Mouse exterminator cost: $150 to $550 (HomeGuide 2026)

National figures. Sealing, cleanup and repairs are what move a mouse job from the low hundreds into the thousands.

Do this now: droppings, the CDC way

1. Do not sweep or vacuum droppings, urine or nests. The CDC says stirring up fresh material can put hantavirus into the air.
2. Open doors and windows for 30 minutes and leave the area while it airs (CDC).
3. Glove up. Rubber or plastic gloves (CDC).
4. Spray until wet and wait 5 minutes. An EPA-registered disinfectant, or 1.5 cups of bleach in 1 gallon of water (1 part to 9), mixed fresh; then wipe up with paper towels into a covered trash can (CDC).
5. Dead mice and nests: spray, soak, double-bag, and into a covered can (CDC). Wash hands with soap and warm water after the gloves come off.
6. Heavy infestation, or droppings in the ductwork? The CDC says contact a professional rodent exterminating service when rodents have reached heating or cooling ducts, and lists a HEPA respirator and coveralls for heavy cleanups.

Is it urgent? Mice in walls, wiring and ducts

Mice are urgent when they are in places that cost money by the day: UC IPM's house mouse note says a female may have 5 to 10 litters a year of 5 or 6 pups, HomeGuide prices rewiring after rodent damage at $5 to $17 per square foot, and the CDC says to call a professional when rodents have reached the heating or cooling ducts. A few mice in a kitchen can wait for a second bid; HomeGuide says trapping a few takes 2 to 3 days once it starts, while a severe infestation takes several months. After-hours visits add $100 to $200 (HomeGuide).

How much does a mouse exterminator cost?

A mouse exterminator costs $150 to $550 in HomeGuide's 2026 guide, with a $350 national average and a spread of $75 to $5,000; This Old House puts mice and other rodents at $180 to $600 and Fixr puts rodents at $225 to $500. HomeGuide's tiers explain the spread: a small infestation with one entrance sealed and minimal cleaning is $100 to $500, medium $500 to $1,000, and large, with repairs and full sanitizing, $1,000 to $7,000 or more. The inspection is $75 to $125 (HomeGuide). We publish costs and what the sources say the signs mean; we do not inspect homes or say whether a home needs treatment. A pest control company licensed in your state does that on site.

Signs of mice in the house

• Droppings in cabinets and drawers, pointed at one end and often containing hair (CDC).
• Fresh gnaw marks and tracks where mice are active (UC IPM); mouse tooth marks are about 1/12 inch (UC IPM rats note).
• A musky odor, common with large or long-term infestations (UC IPM).
• Nests of finely shredded paper behind boxes, in drawers, garages and woodpiles (UC IPM).
• Scratching noises, chewed food packaging and urine marks (HomeGuide).

UC IPM says mice eat up to 20 percent of their body weight a day in about 200 small meals, which is why droppings turn up in so many places at once. If the droppings are larger or the noise is in the attic, see rat exterminator cost.

Mice in walls: how to get rid of them, per the sources

Mice in walls come out to feed, so UC IPM's method is snap traps placed close to walls, behind objects and in dark corners, about 10 feet apart, because mice rarely travel more than 30 feet from the nest; a small dab of peanut butter on the trigger. UC IPM says rodenticides take several days and that mice may die inside walls, so trapping is better where odor is a concern. The wall problem ends only when the openings are sealed: UC IPM says sanitation alone seldom eliminates mice. A company would find the entry points, set and check traps, seal, and quote cleanup if the void is fouled; HomeGuide prices drywall repair at $300 to $1,500 or more.

Exclusion vs baiting

CDC Seal Up (2024), UC IPM House Mouse (2025), HomeGuide (Sep 2025).

The CDC says mice fit through a hole the width of a pencil, 1/4 inch, and lists where to look: around cabinets, closets, the fireplace, doors and windows, behind appliances, pipes under sinks and water heaters, vents, the attic, basement and crawl space inside; roof rafters, gables, eaves, soffits, the foundation gap and utility openings outside. Small holes get steel wool held with caulk or foam; larger ones lath screen, metal, cement, hardware cloth or sheeting (CDC). UC IPM adds that steel wool is a temporary plug that rusts, and that plastic screening, rubber, vinyl, expanding foam and wood on their own do not stop a mouse. All rodenticides are toxic to people, pets and wildlife and belong in tamper-proof stations (UC IPM).

Mouse droppings and hantavirus: when cleanup is a professional job

The CDC's heavy-infestation list calls for coveralls, boots or shoe covers, gloves, goggles and a half-mask respirator with HEPA filters or a powered air-purifying respirator, with the health department consulted; that is the point at which most households hire the cleanup. HomeGuide prices crawl space cleaning after a large infestation at $1,500 to $4,000 and attic insulation replacement at $2 to $6 per square foot. The CDC also lists the diseases rodents can carry, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever and salmonellosis, and says many do not make the rodent look sick.

Landlord responsible for mice?

In New York City, the housing agency says the Housing Maintenance Code and Health Code require owners to address infestations promptly, with 311 as the tenant's next step. Other cities' housing codes vary, and the lease may assign sealing and cleanup, so the first step in a rental is written notice to the landlord with photos. The pest control cost guide covers the apartment question.

Questions to ask a rodent company

• Is sealing included, and with what materials? The CDC and UC IPM list metal, cement, hardware cloth and lath screen; ask that foam is not used alone.
• Traps or bait, and why? UC IPM: trapping where odor in walls would be a problem; rodenticides in tamper-proof stations only.
• How many visits, and what does a follow-up cost?
• Is cleanup quoted separately? HomeGuide's large-infestation tier includes sanitizing; ask what is in yours.
• License number and proof of insurance (EPA).

Start at the pest control hub. Related: rat exterminator cost, emergency exterminator. City pages: pest control in Houston, pest control in San Antonio, pest control in Dallas, pest control in Austin, pest control in New York, pest control in Atlanta, pest control in Charlotte, pest control in Denver. Calls go to an independent pest control company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary and the company quotes its own inspection or first-visit fee. How calls work.