Soffit, fascia and vent sealing
Squirrels gnaw edges and raccoons pull loose boards. Metal flashing and mesh over vents and corners stop both, and are fastened so a pry does not lift them.
Serving King County
Squirrel and Raccoon Exclusion in Seattle
Attic, soffit and chimney entry points found and sealed so squirrels and raccoons cannot get in, with a plan for animals already inside.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Damp wood and crawl-space pests
- Price confirmed before treatment
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Squirrels & Raccoons
Squirrel and Raccoon Exclusion: what it covers
Quick answer
Squirrel and raccoon exclusion in Seattle means finding how the animals enter an attic, soffit or crawl space and closing those openings with sturdy materials. What a company may do with a live animal depends on Washington wildlife rules. Seattle Pest Control connects King County callers with an independent local company; a same-day visit is offered when a technician is free.
Squirrels and raccoons are wildlife, not pests in the narrow sense, and that changes the job. A mouse or rat is a structural pest and is handled with traps and sealing. A squirrel chewing through a soffit or a raccoon in a chimney is an animal that the state treats differently, and the rules on trapping, handling and moving it are set by Washington's wildlife authorities. This page does not summarize those rules, and no wildlife regulation is cited here. Ask on the phone what the attending company can and cannot do, and have them put it in writing.
What exclusion can do is shut the building to animals. That means finding the opening they used, checking for young, closing the opening with metal or heavy mesh, and fixing the damage that let them in. Seattle Pest Control is a call line, answered 24/7, that connects you with an independent local pest-control company. A same-day visit is offered only when a technician is free, and no arrival time is promised.
- Service area
- Seattle & King County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (855) 974-4733
Why do squirrels and raccoons target attics?
Attics are warm, dry and quiet, and give shelter for nests and young. Squirrels and raccoons look for a gap or a weak board near the roof, and a tree limb or fence that reaches the roof gives them a path. Once they are in, insulation makes a nest. Sealing the opening is the lasting fix.
Both animals are good climbers and persistent. A raccoon can lift a loose vent cover; a squirrel will gnaw a hole to widen a gap. A repair with weak materials is just an invitation to try again.
Spring and summer are common times for young, which is why timing of any sealing matters. If you suspect young, say so on the phone.
Can the company trap or relocate them?
That depends on Washington wildlife rules, which we do not summarize here. Ask the attending company what it will do with a live animal and what the law allows, and ask for that in writing. Exclusion, closing the entry points, is the part this service always covers.
The state wildlife agency sets the rules on handling wild animals, and they can change. A company that makes promises about relocation without explaining the legal side deserves a question.
For rats and mice, which are structural pests, see rat control and mouse control.
What materials hold up against squirrels and raccoons?
Metal and heavy wire mesh, fastened with screws, hold up. Sheet metal flashing covers gnawed corners, hardware cloth covers vents, and a chimney cap keeps flues clear. Foam, plastic and thin screens do not last, because these animals chew and pull at them.
The details matter: screws instead of staples, metal edges overlapping the wood and mesh that is too small to push through. A good quote names materials and where they go.
Wood that has been chewed or has rotted needs replacement first. Metal fixed to soft wood will not hold.
- Metal flashing over gnawed corners
- Heavy mesh over vents
- A fitted chimney cap
- Screws, not staples or tape
When is the right time to seal?
Once the animals are out and there are no young inside. Sealing too early can trap an animal or leave young to die in the attic. A technician checks before closing the openings, and may wait or arrange for animals to leave first. Do not seal an opening yourself until you are sure the attic is empty.
Listen over a few days at dawn and dusk, when adults come and go. If sounds stop and an inspection finds no nest, sealing can proceed.
If you hear chirping or chittering, tell the technician. Young animals change the plan.
Warning signs
Signs you need squirrel and raccoon exclusion
Do not enter an attic with animals in it, handle wild animals or block an opening before you are sure no animal is inside. Raccoons and squirrels can bite and scratch, and droppings can carry disease. Keep children and pets away from the attic and from any wild animal.
- Scratching, thumping or running overhead at dawn or dusk, which often suggests squirrels, or heavier movement at night, which suggests raccoons
- Chewed fascia, soffit or vent covers, with fresh wood showing around the edges
- Torn insulation, matted nests or droppings in the attic
- Raccoon tracks, torn garbage or upturned bins near the house
- A chimney, roof vent or dryer vent that is broken, bent or missing its cover
- Squirrels running along a branch, wire or fence directly to a roof edge
- Chirping or chittering sounds from the attic or a wall, which can be young animals
- A strong smell in the attic, which may come from droppings or urine
Our process
How our squirrel and raccoon exclusion visit works
Describe the sounds and signs
Say when you hear them, where, and what you have seen. Note any sign of young animals. A same-day visit is offered only when a technician is free, and no arrival time is promised.
Inspect the roof and exterior
The technician checks rooflines, soffits, vents, chimneys, dormers, tree branches that bridge to the roof, and any damaged or loose boards. Entry points are photographed.
Check the attic
Where it can be reached safely, the attic is checked for nests, droppings, damage and young. This tells the technician how many animals are involved and what needs cleaning.
