As wildlife removal professionals, we often get asked “Well how much is it going to cost to get rid of this raccoon?”
We understand the question. Money is tight. But the truth is wildlife removal is quite inexpensive.
A better question would be: how much is it going to cost you to leave that raccoon right where it is?
Repairing Destroyed Soffit and Fascia
While raccoons can squeeze through a four inch hole, they’re just like us. If they’ve found a home, they want to alter that home to their liking.
So eventually they will dig and chew until you have much larger holes in your soffit and fascia, all so they can slip in and out of your attic with ease.
Average cost to repair the soffit and fascia: $600 to $6000.
Repairing Holes in the Roof
Raccoons also rip at roof shingles to make holes they prefer. Once they pull up the shingles, it’s pretty easy for them to dig through the rest of the roofing.
This, of course, leads to damage water damage in your attic and eventually in your house!
Average cost to repair a roof: $150 to $8000.
Insulation Repair
Once raccoons find their way into the attic, they find something they love: wonderful nesting materials they can burrow into. It’s soft, it’s warm, and it’s perfect for them and their babies.
That “nesting” material just so happens to be your insulation, and it doesn’t stand up well to little critters digging it up, peeing on it, and pooping all over it.
Average cost to replace insulation: $500 to $4000.
Drywall Repair
Eventually raccoons figure out there’s a house beyond their newly chosen house, and that house has their favorite thing ever: food! They will often start digging through the drywall to get at the kitchen, or even the bathroom sink where they can get at water.
Even when they are a little more subtle and decide not to dig through the drywall, their urine often soaks through the ceilings, causing nasty stains and a host of other problems.
Veterinary and Medical Bills
Raccoons carry fleas, ticks, and a host of other diseases. They leave their feces in your vents. Eventually one of these two vectors brings one of those diseases to you, your pets, your significant other, or your kids.
The specific cost will depend on what you end up with, but we all know either type of bill can run into the thousands to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, if you’re sick enough, you may miss work, and lose all the wages you would have gotten had you not gotten sick in the first place.
And this the best case scenario!
Why is it the best case scenario?
Because raccoons tend to chew on electrical wires, and they’ve been known to burn entire houses down! And while you may have homeowner’s insurance to help you restore your home, you’ll still have to pay the deductibles.
Keep in mind that homeowner’s insurance may not pay for this or any other damage if it comes out that you refused to conduct the basic home maintenance of having your raccoon problem removed in a timely fashion.
So what’s the average cost of raccoon removal? Around $400…far less than it will cost to keep the little critter around. Ready to schedule your free inspection yet?
