The short version
Most rodent jobs in Kent cost a few hundred dollars up to about $1,500. That usually covers inspection, trapping and sealing. Attic cleanup is extra.
- Most rodent jobs in Kent cost a few hundred dollars to about $1,500.
- Inspections usually cost $75–$250.
- Sealing the gaps is what keeps rodents out.
- Attic cleanup is usually priced separately.
- Compare what each quote seals, not just the total.
Homeowners, renters and landlords in Kent who are hearing, seeing or smelling signs of rodents.
What to look for
Rodents are mostly unseen. You hear them at night and find droppings by morning. A mouse fits through a gap the size of a dime. For Kent homes, mice usually start moving indoors in September and October, as nights get colder. Seeing one in daylight usually means there are more.
- 1Rodent hair or droppings inside HVAC ducts.
- 2Small dark droppings on top of the water heater.
- 3Scratching or scurrying sounds in walls or ceilings at night.
- 4Disturbed insulation or tunnels in the attic.
- 5Food scattered or hollowed-out fruit and nuts.
- 6Fresh gnaw marks on door corners or garage weatherstripping.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Mice breed fast, every few weeks.
- Droppings and urine contaminate food and insulation.
- Gnawed wiring can be a fire risk.
- Nests and odor get harder to clean the longer they stay.
- Deer mice can carry hantavirus.
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Estimate rodent control cost in Kent
Adjust for your situation to see a ballpark range.
Estimated range
A rough guide only. Your quote depends on your house and what the inspection finds.
Treatment options and typical costs
Inspection and Entry-Point Mapping
$75–$250
For Kent homes, a rodent inspection begins outdoors, checking the foundation, rooflines and utility lines for gaps. Indoors, they check attics, crawlspaces and behind appliances.
- Time
- 60–90 minutes
- Best for
- Every job; nothing else works without it
Tamper-Resistant Exterior Bait Stations
$100–$300 setup, $40–$80 per service visit
Rodenticides are regulated, and some products are restricted to licensed applicators. Ask which product they use. Ask how they protect pets and wildlife.
- Time
- 30–45 minutes per visit, ongoing
- Best for
- Outdoor rat pressure; ongoing perimeter protection
Attic and Crawlspace Cleanup and Sanitation
$500–$3,000, higher if insulation is replaced
Soaked or matted insulation usually has to be replaced. That drives the top of the range in Kent, so ask for a separate line item for insulation.
- Time
- Half day to two days
- Best for
- Heavy contamination; odor, urine-soaked insulation, nesting
Sealing and Rodent-Proofing
$200–$1,500, more for large or complex homes
Mice fit through quarter-inch gaps; rats need only half an inch. That's why Kent sealing work goes beyond the obvious holes to weep holes, vent screens, and garage door corners.
- Time
- 2–6 hours, sometimes a full day
- Best for
- Stopping re-entry for good; the lasting fix
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
Cardboard boxes make easy nests and the gap under an overhead door makes an easy entrance. Plastic bins and a fresh door seal fix both.What rodent control costs in Kent.
- Inspection and Entry-Point Mapping: $75–$250 - Tamper-Resistant Exterior Bait Stations: $100–$300 setup, $40–$80 per service visit - Attic and Crawlspace Cleanup and Sanitation: $500–$3,000, higher if insulation is replaced - Sealing and Rodent-Proofing: $200–$1,500, more for large or complex homes - A typical home in Kent is worth around $550k. Sealing the gaps protects that, and it's the part that lasts. Crawl-space homes need vents and doors sealed too.
Which rodents live around Kent.
Roof rats turn up in parts of Washington. They climb and come in high, through attics and rooflines. Deer mice live around Kent too, mostly near open land and in sheds or cabins. They can carry hantavirus, so clean up their droppings carefully. House mice are the most common rodent in Kent homes. They're small, curious and breed quickly. Norway rats are the other usual suspect. They burrow along foundations and enter low.
