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CostHelper > Home and Garden  > Home Maintenance & Moving > Bat Removal

Bat Removal Cost


How Much Does Bat Removal Cost?

 
low costSingle Bat: $90-$300average costSmall-Medium Colony: $300-$1,500high costLarge Colony: $1,500-$8,000+

As their natural roots in trees and caves become scarce, bats have turned to man-made structures, taking shelter in attics, soffits, louvers, chimneys or porches; under eaves, roof tiles, shingles or siding; or behind shutters. This is a problem for humans because bats can carry diseases such as rabies or histoplasmosis (a fungal infection of the lungs contracted by exposure to bat or bird droppings).

Evicting bats from a house or other building is usually a process of exclusion -- creating one-way exits through which the bats can leave but not return, while also sealing all other potential bat entrances. Because bats can fly up to 150 miles to return to their original territory, trapping is ineffective, and it is illegal under federal law (and in several states) to poison or fumigate bats.

Typical costs:

  • The costs for bat exclusion will depend on the size of the bat colony and the condition of the building, including the number of potential bat entry points that must be sealed. Prices can start at $90-$300 to exclude a single bat with a single entry point. More likely, it will cost $300-$1,500 to remove a small (50 bats or less) or medium (about 50-200) colony, and $1,500-$8,000 or more for large colonies. For example, C&C Wildlife Management in New York charges $125-$275 to deal with a single bat inside a living space, but C&C's bat exclusion services start at $300 for up to a 2,000-square-foot base, with another $100 per additional floor of the house and $100 per additional 1,000 square feet, making it a minimum of $500 for a 3,000-square-foot, two-story home. And GetBatsOut.com[1] estimates that bat exclusion for an average house in good condition costs $2,400-$5,000, depending on the severity of the problem. Factors that might increase the cost of bat exclusion include a steep roof, the height of the house (requiring a lift or other equipment), a hard-to-reach bat colony or a house in poor repair with lots of potential entry points.
  • Once the bats are excluded, it's often necessary to clean up bat droppings -- called guano -- and to repair any other damage caused by the bats. There can be additional charges and prices will vary, particularly if the damage is extensive. For example, BatManagement.com[2] recommends waiting a year (to be sure the bat exclusion worked) for guano cleanup, with costs starting at $500 in attics with finished floors.
  • Some homeowners' insurance policies cover guano removal and repairing any damage caused by the bats, but not the costs for removing the bats.
Related articles: Mice or Rat Control, Pest Control, Animal Removal

