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TN Rodent Control

Rodent Control in Gallatin, TN

Gallatin's garbage pickup is an optional service run by Public Works, and each can is the customer's own property, which needs a working lid to be serviced. About 41.1% of the city's homes were built in 2010 or later. Whatever a house's age, ask a trusted local pro to include sealing of each gap rats or mice used, not only their removal.

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Statewide rules and background: Tennessee rodent guide

How rodent work fits Gallatin's own rules

In Gallatin, Tennessee, Section 10-1 of the City's code makes it unlawful to let premises you own, occupy or control breed flies, rodents or other vermin in a way that threatens public health or bothers people living nearby. Section 14-4 requires solid waste to be stored in closed containers or another designated acceptable manner. Rats or mice already indoors are a job for rat control or mouse control; after the trapping, rodent exclusion shuts the openings they used. Ask for the yard, the trash can and any henhouse to be looked at on the same visit.

What Gallatin's code says about yards, cans and coops

Who the City code holds responsible

Gallatin's Municipal Code names rodents or rats in Sections 10-1, 10-58 and 10-56, and Section 14-4 sets how trash is stored. The table paraphrases each one.

Situation: Premises a person owns, occupies or controlsWho must act: That person may not allow the breeding of flies, rodents or other vermin there to the menace of public health or the annoyance of people living nearbyCode section: 10-1
Situation: Any building or property in the city where solid waste is createdWho must act: Each owner, occupant or other responsible person stores it in closed containers or another designated acceptable manner and keeps the premises free of accumulated wasteCode section: 14-4
Situation: Growth or debris that endangers others or encourages ratsWho must act: The owner of record, given ten days' notice to fix it (weekends and legal holidays excluded), then charged if the City cleans upCode section: 10-58
Situation: Junk kept in a junkyard inside the city limitsWho must act: Junk must be kept so it is no place for rats, mice or other vermin to be harbored or reared, inside a solid fence at least 6 feet highCode section: 10-56

A paraphrase, not legal advice: the full wording is in the Municipal Code linked under Sources.

Backyard hens and what draws rodents to them

Gallatin licenses backyard hens under Section 4-11, and the section itself lists the attraction of rodents among the problems it aims to limit. The henhouse and pen also need a building permit.

  • A coop built to resist rodents: Under 4-11(f)(5), the henhouse and fenced enclosure must be built to resist access by rodents, wild birds and predators, dogs and cats included.
  • Feed kept where animals cannot reach: Section 4-11(g) keeps stored feed indoors or in a weather-resistant container designed to keep animals out, and uneaten food is removed daily.
  • No trash or droppings piling up: Under 4-11(h), the henhouse and the area around it stay free of trash and accumulating droppings. Manure kept for composting or fertilizing goes in a well aerated compost pile, and all other manure is removed.

If rats are already tunneling near a coop, say so when you call, so traps and any bait can be placed where the hens cannot get at them.

Tall growth, large tracts and the lot next door

Gallatin's property maintenance code is the 2024 IPMC plus City amendments, and those amendments bar weeds or plant growth over 12 inches. The added Section 302.4.1 covers tracts of more than 5 acres: beside an improved lot under 2 acres, growth must stay under 12 inches in a strip 25 feet deep along lines that border that lot, public property or a public right of way.

The code gives no rodent reason for that strip. UT Extension's farm guide says tall, dense vegetation around a packinghouse or high tunnel often gives mice and rats food and cover, and it treats a well-kept band 3 feet wide around structures as best practice. The guide is written for farm buildings, but the same trimmed band is easy to keep along a house that backs onto a field.

Reporting a problem property in Gallatin

  • Code Enforcement runs through the Gallatin Police Department. Its page lists overgrown grass, open storage of junk and residential trash among the problems it handles, and takes complaints by phone at 615-452-1313, extension 3221, or online.
  • The page says it receives about 700 requests a year. Where an inspector finds a violation, the Code Official issues the owner or responsible person a Notice of Violation, a Civil Citation or both.
  • Tenants can use the same route to Code Enforcement: its requests include tenant complaints about poor housing conditions.

City trash service and the state of your can

Garbage pickup in Gallatin is an optional Public Works service that residents apply for. If the City finds service infeasible, Section 14-8 makes collection the owner's job, through self-service or a private contractor. Either way, Section 14-4 requires waste to be kept in closed containers or another designated acceptable manner.