Fall is when rodents head indoors. Leaf piles against the foundation hide burrows and gaps, so clear them and walk the wall before the first cold snap.When they move in.
Spring is breeding season. Small problems grow fast. Check for gaps before then.
How they get into houses here.
Look for gaps where pipes and wires pass through the floor. Homes from Kent out to Auburn and Federal Way share the same weak spots, so the checklist below works across the area. For roof rats, check soffit vents, gable vents and eaves. Trim branches back from the roof. A lot of houses around Kent have crawl spaces, and crawl vents and access doors are the usual way in. Check that vent screens are intact. Make sure the crawl door closes tight.
A year of rodents in Kent.
- Winter: with lows near 36°F in Kent, check the attic, garage and pantry for droppings. - Spring: breeding season. Act on any sign quickly. - Summer: with highs around 77°F in Kent, rodents look for water. Fix drips and leaks. - Fall: mice move indoors as nights cool. Seal gaps in September.
Mice or rats?
- Holes: mice chew dime-sized holes. Rats chew holes closer to quarter-sized. - Sounds: mice sound light and quick. Rats sound heavier. - Behavior: mice are curious about new traps. Rats avoid them for days. - Rub marks: rats leave greasy smudges along walls and beams. - Droppings: mouse droppings are rice-sized. Rat droppings are two or three times bigger.
Sealing small gaps yourself.
- Sealant or mortar: cover the mesh so it stays put. - Hardware cloth: use quarter-inch mesh over vents and larger holes. - Door sweeps: close the gap under garage and exterior doors. - Expanding foam: fine on top of mesh, useless on its own. - Check your work: daylight through a gap means it isn’t sealed. - Steel wool or copper mesh: pack it into small gaps first.
Cleaning up droppings safely.
- Wear rubber or plastic gloves. - Spray droppings with a bleach solution, then wait five minutes. - Wipe up with paper towels and bag them. - Don’t sweep or vacuum droppings dry. It stirs up dust. - Wash your gloved hands, then your hands. - Air the room out for 30 minutes first.
What happens at an inspection.
Inside, they check the kitchen, garage and attic. They'll also check the crawl space. You should come away with a list of entry points. Photos help. Most inspections take about an hour. The inspector walks the outside first. They check the foundation, vents, rooflines and utility gaps.
Rodents in the car.
Check the air filter box for nesting. Clear birdseed and pet food from the garage. Mice and rats nest in engine bays and chew wiring. Park in a closed garage when you can.
Bird feeders and rodents.
If rodents show up, bring feeders in at night. Store seed in a metal can with a tight lid. Spilled seed feeds mice and rats. Use a seed tray and sweep up spills.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- Which gaps will you seal, and with what? - How many trap visits are included? - What happens if they come back? - Is cleanup included, or extra? - Will you use poison inside? (Ask them not to.) - Where are they getting in?
Ways to keep the cost down.
- Store food and pet food in sealed bins. - Act early, before rodents spread to the attic. - Compare what each quote seals, not just the price. - Clear clutter so gaps are easy to reach.
Rodents by the numbers.
For Kent homes, those three findings — species, entry points, and scale — are what a quote should be built on, not a regional average. For Kent homes, ask any provider to show you the entry points and the plan before you compare numbers. National surveys set rough expectations but cannot diagnose one house. For Kent homes, what actually matters is a walk-through: where the droppings are, how the rodents are getting in, and how large the colony is.
What affects the price
- Exterior bait stations and ongoing service frequency.
- Emergency or short-notice scheduling.
- Materials used for sealing: mesh, sheet metal, mortar.
- Home size, stories, and roofline complexity.
- Local labor rates and licensing costs.
- Number of entry points found during inspection.
- Follow-up visits included versus billed separately.
- Number of trapping visits needed to reach zero.
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What's your biggest concern about rodent control costs?
When to call for help
Call if you hear them in the attic or walls. Droppings in several rooms are another sign. So is a dead-rodent smell. Call right away if you see rats. They take a longer, more careful approach. Attic cleanup is hard to do safely without training.
