What it costs to get rid of rats and mice

The price is set by the size of the property and the amount of work involved, not by the number of rodents. Below is what affects the figure and why.

What makes up the price

The floor area and number of rooms, the type of property (flat, private house or commercial premises), whether the perimeter also needs treating, and whether regular servicing is required. The time of day makes no difference to the price.

Flats

From €40 for a one-room flat up to €80 for a four-room flat. The price includes the inspection, placement and a follow-up check.

Private houses and commercial premises

For private houses, €90–110 depending on the floor area and the perimeter. For commercial premises, from €70, calculated individually according to the floor area and the type of property.

What to compare when you have several quotes

When comparing prices, the most important thing is not the lowest figure but what it includes. Check whether the inspection is included, whether the follow-up check is a separate visit, whether you are given advice on sealing entry points, and whether the figure quoted is the final price. A lower starting price with no follow-up check often means a second callout a few weeks later.

What trying it yourself actually costs

The bill for a do-it-yourself effort rarely consists of a single purchase. It usually starts with a few traps and a small pack of bait. A week later comes a second type, because the first is not working, then an ultrasonic device, then a larger pack of bait because the small one has run out. Add expanding foam to plug the holes, which the rodents chew through, and cleaning products. Within three or four weeks the spending comfortably reaches the same figure as a single callout, only without an inspection and without any understanding of where the animals are coming from. A callout to a one-room flat costs €40, a two-room €55, a three-room €70. The difference is not in the price but in the fact that after a callout the way in is known and there is a plan for closing it.

What waiting costs

Damage builds up quietly, and it is usually noticed later than the animals themselves. A gnawed water hose on a washing machine or dishwasher means a flooded floor and often the neighbours below as well. Chewed-through insulation on wiring inside a partition wall is both a repair job and a real fire risk. Mineral wool and rigid foam in the floor structure of a house, turned into a nest, lose their insulating properties and get replaced by the square metre. In a restaurant or shop, gnawed stock and discarded packaging are a direct loss, with a question of reputation on top if a customer notices. Treating a private house costs €90–110. One flooded floor or one rewiring job inside a wall costs many times more, and that is the only cost comparison that matters here.

Why quotes differ and what to compare

Two prices for the same property can differ by a factor of two, because different amounts of work sit behind them. When comparing quotes, find out: whether an inspection of the property is included in the price or charged separately; how many points are placed and whether that number matches the floor area; whether a follow-up check is included or charged as a new visit; whether the basement, loft and plant rooms are treated as well or only the living area; and whether you are given a description of the entry points. A cheap quote that covers only putting out a few points with no inspection means, in practice, a second payment a month later. For commercial premises the price starts from €70, and there the difference is most often down to the floor area and the number of rooms to be inspected.

How to get an accurate figure straight away

An accurate figure can be given once a few things are known, and they can be written into the form in a minute. State the type of property and the number of rooms — the price for a flat is set by room count: €40, €55, €70 and €80 for one, two, three and four rooms respectively. Note whether a basement compartment, loft, garage or outbuilding also needs treating. Describe the signs: noises, droppings, gnawed packaging, and say how long you have been noticing them. Mention whether anything has already been tried yourselves. For a house it helps to know the type of foundations and whether there is a shed, a compost heap or a chicken coop next to it. The more specific the description, the smaller the chance of the figure changing on site.

When a regular service costs less

On premises with a constant influx, separate callouts after each problem add up faster than you would think. A shop, a factory, a warehouse, a cafe or an apartment block on a main road with a busy bin area typically has two to four episodes of activity a year. Reacting to each one separately means the full callout price, disrupted work and damage already done. Regular scheduled checks change the logic: the points are already in place, consumption is recorded at each visit, and any increase is spotted before it becomes visible to staff or customers. The total annual cost is usually lower than three unplanned callouts with their consequences, and the work comes with a written record you can show the owner of the premises or the landlord.

What the price includes

So there are no surprises, it is worth being clear about what the quoted figure covers. It includes the inspection of the property, identifying signs of activity and the runs, placing points according to the layout of the rooms, safe positioning where children and pets cannot reach them, and verbal advice on storage and on the gaps that need sealing. The minimum callout price is €40. Work that goes beyond the treatment itself is agreed separately — for example physically sealing large gaps on a building scale, or setting up ongoing monitoring with a fixed schedule of checks. The price is given before the work starts and it is final; no extra charges arise as the work goes on. Callouts in Riga are available around the clock.

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