  • A lid that closes all the way: Public Works' collection rules say each container needs a functioning lid that closes completely, and loose or lightweight items go in bags.
  • No cracks, both wheels: To be serviced, a can needs no cracks, both wheels, intact bars and a working lid. Cans are customer-owned. Per the Public Works overview, a can worn so trucks have trouble servicing it gets a notice and no pickup.
  • Clean cans last longer: The Environmental Services overview notes that containers left dirty, overfilled or out in the weather wear out much sooner. Rinsing the can now and then also leaves less food smell by the house.
  • Clear space around the can: Section 14-11 presumes personal items within 3 feet of a can or waste pile are trash to be collected, and Public Works asks for 3 feet of clearance at the curb.
  • Unfit containers can be removed: Under Section 14-10, the City may remove a container that is unsuitable for sanitary storage, after 5 days' written notice delivered to the property.
  • Bulk items on schedule: Furniture and appliances go out for scheduled bulk pickup, no more than 5 days before collection. Public Works offers that pickup to City trash customers only.

UT Extension's farm guide says a tight-fitting lid helps keep rodents out of trash cans and storage containers, and that plastic or metal containers keep rodents out better than cardboard.

Where to check a Gallatin house, by type

Gallatin's housing ranges from a 1972 median build year in Census Tract 207, the tract that takes in City Hall, to a large share of recent builds, so the places to check change with the building.

  1. Skirting on a manufactured home

    About 3.1% of Gallatin's housing units are mobile homes. Section 5-63 requires a permanent enclosure around the full perimeter of a manufactured home used as a single dwelling outside a mobile home park. The code gives no rodent reason, but gaps or loose panels in it are worth checking.

  2. Screens under an older house

    In Census Tract 207, which takes in City Hall on West Main Street, the median home dates to 1972. If an older house there sits over a crawl space, look at every screen in the underfloor openings for rust-through or a missing corner.

  3. Vent hoods on newer homes

    About 41.1% of the city's homes date from 2010 or later. On a newer house, look at the dryer vent flap, bath fan hoods and any open weep slots in brick; a gap does not need an old house.

  4. Shared walls and trash areas

    About 25.9% of Gallatin's housing units are in apartment buildings of five or more, and 9.4% are single-family attached homes. There, ask about openings along shared walls and pipe chases, and about the complex's trash enclosure.

Rodent exclusion · Guide to rodent entry points in a house

An older core inside a fast-built city

Census estimates put 56.1% of Gallatin's housing units in buildings from 2000 or later, and 41.1% from 2010 or later, against 21.2% in Hendersonville and 25.0% across Sumner County. The city's median home dates to 2004, against 1989 in Hendersonville.

Older stock is here too: 10.7% of homes predate 1960, against 3.8% in Hendersonville and 7.2% across Sumner County. In Census Tract 207, the tract that takes in City Hall, about 38.3% predate 1960. About 42.9% of Gallatin's occupied homes are rented, against 28.0% across Sumner County.

Year built, share of housing units

  • 10.7%

    Built before 1960

    ±2.2 points

  • 17.1%

    Built 1960 to 1979

    ±2.6 points

  • 16.1%

    Built 1980 to 1999

    ±2.2 points

  • 56.1%

    Built 2000 or later

    ±3.8 points

Building type, share of housing units

  • 55.7%

    Single-family detached

    ±2.5 points

  • 25.9%

    Buildings of 5+ units

    ±3.7 points

Services for Gallatin homes, coops and apartments

  • Rodent Exclusion

    Gallatin's homes range from a 1972 median in Census Tract 207, the tract that takes in City Hall, to 41.1% built in 2010 or later citywide. Sealing plans differ with them: foundation vents and old sills on one house, utility lines and garage seals on another.

  • Rat Extermination

    Section 4-11 names rodents among the problems backyard hens can bring, and Section 10-58 bars overgrowth or debris that encourages rats. For rats burrowing near a coop, shed or overgrown fence line, this is the trapping side; compare what you find with the Norway rat page.

Related services

What Professional Rodent Control Covers

Your call reaches a trusted local pro. Ask how they handle each step.

  1. 1. Inspection

    A trusted local pro checks inside and out. Ask about a free inspection.

  2. 2. Identification

    Droppings, tracks and gnaw marks show whether rats or mice are inside.

  3. 3. Trapping and removal

    Trapping removes the rodents already in the building.

  4. 4. Entry points

    The gaps and openings rodents use are found and marked.

