How Much Does a Rat Exterminator Cost in Portland, OR? [2025 Data]

While Portland residents are proud of their urban chickens and garden plots, no one signed up to let rats join the neighborhood co-op. Between rainy days, leafy yards, and the coziness of older homes, these critters have prime real estate at their paws. If you call in a pro, expect to pay about $313, with most Portland homeowners spending between $185 and $443, depending on the severity of the issue.

Rat Exterminator Cost Factors 

Norway rats are the main culprits in Portland, tunneling along the Willamette and sampling compost bins in Sellwood like food carts. The city’s beloved bungalows and craftsman homes, with their leaky basements and crawl spaces, are practically open invitations. Add in mild winters and drizzly days, storm drains and backyard compost piles become rodent condos.

Local rat exterminators 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 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 around $1 to $3 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 $40 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 $159 to $477.

Fumigation Costs

If your rat exterminator suggests fumigation, a last resort method for a severe and dangerous rat infestation, expect to pay around $1 to $3 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 $40 to $120 for follow-up visits, which a pro may bundle in your estimate.

Extermination Pro Costs

Hiring a rat exterminator in Portland may cost more than in some smaller cities, but local details offset the higher cost. While the cost of living here is about 17% higher than the national average, your out-of-pocket expenses for rat control services are nearly 21% less expensive. Additionally, Portland’s sales tax rate is 0%, making rat control slightly easier on the wallet than in states that tack on hefty taxes.

Most exterminators don’t charge by the hour. Instead, you’ll see these standard pricing setups:

• Flat fees handle simple one-time jobs, but rats usually need more.

• Recurring plans begin with an up-front fee, then monthly or quarterly visits.

• Larger homes push costs higher since big spaces take more treatment.

• Specialized methods fight Norway rats with sealing, nest removal, and baiting.

Does Rat Extermination Increase Home Value?

While it won’t offer the same boost as a brand-new kitchen, in Portland’s competitive housing market, showing a clean inspection report can set your home apart. No one wants to inherit a colony of rats hiding in the walls of a charming Alberta fixer-upper. Extermination removes the current problem and addresses structural vulnerabilities that buyers care about, like sealed crawl spaces and repaired foundations.

Think of rat extermination as an investment. A rat-free home signals to buyers that the property has been cared for, making it easier to sell and often boosting offers. In a city where homes move quickly, taking rats off the table ensures your listing highlights those gorgeous hardwoods or backyard garden instead of raising eyebrows over possible droppings in the attic.

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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