- Rodent only specialists
Crawl Space Cleanup in Chino Hills
Rodent waste, soiled insulation, and a smell coming up through the floor. We clear what is under the house, sanitize it, replace the insulation and vapor barrier, and seal the way in. No poison at any stage.
- Licensed, bonded and insured
- Based in Chino Hills
- Sealed out, not poisoned
- Open 7am to 11pm
Most crawl space rodent problems announce themselves above the floor, not below it. A smell that rises through the registers when the heater runs. A plumber who lifted the access hatch for something else and told you to call a rodent company.
Many newer tract homes sit on a slab, so a crawl space usually means an older home, a hillside lot with a stepped foundation, or an addition built on a raised floor.
We are the Chino Hills location of the Green Rodent Restoration brand, and we handle rodents only. Under your house the method is the same as anywhere else: rodents out, waste out, doorways sealed, insulation and vapor barrier back where they belong.
Signs your crawl space has a rodent problem
A crawl space is dark, dry most of the year, warmer than the yard in winter, and almost never visited. For a rat that burrows or a mouse that slips through a torn vent screen, it is close to ideal. The evidence usually shows up indoors first.
- Odor through the floor registers. Ammonia from urine, or something heavier if a rodent has died. Strongest right after the heater kicks on.
- Noise under the floor rather than overhead. Scratching below a bathroom or hallway points down, not up, which puts the activity under the floor rather than in the attic.
- Droppings at the hatch or the vents. Norway rat droppings run around three quarters of an inch with blunt ends. Mouse droppings are the size of a grain of rice.
- Chewed or fallen insulation. Batts hanging from the floor joists, fiberglass pushed out through a vent, or bare joist bays where insulation used to be.
- Burrows at the foundation. Norway rats dig. A fresh hole at the base of the stem wall with loose dirt fanned outside it is a doorway.
- Ducts that leak or blow dust. Rodents nest against warm ductwork and chew the flexible kind, pulling crawl space air into the rooms above.
Under the floor or over your head? This page covers the space beneath a raised floor. If the noise and droppings are above the ceiling, see attic cleanup instead, or start with rat removal if they are still active.
Free crawl space inspection
Entry points mapped and a written plan. No cost, no obligation.
A real person answers 7am to 11pm every day. After 11pm, leave a message and we call back in the morning.
Related services
Smelling it every time the heater runs?
Book a free inspection and find out what is under the house before it spreads into the ducts.
Our crawl space cleanup process
The order matters more under a house than in an open room.
- 1. Inspect and map. We crawl the whole footprint, not just what you can see from the hatch. Every vent, penetration, burrow, and runway goes on a sketch you keep.
- 2. Remove the rodents first. Snap traps in tamper resistant housings on the runways we found, checked until activity stops. Cleaning while rodents still come and go is money spent twice.
- 3. Contain and protect. Sheeting at the hatch, air scrubbing where the layout allows, and respirators for the crew, so what comes out from below does not get tracked through your hallway.
- 4. Remove the waste. Droppings, nesting, carcasses, soiled insulation, and shredded vapor barrier come out in sealed bags. HEPA vacuums get what shovels cannot.
- 5. Sanitize and deodorize. An antimicrobial goes on the soil, the joists, and the subfloor, then an odor treatment so the scent trail that draws in the next rodents is gone.
- 6. Rebuild what was lost. New vapor barrier and new insulation between the joists where that is in scope, plus steel mesh on every vent and gap.
- 7. Verify. Every seal and trap is checked before we call the job finished.
Crawl space insulation
In a raised floor home the insulation sits between the floor joists, facing the crawl space. Rodents tunnel through the batts, nest in the warm pockets against the ductwork, and soak the fiberglass with urine. Insulation in that state cannot be cleaned. It comes out.
We remove the contaminated batts, clean the joist bays, and install new insulation supported so it stays tight to the subfloor. If the vapor barrier beneath it is torn or missing, we replace it at the same time, because damp soil under fresh insulation shortens its life. If the batts you are worried about are overhead, that work lives on our attic insulation page.
