Rat Removal Cost: How Much Does It Cost to Get Rid of Rats?
What rat removal costs in the UK in 2026: market price ranges, our rat control from £200 with follow-ups included, and what pushes the price up.
By the Urgent Pest Control team
Updated · 7 min read
The short answer
Professional rat removal in the UK typically costs £150 to £300 for a standard home, according to MyJobQuote's September 2026 guide, and over £500 for severe infestations. Our rat control starts from £200, with follow-up visits included. Where the rats are, how many there are and any proofing or drain work change the price.
- MyJobQuote (September 2026) puts typical rat exterminator costs at £150 to £300, and severe infestations at over £500.
- Our rat control starts from £200, with follow-up visits included; the final price depends on the job.
- Rats in walls or linked to drains cost more than a simple garden treatment because the entry point has to be found.
- Proofing and drain repairs are usually priced separately; check what a quote includes before comparing.
- Some councils still treat rats, but many have stopped; our council guide lists each one in our area.
On this page
- How much does it cost to get rid of rats in the UK?
- What does our rat control cost?
- What changes the price of rat removal?
- Why do cheap quotes sometimes cost more?
- Can you get rid of rats yourself to save money?
- Does the council still deal with rats, and what does it charge?
- Does home insurance pay for rat removal?
- How much does it cost to stop rats coming back?
- Does rat removal cost more for a business?
- When to call a professional
Professional rat removal in the UK typically costs £150 to £300 for a standard home, according to MyJobQuote's rat exterminator cost guide (updated 14 September 2026), with severe infestations needing proofing and sanitation costing more than £500. Our rat control service starts from £200, with follow-up visits included. The final price depends on where the rats are, how established they are, and whether proofing or drain work is needed.
This guide sets out national market prices, what our price includes, what changes it, and how to compare quotes fairly.
How much does it cost to get rid of rats in the UK?
Most UK homes pay £150 to £300 for professional rat removal, and more than £500 for a severe infestation with proofing. Market prices vary by company, region and job. The table below sets out national figures from two published cost guides. These are other firms' prices, not ours.
| Job | Typical market cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minor rat infestation (1 to 2 visits) | £150–£200 | MyJobQuote, September 2026 |
| Moderate infestation (multiple visits) | £200–£300 | MyJobQuote, September 2026 |
| Severe infestation with proofing or sanitation | £300–£500+ | MyJobQuote, September 2026 |
| Standard three-visit plan, outside London (inc VAT) | £150–£240 | Fantastic Services, 2026 |
| Rats in the loft or roof space, outside London (inc VAT) | £180–£280 | Fantastic Services, 2026 |
| Rats in wall cavities or under floors, outside London (inc VAT) | £200–£300 | Fantastic Services, 2026 |
| Drain-related infestation, outside London (inc VAT) | £250–£300+ plus drain repair | Fantastic Services, 2026 |
| Rodent removal (general) | £120–£240 | MyJobQuote pest control guide, October 2026 |
Sources: MyJobQuote rat exterminator costs, MyJobQuote pest control costs and Fantastic Services rat control cost guide. Fantastic Services states its figures include VAT and that London and the South East are roughly 20% higher; MyJobQuote does not say whether its figures include VAT.
What does our rat control cost?
Urgent Pest Control's rat control starts from £200. That covers:
- a survey of the house, loft, garden and, where relevant, the drains;
- treatment with professional rodenticide in locked, tamper-resistant bait stations, or traps where poison is not suitable;
- follow-up visits to check, top up and move stations and remove dead rats we can reach;
- removal of all bait and stations at the end;
- advice on proofing and on what is attracting the rats.
Prices depend on the property, the size of the problem and the time of the visit, and we'll explain the likely cost before any work starts. Most domestic rat jobs take two to three weeks. Full prices are on our pest control prices page.
What changes the price of rat removal?
These are the factors that move a quote up or down, ours included:
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where the rats are | A garden treatment is simpler than rats in the loft, walls or under floors, where routes are hidden |
| Size and age of the infestation | An established colony needs more bait points and more visits than a couple of rats found early |
| Number of visits | Rats are cautious; a heavy infestation may need extra visits before activity stops |
| Entry point and proofing | Sealing gaps with mesh, steel plates and cement is extra work and materials |
| Drains | If rats are coming from a broken or disused drain, a CCTV survey and repair is a separate job |
| Property size and access | Large houses, outbuildings, tight lofts or crawl spaces take longer |
| Commercial premises | Businesses need records for food safety and insurers, and often a regular contract |
MyJobQuote lists typical market costs for the extras: follow-up visits at £50–£100 each where they are charged separately, proofing and exclusion work at £80–£250, a CCTV drain survey at £100–£350, drain repairs at £250–£1,000+, and droppings removal and disinfection at £80–£200 per area. With us, follow-up visits for rats are included in the price.
