A raccoon on your roof at night is usually doing one of three things: travelling between food and its den, hunting grubs and moths on the shingles, or scouting your roof for a way inside. The fix is to figure out which one, cut off its climbing routes, and seal weak points — before a nightly visitor becomes an attic tenant.
If you’re lying in bed listening to slow, heavy footsteps overhead, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. We take these calls regularly across Grey-Bruce. Here’s what’s actually happening up there, what the sounds tell you, and what to do about it — in the right order.
Why do raccoons climb on roofs at night?
Raccoons are nocturnal, and your roof is prime real estate to them. There are four common reasons one keeps showing up:
- It’s a travel route. Rooflines, fences, and connected structures act like raccoon highways between a food source (garbage, bird feeders, pet food, a neighbour’s compost) and wherever the animal is denning. If your roof sits along that route, you’ll hear regular traffic.
- It’s scouting a den site. Raccoons inspect chimneys, roof-wall junctions, plumbing vents, and soffit returns looking for a warm, dry cavity. A raccoon that pauses in the same spot night after night is often testing that spot.
- It’s eating off your roof. Shingles collect June bugs, moths, and grubs, and moss holds insects too. A raccoon can spend a surprising amount of time grazing up there.
- A mother is casing the place. Before giving birth in spring — and before settling in for winter — female raccoons check out several den options. Attics and chimneys top the list because they’re warm, dark, and safe from predators.
The first two or three visits might be harmless curiosity. Repeated visits usually mean your roof has made the shortlist.
Is that sound a raccoon or a squirrel?
The timing and weight of the noise tell you a lot. Raccoons are the size of a small dog; squirrels are not — and the difference is easy to hear.
| What you hear | When | Likely animal |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy thumps, slow deliberate walking, dragging sounds | After dark, often 10 p.m.–5 a.m. | Raccoon |
| Light, fast scampering and rolling sounds | Dawn and daytime | Squirrel |
| Fluttering, chirping near a vent or chimney | Daytime, spring/summer | Birds |
| Faint scratching or squeaking at dusk | Just after sunset | Bats or mice |
If the sound is loud enough to wake you and it moves slowly across the roof, you’re almost certainly dealing with a raccoon. If those sounds ever seem to drop down — into a wall, a chimney, or the attic — stop reading and skip ahead to the “when to call” section, because the situation has changed.
Why a nightly roof visitor is a warning sign — especially in fall
Here’s a common pattern: a homeowner hears roof noises in September, figures the raccoon is “just passing through,” and calls us in November when it’s living in the attic.
A raccoon that visits your roof regularly has already learned three things — how to get up, that nothing chases it off, and where the structure is weakest. When the first cold snap hits Grey-Bruce, that knowledge turns into a decision. Raccoons don’t hibernate, but they do hole up somewhere warm for the worst of winter, and an attic they’ve already inspected is the obvious choice.
Fall is the window to act. The animal is still outside, nothing is denning in your house yet, and prevention is straightforward. Our guide to getting your home wildlife-proofed before winter walks through the full seasonal checklist — the roof items below are the raccoon-specific pieces.
How are raccoons getting up there?
Raccoons are excellent climbers, but they still need a route. Walk around your house and look for these:
- Overhanging tree branches. The number one ladder. Any branch within about a metre of the roofline is an easy jump.
- Downspouts and corner trim. Raccoons shimmy up downspouts and grip corner trim boards like a climbing wall.
- Fences and decks that meet the house. A fence line running to your wall is a ramp to the eaves.
- Attached or adjacent structures. Garages, carports, porch roofs, and sheds give a raccoon a two-stage climb — ground to low roof, low roof to main roof.
- Stacked items against the wall. Firewood, bins, and ladders left leaning on the house all shorten the climb.
The fixes that actually work
- Trim branches back so nothing hangs within a metre or two of the roof.
- Wrap downspouts or climbable corners with smooth sheet metal for the bottom section — raccoons can’t grip it.
- Create a gap between fence tops, trellises, or stored items and the house wall where you can.
- Remove the reason for the trip: secure garbage lids, bring pet food in at night, and take bird feeders down for a few weeks if visits are frequent. For more on discouraging them, see our tips on how to keep raccoons away from your property.
You won’t always be able to remove every route — sometimes the house layout simply favours the raccoon. That’s when sealing the roof’s weak points matters most.