Why sealing the crawl space matters
Cleaning without sealing is a lease, not a purchase. The rodents and the smell come back, and you pay for the same cleanup again next year.
Under a raised floor home the usual doorways are foundation vents with rusted or missing screens, gaps where plumbing and gas lines pass through the stem wall, an access door that no longer sits flush, and the burrows Norway rats dig against the footing. Each one gets hardware cloth or steel mesh fitted and fastened, not foam. Rodents chew wood, plastic, and foam. They do not get through steel.
The sealing work is covered in detail on our rodent proofing page. On a crawl space job it is part of the plan, not an extra. For homes backing onto open space, our D.A.R.T. (Drive Away Rodent Traffic) maintenance program keeps the seal checked instead of assumed.
What crawl space cleanup costs in Chino Hills
We do not price crawl space work over the phone, because the two things that drive the price cannot be seen from the driveway: how much of the footprint is affected, and how much insulation and vapor barrier has to come out and go back in.
The inspection is free, the sketch is yours either way, and the written quote is the price you pay.
Safety for your family and our crew
Rodent droppings and urine dry into dust, and in a raised floor home that dust rises into the living space whenever the air handler pulls from below. That is why we work under containment with HEPA filtration and respirators.
There is no rodenticide at any stage. Traps sit in closed housings, and the mesh and insulation are inert once installed. Ask at the inspection whether anyone needs to be out of the house while the antimicrobial dries, and for how long. We answer that for the specific product before work starts.
What the inspection covers
Free, and you keep the findings either way.
- The full footprint, not just the hatch area
- Every vent, penetration, and burrow mapped
- Insulation and vapor barrier condition
- Ductwork checked for chew damage
- A sketch, photos, and a written quote
Ready to see what is under the house?
A free inspection maps the full footprint and puts the plan in writing.
- Warranty
Every sealing job comes with a warranty
Every home we rodent proof and seal gets a warranty on that work. Ask us for the terms at your free inspection.
Crawl space cleanup FAQ
Why do rodents love crawl spaces?
Everything a rodent wants is down there. Shelter from owls and coyotes, warmth from the ductwork, soft soil for burrowing, and doorways at the vent screens and pipe gaps. Nobody visits, so a population can build for a year before anyone notices.
Is the air in my house affected by what is under it?
Yes, some of it. In a raised floor home a share of the air you breathe is drawn up from the crawl space through gaps in the subfloor, plumbing chases, and leaky ducts. The smell you notice is that air, and the dust it carries is why we clean under containment.
What does cleanup involve down there, and do you replace the insulation?
Rodents out first, then the waste. Droppings, nesting, carcasses, and soiled insulation leave in sealed bags, the soil and framing are sanitized and deodorized, and the doorways are sealed with steel. Yes, contaminated insulation is replaced and a damaged vapor barrier goes in at the same time. Scope is written into the quote at the inspection.
How do you keep rodents from coming back under the house?
By closing the doorways. Foundation vents get new hardware cloth, pipe penetrations are sealed with steel mesh, the access door is made to sit flush, and burrows at the footing are blocked. Where outdoor pressure is constant, the D.A.R.T. maintenance program puts that seal on a regular check.
Do you handle termites, moisture, or general pest problems while you are down there?
No. We are rodent specialists, which means rats, mice, and the damage they leave behind. We do not treat insects, termites, bed bugs, cockroaches, or mosquitoes. If we see standing water or wood damage, we will tell you and point you to the right trade.
Services that finish the job
Cleanup clears what is under the house. These steps keep it clear.
Rodent Proofing
The permanent step. Every vent and gap sealed with materials rodents cannot chew through.
Attic Cleanup
The same cleanup and sanitizing work for the space above the ceiling.
Rodent Inspection
Not sure what is under there? Start here and get the findings in writing.
Where we handle crawl space cleanup
We cover 19 cities from our Chino Hills office. This page is part of our wider rodent control in Chino Hills service, and the full list lives on our service areas page.
Get what is under the house cleaned out and sealed up
A real person answers from 7am to 11pm every day, in English or Spanish. After 11pm, leave a message and we call back in the morning.