How Much Does a Rat Exterminator Cost in Raleigh? [2025 Data]

If you see a rat in your home, you want to remove it immediately. The cost to exterminate rats in Raleigh, NC, ranges from $87 to $229, with homeowners spending an average of $152. The exact cost depends on the location and extent of the infestation, the size of your home, and the recommended treatment method. Learning how these factors affect the costs can help you plan your rat extermination budget.

Rat Exterminator Cost Factors

Local rat exterminators in Raleigh, NC, offer several levels of service. Your price will increase if you select options that prevent rats from coming back or address any damage to your home.

Infestation Location

The rats’ location affects extermination costs, and an inaccessible infestation means higher labor costs. Exclusion can quickly become expensive if rats are inside the walls or have caused internal damage to insulation or ductwork.

Infestation Size

The larger the rat problem, the longer inspections, exclusions, and extermination steps will take, which adds to the cost. A large infestation requires more traps, bait stations, and more serious eradication methods, such as fumigation. Since rats can produce up to 6 litters each year, catching an infestation early is important.

Home Size

The average home size in Raleigh is 2,188 square feet. Whole-home rat extermination in a home of this size will typically cost between $840 and $2,520. In general, the more space a professional has to inspect for signs of rats, the more it will cost. If you choose exclusion services to seal and block rodent-friendly entrances, bigger homes may require more work. This is also why infestations limited to sheds, barns, or other separate buildings will be significantly less expensive. For fumigation, you'll pay $0.42 to $1.26 per square foot.

Cost of Rat Extermination Methods 

Once you’ve confirmed signs of a rodent infestation, rat exterminators can approach your rodent infestation in several ways. Let’s look at common rat extermination methods and how much exterminators charge for those services.

Live Rat Removal Cost

Most exterminators charge around $20 to transport each live rat caught from your property. Exterminators charge for removal because they incur fuel and labor costs while traveling at least a mile from your home to send the rat to its new happily ever after. 

Rat Exclusion

Many exterminators will seal off all entry points where rats can enter your home. The most common exclusion strategy is sealing holes. However, exclusion can also include screening crawl spaces and roof vents, repairing holes, and pruning back trees that rats use as stairs into your home. The cost of exclusion ranges from $80 to $250.

Fumigation Costs

If your rat exterminator suggests fumigation, a last resort method for a severe and dangerous rat infestation, expect to pay $0.42 to $1.26 per square foot. Similar to termite fumigation, everyone will likely need to leave the house for one to two days while the chemical does its job.

Follow-Up Visits

Most rat exterminators will arrange follow-up visits to check for signs that more rats are on your property, such as new nests. If they laid bait or traps, pros examine the results and determine whether additional steps are needed. You can expect to pay around $20 to $60 for follow-up visits, which a pro may bundle in your estimate.

Extermination Pro Costs

Rat extermination is a job that’s best left to a professional. The cost to hire a pest control pro in Raleigh depends on several factors, which are explained in detail below.

Labor

The cost of living in Raleigh, NC, is about 3% lower than the national average. Therefore, your labor costs for rat extermination should also be slightly lower than average. However, you’ll likely pay a premium if you need immediate extermination services. Ask your exterminator whether they charge per rat, per hour, per day, or per project to get a clearer picture of the total labor costs.

Inspection

Before your exterminator can proceed with treatment, they’ll need to know where the infestation is and how many rats are in your home. An inspection, which costs between $40 and $80, will help the exterminator better understand the problem to determine the best path forward. Ask whether your pest control pro will waive the inspection fee if you hire them for rat extermination services.

Cleanup and Repairs

Rats aren’t exactly clean, so after the rodents are gone from your home, you’ll need to focus on cleanup and repairs. You’ll probably have remnants of nests, gnawed materials, and rat droppings. It’s essential to thoroughly clean and sanitize the area to prevent the spread of disease, so you may prefer to hire a pro for this. 

Rats often cause damage to your home’s drywall, electrical wires, pipes, and HVAC ductwork. The following table shows the average costs for repairing these areas following a rat infestation.

Does Rat Extermination Increase Home Value?

Rat extermination services won’t directly impact your home’s value and certainly won’t increase it. However, failing to hire a rat exterminator when needed could cause your home’s value to decrease. No homebuyer wants to make an offer on a home that has signs of a rodent infestation. And if you do get an offer, it may be below the asking price, or the buyer may require you to hire an exterminator, clean the area, and repair any damage before they’ll close on the sale. It’s best to call a pro as soon as you notice signs of rats in your home to prevent future issues.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi 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. 

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