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VA Rodent Control

Rodent Exterminators in Richmond, VA

Richmond's city code, Section 15-68, says extermination starts as soon as rats or other rodents turn up, with the owner answerable for shared areas and each occupant for their own unit. In a duplex, apartment or shared building, read that split beside your lease to see who books rat or mouse removal in your unit and who arranges sealing in the shared areas.

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Statewide rules and background: Virginia rodent guide

City rules, not county rules, inside the line

Richmond is an independent city, so it belongs to no county, and ordinances from Henrico County or Chesterfield County stop at the city line. Here, Chapter 15 of the city code holds the rodent rules, and the Richmond City Health District investigates rodent complaints. For private property, the health district points owners to a licensed pest control company, which is where rat control, mouse control and rodent exclusion come in.

Not sure which side of the line an address sits on? Check before relying on any rule below; the Henrico page and the Chesterfield page cover those counties instead.

Openings the health district tells owners to close

The Richmond City Health District publishes its own rat proofing advice. It goes beyond caulk and foam: sheet metal on door jambs, heavy wire mesh on vents, and concrete or brick and mortar around pipes. Use it as a checklist when you compare quotes.

  1. Foundation and crawl space vents

    Ratproofing, as Section 15-61 defines it, starts at the building foundation and takes in openings under and around doors, windows and vents. The health district suggests screening vents with heavy wire mesh, ideally set in a sheet metal frame.

  2. Wooden door jambs and doorways

    Flash gnawed wooden door jambs with sheet metal. For a shop or restaurant, fit both screen doors and wooden doors with reliable self-closing devices, since a propped door lets rodents walk in.

  3. Pipes, wires and conduits

    Ask for metal guards where wires and pipes run up the wall, and for gaps around pipes or conduits to be patched with sheet metal or filled with concrete or brick and mortar.

  4. Basement floors and drains

    If a basement floor is dirt or broken, ask whether concrete belongs in the plan. Floor drains, transoms, mail drops and fan openings belong on the list of things to cover or screen.

  5. Under sheds and garages

    Where rats live in or under a shed or garage, Section 15-69 calls for ratproofing it, raising it off the ground or another approved fix, or else razing it.

Rodent exclusion · Guide to rodent entry points in a house

What the city's rodent article asks of you

Who must act under the rodent article

Article III of Chapter 15, the city's rodent control article, lets the District Health Director make rules to enforce it. It counts a tenant or lessee in possession as an occupant, and an agent, trustee or guardian with charge of a property as an owner.

Situation: Rats or other rodents are found on any private premisesWho must act: Extermination measures must begin immediately; the rows below say who keeps each part free of rodentsCode section: 15-68(a)
Situation: A building with two or more occupants: halls, basements and other parts used in commonWho must act: The owner keeps them free of rats and other rodentsCode section: 15-68(a)
Situation: Space in one occupant's exclusive possession and controlWho must act: That occupant keeps it free of rats and other rodentsCode section: 15-68(a)
Situation: Public sidewalks, streets and alleys, and public sewersWho must act: The District Health Director eliminates the infestationCode section: 15-68(b)
Situation: Public buildings and city-owned vacant landWho must act: The city department with custody of the premisesCode section: 15-68(b)
Situation: A building is about to be demolishedWho must act: The owner, contractor or other person responsible clears the rodents first, and the building sewer is disconnected at the property line and cappedCode section: 15-68(d)

Section 15-64 adds that stored lumber, boxes and similar materials must be neatly piled at least one foot above the ground or floor, and breaking it is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The table is a plain-language reading of the city code, not legal advice.

Supercans, alleys, bird feed and dumpsters

The city collects household trash itself: the Department of Public Works serves 65,000 residences and small businesses from City-issued supercans. Cans go out near the property line or near the alley after 4 p.m. the day before collection and come back in before 7 a.m. the day after.

  • Lids that shut tight: Section 15-66 wants every opening in a refuse container covered by a tightfitting lid that keeps rats and other rodents out. Garbage not held in a watertight container with such a lid is a nuisance under Section 11-106.
  • Bird feed up high: Under Section 15-67, feed for birds goes on raised platforms or somewhere rats and other rodents cannot reach it.
  • Your stretch of the alley: Property maintenance inspectors check yards, sidewalks and alleys as well as buildings. Their common fixes include removing trash from the yard, sidewalk area and alley, and maintaining the area out to the center of the alley.
  • Bulk items on schedule: Bulk items go out by the trash cans the night before trash day in your recycling week, every other week. If they are missed, the crew returns by Saturday of that week.
  • Covered dumpsters for businesses: Under Section 23-3, a business using a bulk container must keep it covered at all times, have a private contractor service it, and leave no refuse beside it.

Restaurants, rentals and older buildings

  • Commercial Rodent Control

    The Richmond City Health District permits and inspects over 1,100 food establishments in the city, and Section 6-344 of the city code has food waste removed from the premises daily. For a restaurant, shop or apartment property, ask for a plan that covers the dumpster, back doors and the alley side.

  • Rodent Exclusion

    Section 15-61 defines ratproofing as closing openings with concrete, sheet iron, hardware cloth or another material the District Health Director approves. Ask the pro to list each opening by location and the material used, so you can check the work later.

Related services

Older and more shared than the counties

Census estimates put Richmond's median build year at 1959, against 1985 in Henrico County and 1990 in Chesterfield County. About 28.4% of the city's housing units date from 1939 or earlier, compared with 2.7% in Henrico County and 1.4% in Chesterfield County, and 51.2% were built before 1960.

