up by a professional.

Will insurance cover bat guano cleanup? Yes. In many cases, your homeowner’s policy will cover cleanup and repairs for damaged caused by bats – usually ruined insulation. When insurance pays, it is only your deductible that adds to bat exterminator cost.

4). Repair: Bat exclusion companies include sealing small holes and placing tough, permanent screens over attic vents (gable, soffit, roof) and chimney openings. But when an access point is the result of structural damage, which is often the case, you might need to hire a roofing contractor or handyman service for repairs to damaged siding, roofing, facia, soffits or chimneys.

Bat Removal Cost Factors

The cost to remove bats is estimated using these factors.

  • Number of Entry Points – More ways to get into your home means a larger number of one-way exclusion tubes and more netting. Prof bat removal services often use both means depending on the entry point.
  • Closing / Repairing the Entry Points – When you get bat removal cost estimates, ask the companies if repairing and closing entry points is part of the estimate. If not, they might be able to refer you to a contractor who can make the repairs.
  • Guano Cleanup – This becomes the most significant cost factor when bats have used the dwelling for years. If a few bats have left a small amount of droppings, it is safe to vacuum them up with a shop vac. That’s relatively inexpensive. But when piles of guano have fungus growing on them, a more thorough process of removal and cleanup should be used – at a higher cost.
  • Access to the Attic of Other Infested Area – When access is difficult, or workers need to work from ladders or scaffolding, contractors factor in more time and more money.
  • Number of Bats – With ant extermination or roach removal, the size of the infestation is a major factor. It’s relatively minor with bats. For example, 500 bats can be excluded through 5 one-way tubes as easily as 50 can be. The number of entry points and tubes/screens need is a more significant factor.
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Exterminator and Service Cost Details

Cost of Services

Before we provide examples of total cost estimates, here are the services and equipment you’ll pay for:

  • $100 – $400 | Inspection of the attic or other infested location to locate entry points and determine the best exclusion strategy.
  • $250 – $450 | 50’ to 100’ rolls of Bat Exclusion Netting.
  • $16 – $32 Each | Bat Exclusion Tubes and Cones
  • $10 – $16 | Bat Repellent Spray, Packs or Pellets
  • $25 – $200+ per Hole | Sealing and repairing entry points – significant repairs to the structure will cost more
  • $0 – $2,000+ | Bat Guano Cleanup, when needed. When the infestation is small and short-term (one season), cleanup might not be necessary. Though you might prefer it. The cost can be more than $2,000 when a large colony of bats have used an attic for many years and have left piles of guano with histoplasma fungus growing on it.
  • $1,500 – $4,000 | Insulation or Drywall Replacement (if needed) – Saturated insulation loses the ability to prevent heat transfer. And if the guano leaks into the wall cavity, drywall can be ruined and need replacing.

Permits, Inspection, and Labor Costs

Permits and/or Inspection Cost

  • $0 | Bat exclusion does not require a permit, though the exterminator should be licensed and insured.

Exterminator Labor Cost

Labor costs are not itemized in most bat removal cost estimates. If costs were broken down by the hour, it would come to $55 – $115 per hour for labor.

Bat Removal Time

Most bat exclusion professionals recommend checking the attic after a few days. If a large number of bats are found, a re-inspection of the attic will often reveal additional entry points overlooked on the first inspection.

With that in mind, here is a typical time schedule for bat exclusion:

  • 2-6 hours | Inspection and Marking bat entrances.
  • 1-2 days | Placing devices or netting at significant openings while sealing up smaller openings.
  • 2-4 days | Return for a re-check.
  • 1-4 hours | Remove tubes and cones and seal the openings used for them. Remove screen and install permanent screening over vents.
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Are You a Bat Exterminator?

If so, head over to our Costimates Pro’s page, and help us make this page better and more accurate for both our visitors and your future customers.

DIY or Hire a Pro

Many homeowners that don’t mind working in the attic, on a ladder or on the roof attempt DIY bat removal.

It can be effective if all the openings are found and sealed or fitted with a one-way exit device or screen.

The potential savings is significant – up to 90% of the total cost.

This DIY bat exclusion guide from Pueblo County, CO is one of the best resources available.

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Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."