Roof cleaning Costs:
Cleaning you roof can be one of the most cost effective ways to dramatically improve the appearance of your roof, instantly making it look well maintained and cared for. Sometimes a clean roof can make the roof look like new, other times the clean leaves a weathered appearance adding aged charm to the roof with pleasing aesthetics. The information below will help you understand the roof cleaning cost and methods.
Roof cleaning Costs:
Cleaning you roof can be one of the most cost effective ways to dramatically improve the appearance of your roof, instantly making it look well maintained and cared for. Sometimes a clean roof can make the roof look like new, other times the clean leaves a weathered appearance adding aged charm to the roof with pleasing aesthetics. The information below will help you understand the roof cleaning cost and methods.
DIY or professional:
Cleaning you roof is not an easy task and only the most experienced and confident of people should work at heights when cleaning a roof. The height itself is a huge risk and the professional cleaning crews have all the correct safety equipment to clean a roof with minimal risk. The chemical application also has to be managed correctly and applied with the correct equipment. We would recommend that a professional is always hired when working on a roof.
Methods to clean a roof:
There are 3 ways to clean a roofs, each way has its benefits and some methods will depend on the roofing material. Roof cleaning costs can vary depending on the method used.
- Pressure washing – This has historically been the most common method of cleaning a roof, but it has recently fallen out of favour due to some of the risks involved. The company will pressure wash the tiles from the top down, this will quickly strip and moss, algae and bacteria. A professional roof cleaning company should be able to pressure wash a roof safely, but risks to be aware of are cracked tiles, leaking roof due to missing or old underlay and broken pointing due to the high pressure. Any professional company should avoid these problems by assessing the roof first inside and outside and offering to repair any broken tiles and pointing. Some companies will offer to treat the roof with a biocide after pressure washing, this is always recommended as it prevents the rapid regrowth of moss.
- Softwash Cleaning – This is now the most popular way to clean a roof. It is safer for the cleaning crews and is less damaging to the roof. Softwashing uses a chemical application to the tiles after the moss has been scraped from the tiles. There is still a small chance of tiles breaking but a professional company will offer to replace any tiles they break as part of the service. There is a small risk to plants and aquatic life if the chemical application is not managed properly. There are two popular chemicals in use, Sodium Hypochlorite and a Biocide such as DDAC or BAC50. The major benefit of softwashing is that all plant life on the roof is neutralised and a ‘Moss Free Guarantee’ can be offered.
- Scrape and sweep – This is the older traditional method that some people still favour and is especially popular with DIY cleans. The moss is scraped from the roof and the loose bits left are swept off. With no chemical application the moss will regrow very quickly. This is very common for DIY roof cleaning on a lower extension. If you decide to do this then we recommend applying some chemical like wet and forget to prevent the rapid regrowth of moss.
Why clean your roof:
Customers have stated many reasons why they want their roof cleaned. A few of the most common reasons are new home owners who want the roof cleaned to improve the appearance of their new investment. Some people get frustrated with all the moss that blocks their gutters or constantly drops onto their garden and patios. Some times it has is recommended in a home buyers survey that the roof should be cleaned to prevent and future problems with drainage.
What ever your reason for a roof clean it is important to chose the right company. Contact us here for an obligation free quote.
Roof Cleaning Costs:
As with any trade the cost for the same property can differ between companies, usually with price as an indicator of quality work. Of course this is not always the case which is why it is beneficial to carry out research into, and obtain quotes from several roof cleaning companies.
As an experienced roof cleaning company we strive to keep an eye on competitors costs as well as industry standards in order to offer competitive prices for top quality roof cleaning. This approach ensures that our customers are happy which in turn creates sustainability and a healthy business for many years to come.
Each roof presents it’s own unique challenges with differences in tiles, roof access, location, gable and hip roofs etc to consider and each of these will have an effect on roof cleaning cost however the primary indicator of cost is usually roof size. We understand how it essential to have an idea of roof cleaning costs for any work on your property so the following is a guide to roof cleaning cost in 2019.
Below are some examples of our roof cleaning costs. These are estimates and prices depend on location, access, amount of moss and type of tile.
est. £500-800
1-3 bedroom small house
(terrace or semi detached)
est. £750-1200
2-4 bedroom large house
(terrace or semi detached)
est. £1000-1500
3-4 bedroom small detached house
est. £1500+
3-4 Bedroom large detached house
est. £2000+
4+ Bedroom Extra large house
est. £1000
Commercial properties vary in cost with size and access.
Sole trader or Company:
A sole trader will have less overheads and is unlikely to be above the VAT threshold. This could work out at a cheaper quote but there are concerns as working alone on a roof can be dangerous, they may have to hire extra safe access equipment that could increase costs and the job may take longer.
A company with employees will have more overheads and will have to charge VAT. The quote might be slightly more due to this reason but a larger company will always have at least 2 people on site, they will likely have their own access equipment and will offer a moss free guarantee. Having a larger company usually means the job will be completed quicker.
Which ever company you choose, be it a sole trader or a company you should always ensure that they have insurance. For your safety and theirs.
Avoid bad roof cleaning companies:
Most people have had a bad experienced with tradesmen at some point, there are a few reliable ways to ensure you make the right decision.
- Avoid the lowest quote – You get what you pay for. If the quote is much lower than the competition it’s usually for a very good reason and it is unlikely that you will get a roof clean done well.
- Get multiple quote – Get your quote from us here but always get a couple of quote to compare. Prices may vary but choose carefully, each company will present themselves differently and their communication and presentation of information will tell you a lot on how much they care.
- Read reviews – Their are so many review sites available online today. We encourage our customers to leave reviews on Google, but there are many other sites you can check for genuine reviews. See examples of our reviews below.
- Ask friends and neighbours – Lots of our business come from neighbours, friends and family. Once they have seen the results they want a quote for their roof. If you have seen a job done well ask for the contact details of the tradesmen. It’s a very reliable way to find quality companies with a copetitive roof cleaning cost.