What roof damage should I check for?
A raccoon that’s been visiting may already have started working on an entry. From the ground with binoculars — or from a ladder only if you’re comfortable and it’s safe — check:
- Lifted or curled shingles at the roof edges, especially above the eavestrough, where raccoons pry to reach the wood beneath
- Torn or pushed-in soffit corners, particularly where a lower roof meets an upper wall — a classic raccoon entry point
- Bent, loose, or missing vent caps on plumbing stacks and roof vents
- A missing or damaged chimney cap — an open flue is an open invitation, and raccoons den in chimneys often enough that we wrote a full guide on getting a raccoon out of your chimney
Also scan for greasy rub marks and muddy paw prints on downspouts and trim. Raccoons leave a visible trail on the routes they use repeatedly.
What NOT to do about a raccoon on the roof
A few well-meaning moves make this problem worse — or dangerous:
- Don’t corner or confront it on the roof. A raccoon with no exit will defend itself, and a startled raccoon plus a startled homeowner on a sloped roof at night is how people get hurt. Raccoons generally avoid conflict, but you should know when raccoons can be dangerous before getting close to one.
- Never use poison. It’s illegal for raccoons in Ontario, it’s cruel, and it often ends with a dead animal decomposing inside your walls or roof. We never use poison — humane removal and exclusion work better in every way.
- Don’t seal anything until you’re certain nothing is inside. This is the big one. If a raccoon — or her babies — is already denning in the attic or chimney and you close the entry, you’ve trapped animals inside your house. Check for the signs of a raccoon in your attic first, and if something is already living in there, follow the proper process for getting raccoons out of the attic before any sealing happens.
- Don’t count on trapping to solve it. In Ontario, a trapped raccoon can only be relocated up to 1 km — which for a roof visitor is often within its normal range. Removing the routes and sealing the structure is what actually ends the visits.
When should you call a professional?
Plenty of one-off roof visits resolve on their own once you tighten up food sources and trim a branch. Call us when you see any of these:
- Repeated visits — the same heavy footsteps several nights a week
- Signs of entry work — lifted shingles, torn soffit, a bent vent cap, or a missing chimney cap
- Sounds moving into the structure — thumps that become scratching in the attic, a wall, or the chimney
- Any daytime raccoon activity on the roof, which often points to a mother with a den nearby
The Critter Guy has been handling raccoon problems across Grey-Bruce since 2005. When you call 519-783-1575, a real person — Dave or Roman — answers, asks what you’re hearing and when, and gives you a clear, honest quote up front. We inspect the whole roofline, confirm whether anything is already inside, remove animals humanely, and seal the entry points so the problem stays solved. We hold a 4.6-star rating from 36 Google reviews — you can read what your neighbours say on our testimonials page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a raccoon on the roof dangerous?
Not directly — a raccoon on the roof wants nothing to do with you and will usually leave if it hears people. The real risk is what comes next: entry into your attic or chimney, where raccoons cause insulation damage and leave droppings that can carry raccoon roundworm. Treat the roof visits as your early warning, not the emergency itself.
Will a raccoon damage my roof?
It can. Raccoons have strong, dexterous front paws and will pry at shingles, soffit, and vent caps when they want in. Even without breaking through, repeated traffic can loosen edge shingles and bend flashing. A quick inspection after a few weeks of visits is worth your time — small prying damage is far easier to fix than an occupied attic.
How do I keep raccoons off my roof long-term?
Three layers: remove the food draw (secured garbage, no overnight pet food, feeders down during problem stretches), remove the routes (branches trimmed, downspouts wrapped, gaps between fences and walls), and harden the roof (chimney cap on, vent caps secure, soffit corners tight). Do all three and your roof drops off the raccoon’s route. We install exclusion materials that stand up to determined animals if the DIY versions aren’t holding.
What if I hear it in the attic right now?
Then it’s no longer a roof problem — you likely have a den, and from late winter through summer there’s a real chance of babies. Don’t seal anything and don’t set a trap. Read the signs of a raccoon in your attic to confirm, then get in touch or call 519-783-1575. Dave or Roman will walk you through exactly what happens next — humane removal, no poison, ever.
Hearing thumps overhead tonight? Don’t wait for the sounds to move inside. Contact The Critter Guy or call 519-783-1575 — we’ll figure out why the raccoon likes your roof and make sure it never becomes a tenant.