Groundhog Burrow Under a Shed: How Bad Is It, Really?

A groundhog under a shed moves a surprising amount of soil. How to tell if it is occupied, what it threatens structurally, and how to evict one legally.

By Zakaria October 3, 2026 4 min read Save to Pinterest

A groundhog sitting at a burrow mouth behind a fresh mound of excavated soil in long grass — Photo: Tom Fisk, Pexels License, via Pexels

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It depends on what the shed sits on. A groundhog digs 15 to 45 feet of tunnel and shifts several hundred pounds of soil. Under a slab edge or a pier that means settlement. Under a shed on skids over gravel it is usually just a nuisance.

The short answer

A groundhog burrow runs roughly 15 to 45 feet and can move several hundred pounds of soil. The burrow does not damage a shed directly; the voids left behind cause settlement where the building bears on soil, so a slab edge or pier foundation is at real risk and a shed on skids over gravel usually is not. Confirm occupancy by loosely plugging the entrances and checking in two or three days. Evict in late summer or early autumn, after young are mobile and before hibernation, using a one-way door rather than trapping or sealing. Then bury hardware cloth a foot deep with an outward L so the next animal cannot reuse the site.

The soil movement is the problem, not the animal
Slab edge or piers: act. Skids on gravel: usually tolerable
Plug and recheck to confirm occupancy before anything else
Evict late summer to early autumn — not spring, not late autumn
One-way door, then barrier. Never seal first
An empty burrow gets re-let to skunks, foxes, rats

How much digging you are dealing with

What a groundhog burrow system actually involves

	Typical
Total tunnel	15–45 ft
Depth	2–5 ft below grade
Entrances	2–5 — main one with a spoil heap, others hidden
Soil moved	Several hundred pounds
Chambers	Nest, latrine, and a separate hibernation chamber

The hidden entrances matter. Groundhogs dig secondary holes from below, so they have no spoil heap and are easy to miss. Finding one hole does not mean there is one hole.

Does it actually threaten the shed?

This is the question worth answering before spending money.

Risk by what the shed bears on

Foundation	Risk	Why
Concrete slab	High at the edges	Soil removed from under the perimeter; the slab cracks or tips
Piers or blocks	High	Each pier depends on the soil directly beneath it
Timber skids on gravel	Low	Load spreads; gravel bridges small voids
Shed on a deck frame	Low	Not bearing on the burrowed soil

The burrow does not undermine the shed. The voids do.

A groundhog is not chewing the structure. It is removing the material the structure is standing on, and the damage appears later as settlement — a door that stops latching, a visible dip, a cracked slab corner.

That is why the foundation type decides the urgency, and why a shed on skids can host a groundhog for years with nothing to show for it.

Confirm it is occupied first

Everything else depends on this.

Loosely plug every entrance with crumpled newspaper or a handful of straw
Leave it two or three days, in dry weather
Reopened quickly and cleanly = occupied

Other signs pointing the same way: fresh soil fanned at the mouth, clipped vegetation nearby, and a worn approach path through the grass.

Timing the eviction

Spring and late autumn are both the wrong time

Spring to early summer — dependent young may be underground. Sealing or evicting the adult leaves them to die inside
Late autumn — you may be sealing in a hibernating animal

Late summer to early autumn is the window. In most of the range young are independent by about July.

Check local wildlife law before acting. In some places groundhogs are protected, and in others the method and the timing are regulated.

Getting it out, and keeping it out

The order matters more than the tools.

Make the site unattractive — cut back cover near the shed, clear fallen fruit and brush piles
Fit a one-way door over the main entrance, once you are confident no young are present. The animal leaves and cannot return
Confirm it has gone — replug and recheck
Backfill the tunnel mouths with soil, tamped in layers rather than tipped in loose
Bury hardware cloth around the shed perimeter, at least a foot deep, with the bottom bent outward into an L so a digger meets wire when it tries to go under

Skipping straight to filling is the common mistake

Filling an occupied burrow either traps the animal or teaches it to redig somewhere less convenient — often further under the shed, where you cannot reach it.

And filling without fitting the barrier just hands a prepared site to the next one.

Why an empty burrow does not stay empty

Groundhog diggings are a habitat resource, and the local wildlife knows it.

Skunks, foxes, rabbits, opossums and rats all move into abandoned burrows. That is the real argument for closing the site properly rather than congratulating yourself when the groundhog leaves.

Common questions

Is a groundhog under my shed a serious problem?

It depends almost entirely on what the shed sits on. A groundhog excavates a burrow system of roughly 15 to 45 feet of tunnel and can move several hundred pounds of soil, and if that soil comes from under a slab edge or a pier, the structure settles. Under a shed on skids over gravel it is usually a nuisance rather than a threat. The burrow itself does not damage the building; the voids left behind do.

How do I tell whether the burrow is still occupied?

Loosely plug the entrances with crumpled newspaper or a handful of straw and leave it two or three days in dry weather. An occupied burrow is reopened quickly and cleanly. Fresh soil fanned out at the mouth, clipped vegetation and a worn approach path all point the same way. Groundhogs also dig secondary entrances with no spoil heap, so finding one hole does not mean there is only one.

When is it safe to evict a groundhog?

Late summer to early autumn, after the young are mobile and before hibernation. Evicting in spring risks sealing dependent young inside, and sealing in late autumn can trap a hibernating animal. In most of the range young are independent by about July. Local wildlife law varies and in some places groundhogs are protected or the method is regulated, so check before acting.

How do you get a groundhog out from under a shed?

Make the site unattractive rather than trying to extract the animal. Remove cover and food near the shed, then use a one-way door over the main entrance once you are confident no young are present, so the animal can leave and not return. After it has gone, excavate a trench around the shed and bury hardware cloth at least a foot deep with an outward L at the bottom. Sealing without the one-way stage traps the animal inside.

Can I just fill the burrow in?

Not while it may be occupied, and not as the first step. Filling an occupied burrow either traps the animal or simply teaches it to redig, usually somewhere less convenient. Once the burrow is confirmed empty, backfill with soil and tamp it in layers rather than tipping it in loose, and then fit the barrier — otherwise the next groundhog inherits a ready-made site.

Will the burrow attract other animals?

Frequently, and this is the part people underestimate. An abandoned groundhog burrow is prime real estate for skunks, foxes, rabbits, opossums and rats, which is a good reason to close it properly rather than leaving it empty. Groundhog diggings are a genuine habitat resource, which is why the hole rarely stays vacant for long.

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