  5. 5. Exclusion

    Sealing those openings keeps new rodents from following.

  6. 6. Cleanup

    Ask what cleanup of droppings and nesting material the pro recommends.

  7. 7. Monitoring

    Follow-up checks confirm the activity has stopped.

How a call works

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Gallatin?

A Gallatin job can grow past the house itself, depending on what stands in the yard.

  • Coops, sheds and outbuildings

    Sealing a henhouse or shed, or trapping around one, adds time beyond the house. Section 4-11 wants a henhouse built to resist rodents, so ask what repairs would get it there.

  • Manufactured-home skirting

    Repairing or refitting the perimeter enclosure that Section 5-63 requires can be its own line on the quote, separate from trapping.

  • Older house or newer build

    An older house may need more foundation and vent work; a newer one is often a shorter list of utility and garage openings. Ask for the openings to be listed one by one on the quote.

The provider sets the price after an inspection.

  • Building size, home or commercial
  • Rats or mice, and how widespread
  • Number of entry points and how hard to reach
  • Attic, crawl space or wall access
  • Trapping visits and dead rodent removal
  • Exclusion materials and amount of sealing
  • Droppings, nesting and insulation cleanup

How each part of a job is priced

Common Questions About Gallatin Rodent Control

  • No. The Environmental Services overview from Public Works calls weekly pickup an optional service you apply for. Whatever you use, Section 14-4 still requires every owner or occupant to keep solid waste in closed containers or another designated acceptable manner.

  • Possibly. Section 302.4.1 of the City's amended property maintenance code requires large tracts to keep a strip of short growth along lines they share with smaller improved lots, and the lot section above explains when it applies. If the strip is not kept, report it to Code Enforcement, which is operated through the Gallatin Police Department.

  • It can. Section 4-11, Gallatin's own chicken section, lists the attraction of rodents among the problems hens may cause. It sets rules that address it: stored feed indoors or in a weather-resistant container designed to keep animals out, uneaten food removed daily, and a henhouse built to resist rodents.

  • UT Extension's farm rodent guide says to wear disposable gloves, double bag the carcass and throw it away, then wash your hands. If you use City pickup, keep the can lid closed; Public Works does not take dead animals as bulk items.

  • Yes, if it has gaps. A newer house can still have openings where gas, water and cable lines enter, around vents, and under a garage door whose bottom seal does not meet the floor. An inspection shows which ones exist, so the sealing quote covers real openings rather than a standard list.

Nearby City Guides

Free Gallatin Rodent Inspection

If you keep hens or have a shed near the house, mention it when you call, so traps can be set where pets and poultry cannot reach them.

What happens next

  1. Call and describe what you have seen and where.
  2. A trusted local pro can set up an inspection and confirm whether you have rats or mice.
  3. Ask them to explain trapping, removal and sealing, and what the work involves, before any work starts.
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Sources

  1. Environmental Services Overview of Solid Waste Disposal (revised 6/4/26, PDF). City of Gallatin, Tennessee, Public Works Environmental Services Department. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  2. Garbage Collection. City of Gallatin, Tennessee, Public Works Environmental Services. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  3. Garbage, Recycling & Brush Collection. City of Gallatin, Tennessee, Public Works Environmental Services. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  4. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  5. Sec. 10-1 - Health and sanitation nuisances generally, Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  6. Chapter 10 - Health and Nuisances (10-1 to 10-100), Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  7. Chapter 14 - Solid Waste (14-1 to 14-17), Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  8. Sec. 10-58 - Overgrown and dirty lots, Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  9. Sec. 10-56 - Junkyards, Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  10. Sec. 4-11 - Domesticated chickens, Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  11. Chapter 5, Article VII - Property Maintenance Standards (5-181 to 5-186), Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  12. W1389: Mice, Rats and Traps. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, UT Extension. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  13. Code Enforcement. City of Gallatin, Tennessee, Building Codes (Code Enforcement operated through the Gallatin Police Department). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  14. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Census Tract 207, Sumner County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  15. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Census Tract 207, Sumner County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  16. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  17. Sec. 5-63 - Permanent perimeter foundation enclosures, Gallatin Municipal Code. City of Gallatin, Tennessee (via Municode Library; Supplement 36, job 490955). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  18. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Hendersonville). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  19. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Sumner County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  20. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  21. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Hendersonville). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  22. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  23. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Sumner County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.

Related guides

Editorial policy · How it works · Tennessee guide

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