Rodent exclusion and entry point sealing in Plano

An older two-story house with a deep front porch near Downtown Plano — Porches, trim and rooflines all have joints, and every joint is a possible way in.

Traps remove the rodents that are inside. Sealing stops the next ones. If you've trapped mice two winters in a row, or the attic noise came back three months after the last company left, there's still a way in.

Texas A&M AgriLife training material puts the opening a mouse needs at about a quarter inch and a rat at about half an inch. That's the standard a good technician works to. The hard part is finding every gap, especially up high, and closing it with something a rodent can't chew.

The usual gaps on a Plano house

Plano houses are mostly brick veneer over a wood frame on a slab, with a composition shingle roof. The gaps show up where those materials meet:

Roof returns, where the eave of one roof section dies into a wall
Soffit corners and loose soffit panels
Gable and ridge vents with torn or missing screen
Plumbing vent collars and the gap around the water heater flue
Weep holes along the bottom row of brick
AC line set, gas and cable entries
Garage door bottom seals and side stops

What a thorough exclusion job includes

Exclusion quotes vary more than any other rodent work, because one house has six gaps and the next has twenty. A complete job usually covers:

A written list or photos of every entry point found, roof to slab
Metal or hardware cloth on every gap a rodent could use, with sealant as a backer
Vent screens replaced with quarter-inch hardware cloth, so air still moves
Weep vent covers sized for brick, not mortar
New garage door seals and side stops where they're worn
A follow-up check on the spots that were hardest to reach

Something in the attic or the garage?

Want a local rodent technician to look at it? Same-day appointments are often available. (972) 325-9652

Materials, and why foam isn't enough

The materials are plain: galvanized hardware cloth, steel or copper mesh packed tight, sheet metal flashing, weep vent covers made for brick, and exterior sealant. Spray foam on its own doesn't stop a rat. It's soft and they chew right through it. Foam is fine as a backer behind metal. The steel wool vs. copper mesh article compares the two stuffing materials.

Roof work is often a ladder or roof job. Two-story houses in Deerfield and Willow Bend have more roof sections and more returns to close. One-story ranches in East Plano have fewer, but the seals are usually older.

Step by step

First the technician inspects: attic, garage and a full walk around the house, looking low along the slab and high along the roofline. Fresh droppings and rub marks show which gaps are in use. Then they decide on the order. If rodents are living in the attic, sealing every hole on day one can trap them inside, where they chew a new way out or die in the wall. Most providers set traps, watch activity drop, then close the last openings.

Ground-level gaps usually get done on the first visit. Roof work may be scheduled separately if it needs a taller ladder or a roof walk. The last step is a recheck a few weeks later.

Why sealing is harder in Plano

North Texas sun bakes sealant and rubber door seals, especially on the west and south sides of the house. Hail storms tear vent screens and dent flashing, and roof replacements after a storm sometimes leave fresh gaps where new drip edge meets old trim. The clay soil moves the slab a little every year, which pulls caulk away from pipe penetrations.

Ask what the sealing covers and what happens if activity comes back. Any warranty is the provider's to offer, so get it in writing. A rodent inspection is how you find out which kind of house you have.

Reading an exclusion quote

A good exclusion quote lists each opening and what goes on it. Vague lines like "seal entry points" make it hard to compare two companies. Ask for the count of openings, the material for each one and whether roof work is included. HomeAdvisor and Angi both list exclusion at roughly $200 to $600 nationally, and a big two-story with many roof returns can run past that. The cost guide shows what changes the price.

Common questions

Can I seal my own house?

The ground-level work, sure. A new garage door seal, mesh around the AC lines and weep covers are weekend jobs. The roofline is where people get hurt, and it's where roof rats get in.

Will sealing make my attic less ventilated?

It shouldn't. Vents get screened, not blocked. Air still moves through the hardware cloth.

How long does sealing last?

Metal and hardware cloth hold up for years. Sealant and door seals wear out sooner, especially on the sunny sides of the house.

Should I mortar the weep holes shut?

No. They let moisture out of the wall. Use vent covers made for weep holes.

Do I still need traps if the house is sealed?

If rodents were already inside when the gaps were closed, yes. Traps catch the ones that got shut in.

Does exclusion include the attic vents?

It should. Gable, ridge and soffit vents with torn screen are common roof rat entries. Ask that each one be checked and screened with hardware cloth.

Ready to have someone look?

Call and describe what you're seeing. Same-day appointments are often available. (972) 325-9652