What you can do yourself
Seal small gaps with steel wool and sealant. Rooflines, vents and attics are harder. That's where a pro's sealing work pays off. Start tonight with snap traps along the walls. Bait them with peanut butter. Store food in sealed bins.
Rodents in Kent
With about 39 inches of rain a year, Kent gives rodents plenty of water, so food and shelter are what you control. Winter lows average around 36°F in Kent, and that cold is what sends mice looking for a way in. In denser parts of Kent, rats travel along alleys, fences and utility lines, so neighbors often share the problem. A typical home in Kent is worth around $550k, and chewed wiring or soiled insulation can get expensive.
Local research
Rodents in Kent, WA: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which rodents actually live in Washington, when they are busiest around Kent, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Rat litter size
Old World rats are not regulated; killing is unrestricted.
WDFWRat entry hole
Footprint about 1/2 inch long; incisors grow 5 inches a year.
WDFWRodent species recorded in Washington
- House mouse (Mus musculus) — Enters at 1/4 inch; 5-10 litters per year; eats about 200 small meals a night.
- Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) — Burrowing rat of basements, sewers and ground floors; tail shorter than head plus body.
- Roof rat (Rattus rattus) — Climber of attics and trees in warm and coastal regions; tail longer than head plus body.
- Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) — Primary U.S. hantavirus carrier; lives throughout Washington and the interior West.
When rodents are busiest around Kent
Year-round; roof rats in Puget Sound attics.
Rules that apply in Washington
For context, nationally
- 1/4 inch (the width of a pencil) — Smallest gap a mouse can enter. CDC
- 890; 35% fatal; 94% west of the Mississippi — Hantavirus cases reported since 1993 (through 2023). CDC
Sources: Hantavirus; WDFW; CDC; Pest Notes: House Mouse; Pest Notes: Rats. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep rodents away
- Move compost bins away from the house and use closed models.
- Insert metal weep-hole guards in brick veneer.
- Clean up pet waste and do not leave bowls out overnight.
- Keep ivy, shrubs, and firewood away from the foundation.
- Check crawlspace doors and vents for chewed openings each fall.
- Cover dryer and exhaust vents with metal louvered covers.
Shared basements and utility rooms are where rodent problems in rentals usually start. Landlords should walk them each fall and after every tenant turnover.Did you know?
A house mouse can jump about a foot straight up.
For Kent homes, rats are strong swimmers and can tread water for a long time, which is why they sometimes travel sewer lines.
Questions people ask
What do exterior bait stations cost?
Usually a setup fee plus a monthly or quarterly service charge. Ask how many stations they'll use and how often they're checked.
Can I lower the cost by doing some work myself?
Yes. Clear garage clutter. Trim branches off the roof. That makes the sealing faster.
Does home size change the price?
Yes. Bigger houses have more walls and roofline to seal. Attics and crawl spaces add time too.
Is a quarterly rodent plan worth it?
It can be, after repeat problems. Homes near fields or water benefit most. For a one-time issue, a single sealing job is often enough.
Will rodent control harm my pets?
It shouldn't. Traps go where pets can't reach. Bait stations are locked. Tell the company about your pets before they start.
Why do rodents keep coming back every year?
Usually because the entry points were never sealed. Traps remove the rodents inside. New ones follow the same path in.
Do ultrasonic repellers work?
Not reliably. Rodents get used to the sound within days. It doesn't pass through walls either. Sealing and trapping work better.
Do homes with rodents usually have other pests too?
Often enough to matter. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Housing Survey (AHS) counted 2.9 million occupied homes that had seen both rodents and cockroaches in the preceding year.
How many homes in the U.S. have mice or rats?
About one in eight report them. Eleven point nine percent of occupied U.S. homes reported seeing rodents or signs of them in the previous 12 months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Housing Survey (AHS).
Are rodents a problem in Kent?
They're common here, as almost everywhere. House mice cause most problems.
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Sources (11)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Rodent Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides