Chimney Animal & Bird Removal in St. Louis, MO
To a bird or a raccoon, an uncapped chimney looks exactly like a hollow tree — which is why they keep choosing it. We identify what is in the flue, remove it and the nesting material, sweep and sanitize what it left behind, and cap the chimney so the next one cannot get in. One legal note that matters: chimney swifts are protected under federal law, and an active nest cannot be removed until the young have flown.
This call comes in waves. Spring brings raccoons looking for a den site to give birth in, and chimney swifts returning from South America to nest. Late summer brings the noise, because that is when the young are loud enough to hear through the wall. The animal is the immediate problem, but the reason it happened is almost always the same one: an open flue with no cap on it. Removing the animal without fixing that just books you the same appointment next year.
How this gets priced
Starts with the $69 inspection
Depends on what is in there, how far down it is, roof access, and how much nesting material and droppings have to come out. Sanitizing and a cap are usually part of the fix. You get one fixed price before we start, and the $69 comes off the work.
How do I know I need animal removal?
If any of these describe your situation, it is worth having someone look. Most are cheap to fix early and expensive to fix late.
- Scratching, scrabbling or fluttering sounds inside the wall or firebox
- Chirping or twittering, loudest at dawn and dusk — usually chimney swifts
- Twigs, leaves or nesting material falling into the firebox
- Droppings in the firebox or on the damper
- A strong sour or ammonia smell near the fireplace
- Smoke backing into the room from a flue that used to draw fine
- Flies or insects suddenly appearing around the fireplace
- A bird getting into the room itself through an open damper
Why it matters
A nest in a flue is dry tinder sitting directly above a firebox — one of the most common causes of chimney fires there is. And a partially blocked flue does not just smoke; it pushes combustion gases back into the house, carbon monoxide included. If a nest is in your chimney, the fireplace should not be lit until it is out, not even once.
Call (314) 887-7250What’s included
Exactly what happens when we come out, step by step.
- 1
Identify what is actually in there — $69
Bird, raccoon, squirrel or an abandoned nest — and whether it is a protected species. This determines what we are legally allowed to do and when, so it genuinely has to come first.
- 2
Remove it humanely
The animal and every bit of nesting material comes out. Nests are often built well down the flue and can be surprisingly large, which is why smoke problems usually show up before anybody hears anything.
- 3
Sweep and sanitize
Droppings and nesting debris are both a health issue and a fire hazard sitting inside your flue. We clean the chimney out properly rather than just clearing the blockage.
- 4
Cap it so it cannot happen again
A stainless steel cap with mesh sides keeps animals out permanently while still letting the chimney breathe. It also keeps rain off the flue, which is the other thing an open chimney is quietly suffering from.
Chimney Animal & Bird Removal: common questions
What is that scratching sound in my chimney?
Scratching and scrabbling low down usually means a raccoon or a squirrel that has fallen in and cannot climb back out. Rapid fluttering and chirping higher up, especially at dawn and dusk in spring and summer, is almost always chimney swifts — small birds that nest in chimneys by design and cannot perch, only cling. Sound alone gets us close, but we confirm it before doing anything.
Are chimney swifts really protected by law?
Yes. Chimney swifts are covered by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it illegal to remove or destroy an active nest with eggs or young in it. The nesting season runs roughly from spring into late summer. If that is what you have, what we can do is confirm the species, make sure your damper is closed so they cannot get into the house, check that the flue is otherwise safe, and schedule the cleaning and cap for right after they leave. They fledge and go on their own — it is a season, not a permanent situation.
Can I just light a fire to smoke them out?
Please do not. If they are swifts it is a federal offense, if they are raccoon kits they are too young to escape, and either way you end up with a dead animal partway down a flue that is now also full of burning nesting material. This is the single worst thing you can do with an animal in your chimney, and it turns a routine removal into a much more expensive job.
How do raccoons get into a chimney in the first place?
They climb down deliberately. A chimney is warm, dry, enclosed and completely inaccessible to predators, which makes it close to ideal for a female looking to raise kits in early spring. They are strong enough to force a loose or damaged cap, so a cap that is merely present is not always a cap that is doing its job.
Will a cap actually stop it happening again?
A properly sized stainless steel cap with mesh sides, correctly fastened, is the permanent fix — it is the reason capped chimneys almost never get this call. The failures we see are caps that were the wrong size, fitted loosely, or made of galvanized steel that rusted through after a few Missouri winters.
What if the animal is already dead in there?
It still has to come out, both for the smell and because it is a blockage. Call us rather than waiting it out — the odor gets substantially worse before it gets better, and it will spread through the house every time the pressure shifts.
Chimney Animal & Bird Removal across the St. Louis metro
We cover the full metro from University City. Chimney problems differ by neighborhood because the housing stock differs — here is what we see where.
Animal Removal in St. Louis
Predominantly 1890–1930 brick
Animal Removal in University City
Largely 1920s–1940s brick, Tudor and Colonial
Animal Removal in Clayton
1920s–1940s masonry, plus newer infill
Animal Removal in Kirkwood
Victorian through 1950s, wide mix
Animal Removal in Webster Groves
Victorian, Craftsman and 1920s bungalows
Animal Removal in Chesterfield
Mostly 1980s–2000s construction
Also serving Ladue, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Maplewood, Brentwood, Florissant, St. Charles, Des Peres.
Related services
Chimney Cap Installation
A chimney cap is a metal cover with mesh sides that sits on top of the flue. It keeps out rain, animals and debris, and stops burning embers from landing on your roof. It is the cheapest part of a chimney and it prevents the most expensive problems.
Chimney Sweep
A professional chimney sweep removes creosote, soot and blockages from your flue so the chimney drafts properly and will not catch fire. We quote your chimney before we start, and you approve the price first.
Chimney Inspection
A full chimney inspection with Total Chimney Services costs $69 anywhere in the St. Louis metro, and the entire $69 is credited back to you if you book a repair with us.
Need chimney animal & bird removal in St. Louis?
Start with a $69 inspection and a photo report. Credited back in full when you book the work. Call (314) 887-7250.
Open 24/7 · Emergency service, day or night.