Can we talk about the $1,400 surprise my HVAC guy found in my attic in Marietta

Kelly Kim · 2026-09-22T07:35:04.737492+00:00

So last Tuesday I'm up in my attic off Sandy Plains Road looking for a box of Christmas stuff, and I notice the flex duct over the guest room is flat as a pancake. Turns out a raccoon had been living up there for who knows how long and basically turned my ductwork into a chew toy. I called my HVAC guy, he comes out, shines a light in there and says the words every homeowner hates, "you got a critter problem and about 40 feet of duct that needs to go." Total damage was $1,400 to replace the ducts plus another $350 for a wildlife guy to seal up the entry point near the soffit. Here's my hot take that nobody wants to hear, your homeowner's insurance will not cover animal damage to ductwork in most cases, so don't even waste your afternoon on the phone with them like I did. What got me was the raccoon had been pooping up there for months and I never smelled it because it was on the other side of the house from the return vent. I'm now going up in that attic every spring with a flashlight whether I need to or not. Anybody else get hit with a critter bill like this, and did your insurance actually pay or did they laugh at you too?

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Can we talk about the $1,400 surprise my HVAC guy found in my attic in Marietta | Atlanta Homeowners - The Community Guide