How much does wildlife removal cost in Ontario? Honestly, it depends. The price comes down to the animal, how many there are, whether they’re inside or outside, how many entry points they’re using, whether there are babies, and how much cleanup and repair the job needs. No honest company can quote a real number without a look first.
That’s the truthful answer, and this post walks you through exactly what moves the price up or down. When you understand what a quote is really built on, you can tell the difference between a fair estimate and a lowball guess — and you’ll know what to expect before anyone sets foot on your roof.
Why isn’t there one flat price for wildlife removal?
Anyone who gives you an exact number over the phone — before they’ve seen your home, your attic, or where the animals are getting in — is guessing. A single skunk that wandered under your deck last night is a completely different job from a family of raccoons that has been living in your attic for a month.
At The Critter Guy, a real person answers the phone (no automated menu, no robot), and we come out, find what’s actually going on, and walk you through the quote before any work starts. You’ll know what you’re paying for and why, up front. We’re a family-run Ontario business — Dave and Roman have been doing this since 2005 — so the person you talk to is the person doing the work.
What actually drives the cost of wildlife removal?
A handful of things move the price more than anything else. Here’s each one, and why it matters for your job.
What kind of animal is it?
Every animal is handled differently, and that changes the work involved. A squirrel slipping into your attic is a simpler job than a raccoon that has torn open a roof vent, or a skunk denning under a deck where spray is a real risk. Bats are their own category, with strict rules about when they can and can’t be excluded. The species sets the method — and the method sets much of the cost.
How many animals are there?
One animal is one thing. A whole family is another. If a mother has settled in with a litter, the job takes more time and usually more than one visit, because the young have to be handled humanely and every animal has to be accounted for before we seal up. More animals means more work, and that shows up in the quote.
Are they inside your home or outside?
It’s almost always simpler to deal with an animal outside — under a shed, in the yard — than one that has moved inside your walls, attic, or crawl space. Indoor jobs mean working in tight, awkward spaces, finding exactly where the animal is, and making sure it’s fully out before we close things up. That extra care and time raises the cost compared to an outdoor job.
How many entry points are there?
Animals rarely use just one hole. They’ll have a main way in and a few backups. Every one of those gaps has to be found and sealed properly, or the animal simply comes back through the opening you missed. The more entry points your home has — and the more chewing or damage around them — the more sealing and exclusion work the job takes.
Are there babies involved?
During baby season, a mother raccoon, squirrel, or skunk almost always has young that can’t leave on their own. We can’t just seal her out and trap her, because that would leave helpless babies behind in your attic or wall. The humane approach — getting the whole family out together and reuniting them — takes more time, patience, and visits, which affects the price. It’s the right way to do it, and it’s the law in Ontario.
How much cleanup and decontamination is needed?
Once the animals are out, there’s often a mess left behind: droppings, urine, soiled insulation, and a lingering smell. A fresh entry with little mess is a small job. An attic that’s been used as a latrine for months may need soiled material removed and the area disinfected. The more contamination, the bigger the cleanup portion of the cost.
What repairs and proofing does it need?
Keeping animals out for good means fixing what let them in. That can mean patching chewed roof edges, capping vents, screening gaps, and reinforcing weak spots with materials animals can’t chew through. Sometimes it’s a quick seal; sometimes it’s real repair work on the roof or soffit. Solid proofing costs a little more up front, but it’s what stops you from paying for the same problem twice.
How hard is the access — roof height and tight spaces?
A one-storey bungalow with an easy-to-reach roofline is quicker to work on than a steep three-storey with a hard-to-reach peak, or a crawl space you can barely fit into. The harder and more time-consuming it is to safely reach the animals and their entry points, the more the job costs.
What time of year is it?
Season matters. Baby season changes both the method and the timing, since young are involved. Bats have legally protected windows when they can’t be excluded at all. And a busy stretch — like fall, when animals are looking for a warm place to winter — can affect scheduling. Timing shapes how a job is done, which feeds into the price.
How does The Critter Guy actually remove the animals?
We’re humane, full stop. Depending on the animal and situation, that usually means one-way doors that let animals leave on their own but not get back in, humane trapping and relocation where it fits, and sealing every entry point so the problem doesn’t repeat. Ontario law limits how far most wildlife can be relocated — generally within about one kilometre of where it was caught — so simply “taking it far away” isn’t legal or realistic. Doing it properly, and by the book, is part of what you’re paying for.
If it’s specifically raccoons you’re dealing with, our raccoon removal cost guide breaks down what drives the price for that animal in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Can you give me a price over the phone?
Not an accurate one, and we won’t pretend otherwise. We can talk you through what’s likely involved, but the honest quote comes after someone looks at what’s actually happening at your home. Then we walk you through the quote up front, before any work starts.
Why does removing babies cost more?
Because it takes more time and care. Young animals can’t leave on their own, so we have to get the whole family out humanely and make sure none are left behind before we seal up. That often means extra visits, which affects the price — but it’s the only right way to do it.
Do you relocate the animals somewhere far away?
We use humane methods, and often one-way doors and exclusion are the better long-term fix. Where relocation is appropriate, Ontario law limits it to roughly one kilometre from where the animal was caught, so we work within those rules rather than around them.
Is the cheapest quote the best deal?
Not usually. A cheap patch that misses an entry point or skips proper proofing just brings the animals back, and you end up paying again. Sealing the home properly the first time is what actually saves you money.
Get a straight answer for your home
Every home and every animal is different, so the only way to give you a real number is to see what’s going on. Give us a call — a real person picks up — and we’ll take a look, explain what the job involves, and walk you through an honest quote up front. We’re local, family-run since 2005, and you can read what Ontario homeowners say about us in our Google reviews.
Contact The Critter Guy and we’ll get you sorted.