Explain what can be done with the animals
The company tells you what it will do and what the law allows, and why. Sealing before young are out can trap them, so timing and humane handling are part of the plan.
Agree the price, then seal
The price is confirmed before work. Openings are closed with metal flashing, heavy mesh or a chimney cap, not foam or plastic, because both animals chew and tear.
Repair and prevent
Chewed wood, insulation and vent covers are identified for repair. Branches within reach of the roof and garbage that draws raccoons are discussed. A follow-up checks that the seals held.
Options
Types and options for squirrel and raccoon exclusion
Chimney and roof penetration caps
A properly fitted cap keeps raccoons and squirrels out of flues and vents while letting smoke and air through. A cap that is too loose is an invitation.
Branch and access management
Trimming limbs that touch or hang over the roof removes the bridge. Tree work near a roof is a job for an arborist, and the technician flags the limbs that matter.
Attic cleanup and repair
Droppings, nests and damaged insulation may need removing and replacing. This is separate from sealing, and the technician describes the condition before you decide.
Job stories
Typical jobs for squirrel and raccoon exclusion
Typical call: squirrels chewing a soffit in Medina
- What homeowners notice
- Scratching at dawn comes from above the garage of a large lakeside house, and a corner of the soffit is chewed where a tall fir limb touches the roof.
- What we do
- The technician inspects the roofline and the attic, finds the chewed corner and a loose vent cover, and explains what can be done about any animal inside and what the law allows. Once the attic is empty, the openings are covered with sheet metal and heavy mesh, and the limb that bridges to the roof is flagged for an arborist.
- What to expect
- With the openings closed in metal, further entry is less likely, and the owner has a list of damaged wood and insulation to repair.
Cost
How much does squirrel and raccoon exclusion cost in Seattle?
No outside price for squirrel or raccoon work is printed here. These are the things that move a quote.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Number of entry points | Varies | One chewed vent and a roofline with several gaps are different jobs |
| Height and roof pitch | Varies | Steep or tall roofs need more equipment and safety measures |
| Materials | Varies | Metal flashing, heavy mesh and chimney caps cost more than light covers |
| Animals present | Per case | What the company may do with live animals depends on state wildlife rules |
| Attic cleanup and wood repair | Quoted separately | Insulation replacement and carpentry are separate tasks and trades |
Your exact price is confirmed on site before work starts. For how quotes are built, see the Seattle cost guide.
Still stuck? We pick up 24/7.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent squirrel and raccoon exclusion, send the form and we'll call you back.
King County
Why squirrel and raccoon exclusion is different in Puget Sound
Wooded lots, ravines and greenbelts put attics near cover. Properties around Medina, Mercer Island, Kenmore, Sammamish, Redmond and Woodinville often have tall conifers and deciduous trees touching or overhanging roofs, and the parks and trails along Lake Washington and the Sammamish River bring wildlife close to houses. Roof contact is the usual route.
Soffits and eaves on larger homes offer long runs of vulnerable wood. After a few wet years, fascia can soften, and a squirrel does the rest. Older Seattle houses with original eaves and add-on dormers show the same weak points.
Kitsap County, across Puget Sound, has wooded, semi-rural lots where raccoons and squirrels are part of the landscape. Tell the person on the phone about outbuildings, chimneys and crawl spaces, since each can be an entry.
Related
Related services
Rodent Exclusion and Crawl Space Sealing
Sealing the openings that rats and mice use, crawl space first, so they cannot return once the current ones are gone.
Rat Control
Norway and roof rats need different handling. A technician finds the route in, removes the food and shelter, then treats.
General Pest Control
One visit to name the pest and find the way in, planned around Puget Sound's wet season and its spring ant swarms.
Where we work
Squirrel and Raccoon Exclusion across King County
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Seattle
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Medina
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Mercer Island
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Bellevue
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Kirkland
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Kenmore
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Renton
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Redmond
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Mountlake Terrace
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Sammamish
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Bothell
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Edmonds
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Woodinville
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Shoreline
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Lake Forest Park
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Burien
- Squirrels & Raccoons in SeaTac
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Tukwila
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Des Moines
- Squirrels & Raccoons in Lynnwood
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Rats in Seattle: Norway Rats, Roof Rats and What to Do About Them
Two species cause most rat complaints in Washington: the Norway rat, which burrows low, and the roof rat, which climbs.
FAQ
Squirrel and Raccoon Exclusion FAQs
Is this the same as rodent control?
No. Rats and mice are structural pests. Squirrels and raccoons are wildlife, with their own rules. See rodent exclusion for the sealing work they share.
Will you remove the animals?
What a company may do with a live animal depends on Washington wildlife rules, which are not summarized here. Ask on the phone and get the plan in writing.
How do I know if there are babies?
Chirping or chittering from the attic, especially in spring and early summer, may mean young. Tell the technician before any sealing begins.
Will they come back?
If the entry points are properly sealed with metal, return is less likely. No outcome is promised, and a follow-up check is wise.
Is raccoon droppings a health risk?
Raccoon droppings can carry parasites. Do not handle them with bare hands, and have large amounts cleaned by someone with the right gear.
Can I seal the hole myself?
Only after you are sure the animals have left. Roof and attic work is risky, and the wrong material is chewed through quickly.