Direct answer: If a squirrel damaged a roof vent, the usual problem is a bent screen or torn vent hood that leaves an opening into the attic. Start by confirming whether the damage is only at the vent cover or if the base flashing and shingles were pulled loose too.
Most likely: Most often, squirrels chew or pry at the vent screen or thin metal hood, then keep widening the opening until they can get inside. On older vents, the fasteners and metal are already weak, so the animal damage looks worse fast.
Look at this like a roofer would: first decide whether you have a simple cover repair, a full roof vent replacement, or active animal entry that needs to be dealt with before you close it up. Reality check: if you can see daylight through the vent from the attic, the opening is already big enough to matter. Common wrong move: covering a live entry hole before making sure no squirrel is still inside.
Don’t start with: Do not start by smearing roof cement or caulk over the opening. That hides the real damage, traps water, and makes the proper repair messier.
The vent opening is exposed, the wire screen is torn, or the louvers are peeled back but the vent body still looks mostly in place.
Start here: Start with a close visual check from the ground and then inspect the attic below that vent for droppings, nesting, or daylight.
The top or side of the roof vent is visibly bent, lifted, or chewed, and rain can likely blow straight in.
Start here: Treat this as more than cosmetic damage. Check for water staining in the attic and plan on replacing the damaged roof vent assembly if the base is distorted.
You see lifted shingles, exposed nails, torn sealant lines, or a gap where the vent meets the roof.
Start here: Separate this from simple screen damage right away. Water entry becomes the bigger problem, so protect the area and stop DIY if the roof is steep or the decking feels suspect.
You hear scratching, movement, or chirping near the damaged vent, especially at dawn or dusk.
Start here: Assume active animal entry until proven otherwise. Do not seal the opening shut until you know the animal is out and there are no young inside.
This is the most common squirrel damage. Thin screens, brittle louvers, and older fasteners give way first, leaving a clean-looking entry hole at the vent face.
Quick check: From the ground or attic, look for a localized opening at the vent face while the vent base still sits flat on the roof.
Once a squirrel gets leverage on a weak hood, the metal can peel up or crack at the corners. That usually means the vent itself is no longer weatherworthy.
Quick check: Look for twisted metal, a hood that no longer sheds water properly, or corners lifted away from the vent body.
Repeated pulling can break sealant, loosen nails, and lift nearby shingles. At that point the problem is not just the opening; it is also a roof leak risk.
Quick check: Check for lifted shingle tabs, exposed fasteners, or a visible gap where the roof vent flange should sit tight to the roof.
If the vent was used once, squirrels often come back unless the opening is fully repaired and the attic route is closed. Fresh droppings, nesting, or new chewing marks point that way.
Quick check: In the attic, look for fresh debris under the vent, insulation disturbance, or new scratching sounds after dark or early morning.
Squirrels also damage plumbing vent covers, ridge vents, and soffit areas. You want the right repair before you climb or buy anything.
Next move: You know whether the damage is limited to one roof vent and whether the attic below it has been breached. If you cannot safely identify the damaged opening or the attic area is inaccessible, treat it as an exterior roof repair and bring in a roofer or wildlife-removal pro.
What to conclude: A clear ID keeps you from patching the wrong opening or buying a part that does not match the damaged vent style.
A bent screen can sometimes be handled as a smaller repair, but a distorted hood or loose base usually means the roof vent assembly needs replacement.
Next move: You can sort the job into one of two paths: face damage only, or full vent-and-flashing damage. If the vent shape is distorted enough that you cannot tell what still seals and what does not, plan on replacing the roof vent rather than trying to patch it.
What to conclude: If only the screen or front opening is damaged and the base is tight, a targeted repair may hold. If the hood or flange is bent, the vent is no longer shedding water the way it should.
Closing a vent with an animal still inside turns a roof repair into a bigger problem fast. You need to know whether this is old damage or an active entry point.
Next move: You know whether you can move ahead with repair or need animal removal first. If you cannot confirm the attic is clear, do not permanently close the opening yet.
Once the animal issue is handled, the repair should match the actual damage. Small face damage and full vent failure are not the same job.
Next move: The opening is closed, the vent sheds water again, and there is no obvious path back into the attic. If the vent will not sit flat, the roof deck is damaged, or the surrounding shingles will not reseal properly, stop and have the roof area repaired professionally.
Squirrel damage often comes back if the vent is only partly repaired or if another nearby opening is easier to reach.
A good result: You stay dry through rain and the attic stays quiet, which tells you the repair likely solved both the weather and entry problem.
If not: If water shows up or animal activity returns, the vent repair was incomplete or there is another opening nearby that still needs attention.
What to conclude: A good repair holds through weather and stops repeat access. If either one fails, widen the inspection instead of adding more patch material.
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Only if the vent body is still solid, flat, and weatherworthy. If the hood or flange is bent, a screen alone does not restore proper water shedding, and the vent should be replaced.
Look below the vent for fresh droppings, nesting material, disturbed insulation, chewing, or visible daylight through the damaged opening. Scratching at dawn or dusk is another strong clue.
Not as a real repair. Roof cement may slow water for a short time, but it does not restore a torn screen, bent vent hood, or loose flashing, and it often makes the proper repair harder later.
Not always. If the damage is limited to a removable cap or the screen at the opening, you may not need the whole vent. If the hood shape or base flange is distorted, replacement is the safer call.
Repair it anyway. A dry attic today does not mean the vent is fine. The opening still invites animals in and can let wind-driven rain or snow reach the attic later.
If the roof is easy to access, the damage is limited, and there is no active animal issue, some homeowners can handle a straightforward vent screen or vent replacement. Call a roofer if shingles are torn, the base is loose, the roof is steep, or the decking may be damaged.