If rats are coming from the drains, our rats in drains service works with our sister company, Urgent Drainage Solutions, which carries out CCTV drain surveys and repairs.
Why do cheap quotes sometimes cost more?
A low headline price can leave out the things that make the result last. Before you compare quotes, check:
- Are follow-up visits included? Some firms charge for each one.
- Is there a call-out fee or an evening or weekend premium?
- Does the survey include the loft, outside and drains? Treating rats without finding the entry point often means they return.
- Are bait stations locked and secured? Loose bait is a risk to children, pets and wildlife.
- Will all bait be removed at the end? The CRRU code of best practice says bait should never be left down at the end of a treatment.
- Is VAT included in the figure you are comparing?
- Is the technician certified to use professional rodenticides? The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use explains that from 1 January 2026 professional-use rodenticides with stewardship conditions can only be supplied to certified users.
Can you get rid of rats yourself to save money?
For a very small, early problem outdoors, removing food and shelter can be enough, and our guide on how to get rid of rats in the garden explains how. Indoors, DIY is harder. Rats are wary of new objects, amateur poisons are weaker than professional products, and rats that eat bait can die in walls and floors. The Health and Safety Executive says anticoagulant rodenticides present a higher risk to people and non-target animals than is normally acceptable, and other control methods should be considered first.
If you are seeing signs of rats in the house, especially in the loft or walls, a professional survey usually saves money over repeated DIY attempts.
Does the council still deal with rats, and what does it charge?
Every council has a duty under section 2 of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep its district free from rats and mice so far as practicable. That duty does not mean a free treatment service, and many councils have stopped treating homes or now charge.
When we checked the council websites on 18 October 2026, the picture across our area varied widely:
- Leicester City Council treats rats inside or outside the home free of charge.
- Derby City Council lists rats at £109 booked online or £125 by phone for up to four visits (2026/27 fees).
- Nottingham City Council lists rats inside the home at £115 and outside at £100, free for residents on Council Tax Support.
- City of Lincoln Council, Newark and Sherwood, Broxtowe, Melton and several other councils say they do not offer a treatment service at all.
Our guide to council pest control charges lists what each council in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire offers and charges.
Does home insurance pay for rat removal?
Usually not. Many home insurance policies don't cover pest control, and many exclude damage caused by vermin unless you have specific accidental damage cover, so check your policy wording. Our guide to whether home insurance covers pest control explains what to check.
How much does it cost to stop rats coming back?
Treatment deals with the rats that are there now; proofing and drain work stop new ones arriving. Councils such as North Lanarkshire Council say rats need only a 15mm gap to get in, so sealing gaps around pipes, air bricks and doors is worth doing once activity stops.
How much that costs depends on what the survey finds. A single gap under a back door or around a pipe is a small job. Rats coming from a cracked or disused drain need a CCTV survey and a repair, which is priced as a separate drainage job. We tell you what we have found and explain the likely cost of any proofing before doing it, so you can decide.
Does rat removal cost more for a business?
Usually, because the work is different. Food businesses must keep premises free of pests, and inspectors and insurers expect to see written records of pest control. That normally means a regular service contract with scheduled visits, monitoring stations and a report after each visit, rather than a one-off treatment. Our commercial pest control service covers restaurants, shops, offices, warehouses and landlords, and we quote each site after a survey.
When to call a professional
Call a professional if you see rats or droppings indoors, hear scratching in walls or ceilings, or have burrows near the house that are still active after you have removed food and shelter. A survey tells you what you are dealing with and lets us explain the likely cost before any work starts.
Rat control starts from £200 with follow-ups included; the final price depends on the job. We cover Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln and the surrounding counties, 7 days a week from 6am to 8pm. Book online, or call or WhatsApp 07999 935 929 for a quote.
Sources
- MyJobQuote: Rat exterminator costs (updated 14 September 2026)
- MyJobQuote: Pest control costs (updated 8 October 2026)
- Fantastic Services: Rat control cost guide 2026
- CRRU UK: Code of best practice
- HSE: Rodenticides
- Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, section 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Nottingham City Council: Pest control
Frequently Asked Questions
About the author
The Urgent Pest Control team
A family-run pest control company based in Southwell, treating homes and businesses across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire since 2020. Our guides are written from the jobs we do and checked against UK sources. More about us
Cite this guide: “Rat Removal Cost: How Much Does It Cost to Get Rid of Rats?”, Urgent Pest Control, 4 November 2026. https://urgentpestcontrol.uk/blog/rat-removal-cost
