Should you buy a house with bats in the attic?

Buying a house with bats in the attic

You can buy a house with bats in the attic once you know what the colony will cost to remove and clean up. Book a professional bat excluder to inspect the attic before your inspection deadline, then ask the seller to cover the written bid. That bid should cover three jobs: getting the bats out, sealing the gaps, and cleaning up the droppings. Many bat species are protected under federal law, so hire someone who does bat exclusion for a living.

Key takeaways

• A bat bite can be tiny enough to miss, so any bat in the living space gets tested.
• The excluder's inspection runs up to $300 and is often credited back if you hire the same company.
• If the seller already sealed the openings, ask the excluder to check for trapped bats.

Is it safe to live in a house with bats in the attic?

Living with bats in the attic carries two health risks: rabies from a bite and a lung infection from the droppings. Treat it as a health finding before a money one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that "bat bites can be tiny, and you may not even know if you were bitten."

If you find a bat in the living space, don't let it go. CDC says to contact animal control or your health department so the bat can be caught and tested for rabies. If anyone may have been bitten or scratched, CDC says to clean the wound and get medical care promptly. Bat Conservation International adds a call to your county health department.

The droppings are the second risk. Histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) links it to "disturbance of large accumulations of bird or bat droppings," such as shoveling droppings from a building. How sick someone gets depends partly on "the amount and length of the exposure." Don't clean up attic droppings yourself. That job belongs in the bid.

How much does bat removal cost?

HomeAdvisor puts a typical bat removal at $232 to $750, but colony size drives the price. For 2 to 50 bats with several entry points, the table's $400 to $1,500 is the figure to use, and larger colonies cost more. Cleanup and attic repair are separate jobs, priced on their own lines below.

Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional quote.

Cleanup runs higher the larger the colony and the longer it has been there, HomeAdvisor says. Here is a colony of 2 to 50 bats that has damaged the attic, on HomeAdvisor's figures. Only removal is priced by colony size, so cleanup and restoration are HomeAdvisor's full ranges:

• Removal, which for smaller colonies often includes sealing: $400 to $1,500
• Droppings cleanup, by how much is present: $500 to $8,000
• Attic restoration, by the extent of damage: $2,500 to $5,000
• Total, the three lines added: $3,400 to $14,500
• Inspection: up to $300 more, if it isn't credited back

HomeAdvisor says the removal cost "often includes sealing entries for smaller cases but can increase for larger colonies" and prices sealing nowhere else. For a larger colony, ask the excluder whether sealing is inside the removal bid or a separate line, and add it to your total if it is separate.

That total can land higher, since HomeAdvisor's restoration figure has no ceiling. The excluder's written bid replaces every figure here.

Are bats in the attic bad for the house?

Bats can damage insulation and wiring, and droppings can soak insulation until it needs replacing, according to HomeAdvisor. CDC says bats can squeeze through very narrow gaps. The fix is sealing every gap, not just the one the inspector saw.

When the gaps get sealed matters as much as how. Bat Conservation International warns: "Never simply wait for bats to fly out at night and then seal openings. Not all bats leave at the same time." If the seller has already sealed the openings, ask the excluder to check for trapped bats. The group lists strong putrid odors and dark stains on walls or ceilings as signs.

Who checks the attic before your deadline?

A professional bat excluder checks the attic. It's the trade that gets bats out of buildings and seals the gaps behind them. Bat Conservation International notes that "mishandling or killing a federally protected species can result in stiff penalties." The inspection finds the entry points, the colony size and the species. HomeAdvisor puts it at up to $300, often credited back if you hire the same company.

Ask the excluder when they can do the work at this address. CDC says most bats leave in the fall or winter to migrate, "so these are the best times to bat-proof your home." Bat Conservation International goes further: don't exclude bats during pup-rearing season, April to September in North America. Many states regulate bat exclusion, so check timing with your local wildlife agency.

Before you rely on a bid, check the company against Bat Conservation International's list:

• Verifiable bat removal experience
• Insurance for any damage during the work
• A guarantee on workmanship and materials for at least two years

For booking fast, see how to get repair estimates during the inspection period.

What should you ask the seller for?

Ask the seller for the excluder's written bid, as a credit or as finished work. A request line names the scope, the trade and where the figure came from: "Bat exclusion, sealing of all entry points, and removal of droppings and damaged attic insulation, professional bat excluder, per the attached written bid."

If the excluder says the work has to wait for fall, it won't be done before a summer closing. Ask for a credit and book the excluder yourself. If the seller does the work before closing, ask for the paid invoice and the written guarantee, and have the excluder confirm the droppings are gone.

What to ask for after a home inspection covers where this line sits on your list. The buyer repair request letter template covers the wording around it.

What if the seller says no?

If the seller says no, decide whether you can carry the bid yourself. Once an excluder has sized the colony and priced the cleanup, this is a known cost, not a guess. When to walk away after a home inspection walks through that call. Your contract sets the deadline and your right to cancel, so confirm both with your agent or attorney.

Does homeowners insurance cover bats in the attic?

Don't count on it. On bat removal, Progressive says: "Your insurance won't cover this expense, and cleanup will also be your responsibility." It adds that damage from bats "is often considered preventable and may not be covered." Ask your insurer for its answer on this house before your deadline.

If the bats are one line among many, upload your inspection report to Kept and spend your remaining days on the excluder's bid.

Sources

• CDC, Preventing Rabies from Bats
• CDC, About Histoplasmosis
• NIOSH, Histoplasmosis and Work
• Bat Conservation International, Bats in Homes and Buildings
• Progressive, Does Home Insurance Cover Animal Damage?
• HomeAdvisor, How Much Does Bat Removal Cost?
• Fixr, Bat Removal Cost
• This Old House, How Much Does Bat Removal Cost?