Wildlife Inspection Checklist for Buyers and Property Managers
A wildlife concern is easier to manage when observations, inspection findings and agreed work are kept together. Use this checklist before a property purchase, during a rental turnover or when an occupant reports activity.
Keep it alongside the property’s general inspection and maintenance records. This wildlife-service checklist does not establish the condition of inaccessible areas or replace a home inspection, specialist assessment or advice about a purchase contract.
1. Gather the history
- Record the property address internally, the person reporting the issue and the best contact for access.
- Ask what was heard or seen, where it occurred, when it started and when it last happened.
- Request available photographs, previous wildlife-service records, repair invoices and warranty documents.
- Note roof, siding, vent or utility work completed since the last wildlife service.
- Separate a current observation from a past problem or an unconfirmed concern.
For a purchase, ask your agent how to coordinate access and inspection timing. For a managed property, confirm who can authorize work and who will communicate with the occupant.
2. Make the inspection request specific
Describe the concern in ordinary language. “Scratching over the upstairs bedroom on three evenings” is more useful than assuming an animal species from the sound.
- Ask which areas the proposed inspection will cover.
- Identify access arrangements and any areas known to be inaccessible.
- Ask for the location and description of findings, with photographs where available.
- Request a distinction between observed activity, old evidence and potential entry defects.
- Ask what further assessment is needed if the species or route cannot yet be confirmed.
Do not enter a roof space or crawlspace, disturb animal waste or handle wildlife to complete this checklist. If someone may have had contact with a bat, contact a healthcare professional or public health department promptly.
3. Keep building and lawn findings separate
- Squirrels: ask about observed activity, damaged openings and the sequence for addressing animals before final repairs.
- Rats: ask which accessible areas and possible entry routes were assessed, including relevant upper-level openings.
- Bats: ask how identification and exclusion timing affect the proposed work. Do not promise a completion date before the assessment.
- Lawn moles: record where raised runs or mounds occur and request identification of the lawn activity. Treat this as a separate service from building exclusion.
Our wildlife entry-point guide explains the building details worth flagging for an inspector.
4. Review the written scope before approving work
A service name alone does not tell you everything included. Ask for the applicable items to be clear in the estimate:
- The animal or issue being addressed and the areas covered.
- The removal or control work proposed.
- The specific openings, exclusion work and entry repairs included.
- Whether cleanup or damaged-material work is included, optional or excluded.
- Any work requiring another contractor or an additional assessment.
- The expected sequence, access requirements and follow-up arrangements.
- The price and any separate charges.
- Any warranty’s coverage, term, exclusions and paid service requirements.
If you are comparing estimates, compare the covered work as well as the price. Ask whether the plan addresses only the reported opening or additional identified entry points.
5. Questions for a buyer
- What documents are available for earlier wildlife treatment and repairs?
- Is the reported problem current, historical or still unconfirmed?
- Which findings remain unresolved or need another trade?
- If a warranty is mentioned, does the written agreement allow transfer, and under what conditions?
- Who will coordinate any agreed work and provide the completion records?
Share the findings with your agent and appropriate advisers when deciding how they affect the transaction. Do not assume a past invoice means all current entry points have been addressed.
6. Questions for a property manager
- Who is the single contact for scheduling and occupant updates?
- What access arrangements and property-specific requirements must be communicated?
- Who approves the initial scope and any additional work?
- Where will inspection photographs, estimates and completion records be stored?
- Who will confirm that separate roof, electrical or other contractor work is finished?
- What should the occupant report if activity continues or changes?
7. Close the loop after service
Keep the approved estimate, service record and any warranty together. Compare the documented completed work with the agreed scope. Record outstanding repairs, the responsible contact and the next step. Report continuing activity with its location and date so it can be assessed against the work performed.
A simple record to copy
- Concern and date reported:
- Location of observed activity:
- Inspection findings and access limits:
- Photographs or records received:
- Approved work and exclusions:
- Outstanding work and responsible contact:
- Follow-up arrangements:
- Warranty terms reviewed:
Metro service information
Metro offers free animal-in-structure inspections. Removal, exclusion, entry repairs, cleanup and any warranty are specific to the written estimate. Warranty availability, coverage and any charges depend on the service purchased and its written terms.
Lawn mole service is a separate paid, standardized trapping and population-control service. It does not guarantee a catch or prevent future mole activity.
Find service information for Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or Columbia, or call (843) 501-1966 to discuss an inspection.
Related services: squirrels, rats, bats in Charleston and lawn moles.