Should you exclude bats yourself or pay someone? The answer mostly comes down to three things: the size of the colony, how hard your roof is to reach, and how much you like standing on a ladder.
Both routes can work, and the deciding factors are the size of the colony, how hard your roof is to reach, and how comfortable you are working on a ladder. They just have very different price tags, timelines, and ways of going wrong. For your own house, run the details through my wildlife removal cost calculator first.
What each option really costs
There is no honest itemized price list for bat work, because prices swing hard by region, house size, and season. Here’s the honest shape of it.
DIY means you’re buying the exclusion valves, the hardware cloth, the caulk, a chimney cap if you need one, and the safety gear, then doing the work yourself over one or two weekends. The materials are the cheap part. Your time, your ladder, and your willingness to crawl around a roofline are the real cost.
Professional means you’re paying for the materials plus labor plus cleanup. A pro handles the whole job, and most will guarantee their work for a stretch of years. That guarantee is the main reason the price is higher.
The figures published by the large removal companies run from a few hundred dollars on the low end to a few thousand for a large colony with a lot of cleanup. Your best move is to get a few written quotes and compare them, not to trust a single number you read online.
When DIY makes sense
Doing this yourself makes sense only if most of these are true:
- The colony is small and clearly confined to the attic, not the walls or chimney.
- It’s a simple, single-story roofline you can reach safely from a ladder.
- The entry points are visible and you can actually reach them.
- You’re comfortable working at height.
- The guano buildup is minimal.
- You have the time to do it right over a week or two.
If you go this route, start with a bat inspection so you know every entry point before you seal anything.
When to hire a pro
Call someone instead of climbing the ladder if:
- The colony is large, or you can’t tell how many bats you’re dealing with.
- The roof is steep, high, or multi-story with a lot of valleys.
- The bats are in wall cavities or another spot you can’t reach.
- The guano is deep, which means real cleanup and respirator-grade work.
- The bats have been there for more than one season.
- You’re not sure about the species or whether it’s legally protected.
- You’ve already tried and failed, or you physically can’t work at heights.
How to pick the right company
Not every “wildlife removal” outfit is good at bats. Here’s what separates the ones I’d hire:
- Licensed by the state wildlife agency, which bat work requires in most states.
- Specializes in bat exclusion, not general pest control.
- Uses one-way valves, never traps or poison. If they offer to “remove” bats with traps, walk away. That’s illegal for bats.
- Gives you a written warranty, usually for several years.
- Has reviews that specifically mention bat work.
- Carries liability insurance and workers’ comp.
Ask about their exclusion method and their warranty before you sign anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually not. Most policies exclude bat removal and the damage a colony causes, though some cover structural damage in narrow cases. Check your policy and ask your agent.
Most pros install the valves in a day or two, leave them up for about a week while the bats leave, then come back to remove the valves and seal the last openings.
Yes. Get multiple quotes and compare. Some companies discount off-season work, and bundling the inspection with the exclusion can bring the price down.
A decent company warranties the work. If bats get back in during the warranty window, they return and fix it at no charge. That’s the single biggest reason to pay a pro.
Yes. If it’s maternity season, or you can’t confirm the roost is empty, or the entry points are high and hard to reach, a small colony can still turn into dead bats in your attic. When in doubt, call a pro.