Another difference is small shared buildings. About 12.0% of the city's homes sit in buildings of 2 to 4 units, compared with 5.7% in Henrico County and 2.9% in Chesterfield County, and 44.5% are single-family detached. Henrico County has more townhouses and other attached single-family homes, 10.7% of its units against 7.7% in the city.

Most households rent

About 56.5% of occupied homes in Richmond are rented, against 35.5% in Henrico County and 23.3% in Chesterfield County. That is why the owner and occupant split in the rules table matters so often here.

These are area estimates, not a survey of building condition. If you share a wall, a basement or a hallway, say so when you book, so the inspection covers your space and the plan names who handles the shared parts.

Year built, share of housing units

  • 51.2%

    Built before 1960

    ±1.3 points

  • 19.8%

    Built 1960 to 1979

    ±1.0 points

  • 12.4%

    Built 1980 to 1999

    ±0.9 points

  • 16.7%

    Built 2000 or later

    ±1.2 points

Building type, share of housing units

  • 44.5%

    Single-family detached

    ±1.1 points

  • 35.2%

    Buildings of 5+ units

    ±1.5 points

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 Richmond?

  • Your unit, shared areas or both

    Section 15-68(a) treats the common parts of a shared building and each occupant's own space separately. Ask whether a quote covers your unit, the common areas or both, and who pays for which.

  • Masonry and metal repairs

    Patching gaps with sheet metal, or filling them with concrete or brick and mortar, is repair work rather than pest work. Ask for each such repair to be itemized apart from trapping visits.

  • Sheds, garages and outbuildings

    If rats live under a shed or garage, Section 15-69 work such as ratproofing or raising it adds scope beyond the house itself.

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 Richmond Rodent Control

  • Inside the city limits the Richmond City Code applies, and Chapter 15 holds its rodent rules. Richmond is an independent city and part of no county, so Henrico County and Chesterfield County ordinances apply only on their side of the line. If you are unsure where an address falls, confirm it with the city before relying on either county's rules.

  • Section 15-68(a) of the city code splits it: the owner keeps the parts all occupants use in common free of rodents, and each occupant keeps their own space free of them. Under Va. Code 55.1-1227 a tenant also tells the landlord promptly about pests. Report both areas to the landlord in writing and ask how each will be treated.

  • Yes. Section 15-68(e) of the city code names one rodenticide that no owner or occupant may place on any premises under any condition. It also bars ANTU, phosphorus, thallium sulfate or any equally dangerous rodenticide wherever children or pets can easily reach it or it may contaminate food or drink. Ask any company what it plans to use and where each bait will sit.

  • The Department of Public Works asks you to set your City-issued supercan near the property line or near the alley within a set window that opens the day before collection and closes the morning after. Keep the lid shut in between, since an open can left in the alley is food for rats.

  • The Richmond City Health District's Environmental Health Division takes rodent and pest infestation complaints at 804-205-3912. For trash piles, junk or overgrowth that feed the problem, call Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement at 804-646-6398. Rats in the public alley or street itself are the District Health Director's job under Section 15-68(b).

  • Often the openings differ more than the rodents. An older house or a building split into units may have more gaps where pipes, wires and vents pass through masonry or wood, and some repairs call for metal mesh, sheet metal or mortar rather than foam. Ask for the inspection to cover the foundation line, vents, door jambs and any basement, with each repair listed.

  • Yes. Section 15-68(d) says no building may be demolished until the rat or other rodent infestation has been eliminated by the owner, contractor or other person responsible, and the District Health Director holds the owner responsible. The building's sewer must also be disconnected at the property line and capped first. If demolition starts without that, call the health district.

Nearby City Guides

Free Richmond Rodent Inspection

Tell the company whether you own or rent, whether the building has shared halls or a basement, and whether your trash goes out to an alley, so the inspection starts at the right openings.

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. Sec. 15-68. Extermination of rodents. City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  2. 2020 Census Place Codes: Virginia (st51_va_place2020.txt). U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  3. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Richmond city, Virginia, county equivalent). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  4. Chapter 15 - Health, Article III. Rodent Control (Secs. 15-61 to 15-69). City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  5. Environmental Health Division. Richmond City Health District (Virginia Department of Health). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  6. Sec. 15-69. Elimination of harborages within or under sheds. City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  7. Sec. 15-64. Removal of rat harborages. City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  8. Trash Collection. City of Richmond, Department of Public Works. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  9. Chapter 11 - Environment, Article IV. Refuse, Litter and Weed Control (Secs. 11-102 to 11-109). City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  10. Property Maintenance / Code Enforcement. City of Richmond, Department of Planning and Development Review. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  11. Bulk and Brush. City of Richmond, Department of Public Works. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  12. Sec. 23-3. Bulk containers utilized by commercial establishments. City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  13. Chapter 6 - Businesses and Business Regulations, Article VII. Foods and Food Establishments, Division 2. City of Richmond, Virginia, Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 4068, product 16118, job 471308, recodification codified through Ord. No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  14. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Richmond city, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  15. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Richmond city, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  16. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Richmond city, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  17. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Henrico County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  18. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Chesterfield County). 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 (Henrico County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  20. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Chesterfield County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  21. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Henrico County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  22. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Chesterfield County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  23. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Richmond city, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  24. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Henrico County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  25. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Chesterfield County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  26. Code of Virginia 55.1-1227. Maintenance of dwelling unit by tenant. Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information System. Retrieved 2026-09-28.

Related guides

Editorial policy · How it works · Virginia guide

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