Wildlife Removal in Philadelphia: The Rowhouse Problem

Philadelphia's housing stock is defined by the rowhouse — attached, continuous, and built across centuries of construction styles. Federal-era brick rowhouses in Society Hill. Victorian-era construction in West Philadelphia. Early 20th-century rowhouses in South Philly and Kensington. Mid-century twins in the Northeast. Each era has its own vulnerabilities, and the attached nature of the construction creates a wildlife removal challenge that simply doesn't exist in detached homes.

In a detached home, a raccoon or squirrel that enters through a gap in the soffit is contained to that structure. In a Philadelphia rowhouse, the attic space often runs continuously across multiple units with no firewall separation. An animal that enters at one end of a block can travel the length of the row and emerge in a unit three or four doors away.

This creates two problems. First, the homeowner who hears the animal may not be the homeowner whose unit has the entry point. Second, sealing the entry point in one unit doesn't solve the problem if the animal can re-enter through a gap in a neighboring unit and travel back.

Effective wildlife exclusion in Philadelphia rowhouses requires inspecting the entire roofline — not just the unit where the homeowner reports activity. We work with homeowners associations and property managers to coordinate roofline inspections across multiple units when necessary.

Raccoons are the most common attic invader. The decorative cornices and carved stone details on Philadelphia's Victorian and Federal-era rowhouses develop gaps over time that raccoons exploit readily. Wissahickon Valley Park, Pennypack Park, and the Cobbs Creek corridor all support large raccoon populations that range into adjacent neighborhoods.

Squirrels are the second most common structural pest. Philadelphia's mature street tree canopy — particularly in West Philadelphia, Germantown, and Chestnut Hill — provides easy rooftop access. In attached housing, squirrels in shared attic spaces can affect multiple units simultaneously.

Bats are common in Philadelphia's older brick construction. Deteriorated mortar joints — a feature of virtually every pre-war building in the city — provide entry gaps that bats exploit readily. Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations prohibit exclusion from June 1 through August 15 (maternity season). PGC licensing is required.

Pigeons are a persistent problem on older commercial and residential buildings throughout the city. Their droppings are highly acidic and degrade roofing materials, stonework, and metal flashing.

One of the most common frustrations Philadelphia homeowners experience is getting wildlife removed from their unit only to have the problem return because a neighboring unit still has an open entry point. We're experienced at having these conversations with neighbors and property managers, and we can provide documentation of shared entry points to support those discussions.

Call (800) 319-1556 for a free inspection. We serve Philadelphia and the surrounding Main Line and Delaware County suburbs.

View our Philadelphia service page for more information.