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Groundhog Removal in Roanoke

Last reviewed September 8, 2026 against Virginia DWR published rules and federal statute. How we research this site.

The animal eats your garden. The burrow is what damages your house.

Roanoke specifically

This is genuinely groundhog country, and the season runs backwards from what people assume. They hibernate properly here, emerging lean and hungry in late winter, and the burrow they come back to is usually the one they used last year. If a burrow under your shed, deck or retaining wall went quiet in November, it is not gone; it is occupied and asleep, and it will be active again in February.

Groundhogs in Roanoke County: who does what

The City of Roanoke states that its Animal Wardens do not handle wild animals unless the animal is a direct threat to public safety, and refers residents to a licensed trapper or a removal service. It also gives the state wildlife conflict helpline on 855-571-9003. That helpline is advice, not a visit; nobody from it is coming to your attic.

Roanoke County code §13-5.2 bans trapping any game or furbearing animal within 50 feet of the shoulder of a primary or secondary highway without the landowner’s written permission.

Inside the City of Roanoke, discharging a firearm is unlawful (§21-36), and so is firing an air gun except at an approved range or on private property with the owner’s permission when nothing crosses the property line (§21-37).

For identifying an animal or damage before anyone is paid to look, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Roanoke County / Roanoke and Salem office is at 3738 Brambleton Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24018, (540) 772-7524 (office page).

What Virginia law says about groundhogs

Virginia regulation designates the woodchuck (groundhog) a nuisance species: DWR lists a continuous open season and no kill permit is required. Relocating a trapped groundhog to another area is still illegal. All Virginia rules →

Sources: Virginia DWR, local ordinances: Roanoke County; Virginia DWR, local ordinances: City of Roanoke; 4VAC15-20-160, nuisance species designated; Virginia DWR: groundhogs; Virginia DWR: nuisance wildlife; City of Roanoke, help with wild animals. Checked October 2026.

A groundhog at a burrow under the slab corner of a shed
Illustrative The mound of clay is the only part of the burrow you see.

Signs, and why they matter

  • A burrow entrance 10–12 inches across with a mound of excavated soil beside it
  • Multiple secondary entrances, often hidden in shrubs or against a wall
  • Cropped garden plants and gnawed bark on young trees
  • Tunnels running under foundations, slabs, decks and retaining walls
  • Undermined footings and settling that becomes a structural repair

How removal works

Trapping and removal, then collapsing and backfilling the burrow system and fitting a dug-in barrier. Leaving the tunnels open invites the next occupant.

Cut-away of a one-way exclusion door fitted over an entry hole A wall in cross-section with the attic on the left and outside on the right. A hinged flap is fitted over the entry hole on the outer face. An animal pushes the flap open from inside and leaves; the flap falls shut behind it, and a stop below prevents it opening inwards, so the animal cannot get back in. INSIDE: ATTIC OR CRAWLSPACE OUTSIDE WALL STOP: IT ONLY SWINGS OUT HINGED AT THE TOP OUT: ONE WAY AND NEVER BACK IN
A one-way door lets the animal leave and not return, which is why sealing the hole is the last step, not the first.

Groundhog questions

How much does groundhog removal cost in Roanoke?

$250 – $500 typical, depending on access and whether young are present. After a long stay in an attic the cleanup is often the bigger bill (attic restoration).

Is there a wrong time of year to deal with groundhogs?

Most active spring through autumn; they hibernate over winter, which is when the burrow can safely be closed for good.

Who handles groundhogs in Roanoke County?

Roanoke County code §13-5.2 bans trapping any game or furbearing animal within 50 feet of the shoulder of a primary or secondary highway without the landowner’s written permission.

Request a quote

We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Roanoke where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

We are an information and referral service, not a licensed wildlife control operator, and we may be paid for the introduction. You are never charged.

Request a quote from a licensed Virginia operator

Tell us what is in your house. We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Roanoke where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

Request a Quote