What should be included:
  • A bat exclusion specialist will start by inspecting indoor roosting areas such as the attic, roof, roofline and the entire outer structure. Inspections are often scheduled for late afternoon or evening to allow the technician to observe as the bats leave for their nightly feeding. The second step is to seal off all potential openings, crevices and holes, leaving only the primary holes still open. The third step is to cover any holes with a device which allows bats to leave but not to get back inside. Bat Conservation International provides downloadable do-it-yourself bat exclusion instructions[3] as well as a how-to video[4] for removing a single bat inside a human living area.
  • Bat exclusions are typically done in the late spring or early fall; exclusions are never done in the summer when baby or juvenile bats are unable to leave on their own.
  • Bats are usually quiet creatures. Often the first sign that there's a well-established colony in the attic, eaves or elsewhere in a house is when a single bat strays into the human living spaces. Cornell University describes signs of bats[5] .
Additional costs:
  • Some people erect a bat house in their yard, to give the flying critters somewhere to live after exclusion. The bats won't automatically leave a human structure to live in a provided bat house, and opinion is divided about the value of installing a bat house. A bat house can cost $20-$300 or more, depending on size and materials. For example, a standard bat house approved by Bat Conservation International averages $50-$75, according to TheBatGuy.com[6] , while BatManagement.com[7] offers a 7-chamber steel bat house that can hold up to 210 bats for $159.
Shopping for bat removal:
  • Bat exclusion requires different techniques than standard insect pest control services. Bat Conservation International provides professional guidelines[8] that a bat exclusion specialist should follow, and lists bat exclusion specialists[9] by state.
  • For a live bat that needs rehabilitation, batworld.org lists local rescue groups by state.
  • Ask about training and experience, and whether the company is licensed by the state.
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments
Bat colony
Amount: $2,945.00
Posted by: Tmazing in Ocoee, FL.Posted: December 30th, 2021 09:12AM
Removal Method: 1 way exit, seal, remove toxinsNumber of Bats: Lots
Firm: Massey
Purchased a sound device that made bats leave inside of roof but they came back 6 mths later. Just got this quote and plan to go ahead with having professionals take over.
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Large Hotel
Amount: $106,000.00
Posted by: Hobbs in Naples, FL.Posted: February 20th, 2019 06:02AM
Removal Method: EvictionNumber of Bats: 1000
Firm: Nuisance Wildlife Removal
Before we could begin the reroof job at a large hotel in Naples, Fl, we had to do a bat remediation. They began by cleaning up guano to make for a clean workspace then set up nets and foamed smaller holes.
My advice, if you have a large building and begin seeing bats...build the bat houses! The cost of doing nothing is much greater!
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Bat removal cost
Amount: $1,240.00
Posted by: Brian Wayne in Worcester, MA.Posted: March 13th, 2017 02:03PM
Firm: Colonial pest control
2 story house. 800 sq. Ft base. Installed multiple bat tubes and seal other spots. 5+ bats
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Second time was the charm
Amount: $2,700.00
Posted by: Beth R in Ambler, PA.Posted: July 18th, 2016 08:07PM
Removal Method: one way doorsNumber of Bats: Too many
Firm: www.BatFreeBuildings.com
Critter control came out 2 springs ago, charged us $900 and seemed to know what they were doing. The following summer my son caught 3 bats and I called someone else. Matt from Batfreebuildings came out and found 3 more active entry points and many other possible spots that were never sealed. He color matched my trim with the sealant and even made what had already been sealed by the first company look better. Not to mention it's been over a year now and not a sign of them!
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Virginia Bat Removal
Amount: $3,200.00
Posted by: Old Guy in Patrick County, VA.Posted: June 15th, 2016 05:06AM
Removal Method: Seal openings drive them out with chem sNumber of Bats: 35+
Firm: Orkin
We have a 103 yr old farm house, 3-story with high metal roof. Orkin sealed all the openings on the roof between ridge and side flashing then drove them out with a chemical spray. Sealing used metal/fiber mesh. Lots of bat droppings were cleaned up and decontaminated. Required about 2-1/2 days.
Called Orkin back after 6 mos when I found pieces of the mesh on the ground around the house. Orkin came out, surveyed the work previously completed - found one area not sealed and fixed it.
Two mos later I have bats back in my attic - waiting for Orkin to schedule removing the new critters - do NOT expect to pay any additional $$. Am pleased with their work thus far.
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Bat removal attic
Amount: $495.00
Posted by: Doreen in jupiter, FL.Posted: March 24th, 2016 08:03PM
I can't tell you how honest this company is I had 2 other companies come out and try too charge me thousands and tell me I needed so much more work then I needed buzz away wildlife came out and I felt safe the minute I opened the door no sales just what actually needed to be done I highly recommend buzz away for all your needs
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New Orleans Bat Removal
Amount: $2,100.00
Posted by: Charles Parker in New Orleans, LA.Posted: April 22nd, 2015 08:04PM
Removal Method: ExclusionNumber of Bats: 1,000 +
Firm: Parker Wildlife Control
This removal was done at an apartment complex and required a 100ft firewall to be sealed as well. Tenants heard the bats scratching in the wall. Job took 3 days total.
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Bat Removal Michigan
Amount: $185.00
Posted by: Bat Removal & Prevention, Inc. in Troy, MI.Posted: January 16th, 2015 10:01AM
Removal Method: Bat ExclusionNumber of Bats: 5
Firm: Bat Removal and Prevention, Inc.
We recently did a job in Troy, Michigan that had just a handful of bats in mid-December. It was hard to tell how many had been in over the years or how long they had bunkered down the the attic but the result was a total attic restoration.
We had to remove all of the existing insulation and remove the bats by hand because of all the damage. The total was close to $6,000 all of which was covered by the home owners insurance company. Their only expense was our local inspection rate.
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Extreme Bat Removal
Amount: $20,000.00
Posted by: Christophor Steffey in Riverside, CA.Posted: July 27th, 2012 10:07PM
Removal Method: One way doorsNumber of Bats: 200
Firm: Right Way Animal Control
We had a log house. Aprox. 3000 ft. We had to seal every log and install 20 bat doors. Then we had extreme clean up in the attic and windows. We installed 10 bat houses which they took residence in.
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Michigan Bat Removal
Amount: $800.00
Posted by: Joe Willis in Lainsburg, MI.Posted: February 15th, 2012 10:02AM
Removal Method: Live Bat ExclusionNumber of Bats: 1,0000
Firm: Michigan Bat Control Inc.
We worked on a bat exclusion project in Lainsburg, MI where the bats had been living there for over 20 years. Exclusion was easy because the bats were giving clear cut evidence where they were going in and out. The attic was so bad we had to completely removal of the drywall on the ceiling and walls. Some boards were even rotted because of the urine and bat guano. When it was all said and done the home owner had about $800.00 out of his pocket spent on getting rid of the bats and the insurance paid for the damages which were near $10,000.
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External Resources:
  1.  www.getbatsout.com/essential-bat-removal-guide/
  2.  www.batmanagement.com/Ordering/guanocleanup/cleanup.html
  3.  batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/bats-in-buildings/subcategory/69.html
  4.  batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/removing-a-bat.html
  5.  www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/beasts/default.asp
  6.  www.thebatguy.com/batexclusions.html
  7.  www.batmanagement.com/Ordering/batboxes/metal/SevenChamber.html
  8.  batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/bats-in-buildings/subcategory/68.html
  9.  batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/bats-in-buildings/professional-excluders.html
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