Getting your roof cleaned is a relatively quick and easy way of improving the look of your home by removing moss, lichen, dirt and anything else that has accumulated up there.
Helping to revive the look of a tired and discoloured roof, cleaning it is an important part of maintenance as it acts as a preventative measure to avoid any future problems with accumulating water, or eventual damage to your roof tiles.
Although the difference between a clean roof and one that hasn’t been cleaned can be night and day, having your roof professionally cleaned might not always be your highest priority given that you might not even be aware of the problems lurking above you.
In this article, we’ll be covering how much roof cleaning costs, what affects the price of roof cleaning, how to save money on roof cleaning, what’s involved in cleaning a roof and how to find and hire a professional roof cleaner.
If you’d like to find out more about roof cleaning and how to have it carried out most cost-effectively, keep reading to do just that.
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How Much Does Roof Cleaning Cost?
Having your roof cleaned can come in many different shapes and sizes depending on what you want and need doing.
The two ways professional roof cleaners will operate will either be using a hand-removal method, known as hand-scraping, else they will use a pressure washer to expedite the process.
For a hand-removal process, such as having moss removed, you can look to expect the following prices:
| House Size | Service | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced house | Moss removal | £395 to £420 |
| Semi-detached house | Moss removal | £495 to £520 |
| Detached house, average size | Moss removal | £595 to £620 |
| Detached house, large | Moss removal | £795 + |
Hand-removal is far cheaper than pressure washing, with a terraced house costing between £395 to £420. While it’s best to ask the professionals to assess your roof before settling on the correct type of maintenance, for roofs with no underlying problems, moss removal should normally suffice.
For a semi-detached house, you can expect to pay between £495 and £520 for moss removal, and an average-sized detached home can bring in costs of £595 to £620.
As the houses get larger, the price increases, with a large, detached house costing more than £795. However, moss removal is an important part of roof maintenance and will stop other natural growths if treated with a biocide after cleaning.
For a pressure washing process, you can look to expect the following prices:
| House Size | Service | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced house | Pressure washing | £550 to £700 |
| Semi-detached house | Pressure washing | £750 to £900 |
| Detached house, average size | Pressure washing | £900 to £1,000 |
| Detached house, large | Pressure washing | £1,100 + |
Pressure washing comes with a higher price tag – as well as a risk factor in that the act of using high pressure to wash roofs may lead to roof tiles being dislodged with the force. This method generally creates a lot more mess as moss, lichen and dirt are sprayed off the roof’s surface and onto the ground below.
For this reason, pressure washing isn’t ideal for older, more fragile roofs as it can lead to water getting into places you don’t want it, as well as damaging the exterior protection your roof tiles give. Slate roofs are more susceptible to damage, so it’s something to bear in mind if your contractor suggests this.
The cost of pressure washing a terraced house is between £550 and £700, with it increasing to £750 to £900 for a semi-detached home.
Detached homes can command fees of £900 to £1,000 for an average-sized property, with a large, detached home costing more than £1,100.
Click To Get QuotesWhat Affects the Cost of Roof Cleaning?
The cost of getting your roof cleaned will vary depending upon several facts.
Location
As with many types of trades, London is typically the most expensive place to get it done.
The regional differences can be due to factors such as the local cost of living, competition levels and even the cost of parking for tradesmen.
- A small, one-man roofing company could charge you around £400 to £500 in the capital for moss removal on a small property
- The roof cleaning cost using a small company like this could be as low as £350 in other parts of the South of England and the Midlands
- The further north you venture in England, the more the cost of roof cleaning tends to drop, which can be as little as £300 for a one-man company in some cases
Size of Contractor
It’s worth considering the difference in cost when you use a medium-sized company versus a small, one-man-band. This type of company will have up to five employees, and will usually charge more than the previous example:
- In London, a medium-sized firm will charge you up to £600 for cleaning your roof
- In the rest of the Southern region and the Midlands, expect to pay between £450 to £500
- If you live further north in England, then the price could be potentially as low as £400
Then, when it comes to large roof cleaning companies with more than 10 employees, the price goes up accordingly:
- Large companies London could charge up to £850, at the upper end of the price scale
- In the South and Midlands, £550 to £650 is the sort of price range you will be looking at
- The price you pay the more north you travel should be £450 to £550.
Poor Access
As mentioned briefly, if your home has poor access this will impact your overall price as the contractors won’t have as much of a straightforward experience working on your roof.
This can be directly shown in an increase of hours spent on your roof, or in the cost of parking permits if your home doesn’t have a driveway or free off-road parking.
Size of Roof and Condition
If your roof is particularly covered by a large build-up of moss and dirt, it’ll take your contractors much longer to clean than it would a roof with minimal moss growth.
Similarly, the size of your roof will raise your prices as detailed above, but will also need longer labour hours – especially if a hand-removal method is being used.
If you get an experienced roof cleaning company to look at your home, then they should be able to give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take to complete the work, as well as the best method of removal.
How Can I Save Money on Roof Cleaning?
Climbing up onto the roof and cleaning away the dirt and moss on the roof tiles isn’t the sort of weekend DIY job that most homeowners would or should consider. Bearing this in mind, it appears to be a far better idea to leave it to someone else.
It can be dangerous to work on the roof, as any sort of fall can lead to a serious injury. The professional firms who offer this service employ experienced tradesmen who are comfortable working at heights and take all of the necessary precautions to stay safe while up there.
This doesn’t stop you from helping your contractors out, though – and you can do this in some simple preparation before they arrive.
Ensuring there is suitable parking arrangements for their vehicles can save time and stress, as well as making sure there’s plenty of ground space around the property for them to be able to access the roof.
Further to this, removing anything from the ground that might get damaged during the cleaning is essential. Vehicles, garden ornaments or furniture should be moved out of the way in case anything falls on them during the job.
Asking your contractors to apply a biocide treatment will also ensure that your roof won’t immediately re-grow moss and lichen, which makes it a cost-effective option as you won’t have to have your roof re-cleaned quite so rapidly.
Click To Get QuotesWhat’s Involved in Cleaning a Roof?
Depending on whether or not you’re having your roof hand-cleaned or pressure washed, the steps are as follows:
Hand-washing involves the contractor using equipment such as a brush or a scraper to manually remove the dirt and moss from your roof. Biocide will be used first to kill off the living organisms and help to deter re-growth, and the areas will be cleaned manually thereafter
Pressure washing is more of a complicated process and it can be messier – it can also damage particular types of roofs, so is make sure to check your roof can handle a pressure wash before you hire the contractor. Biocide will again be used before starting, and the pressure washer will be aimed so that it never shoots underneath a roof tile to prevent any leaks or damage.
Moss and other dirt then simply fall off the roof.
Chemicals may then be sprayed onto the roof to ensure that moss doesn’t grow back on it, which can help to ensure the longevity of your roof.
How Do I Find and Hire a Professional Roof Cleaner?
Worryingly, a quarter of Brits say that they have been ripped off by tradesmen at some point. If you make a bad choice, you could end up with someone who can’t do the job properly, over-charges you or even tries to take your money without doing anything.
To make a smart decision, you should consider the following advice:
- Be wary of unbelievably low quotes. Once you start getting quotes, you should see that they are all close to each other – one that is far lower than the rest is probably best avoided
- Use a reliable quotes site, like HouseholdQuotes. The best tradesman quote sites will give you the guarantee of only dealing with recognised experts in the field
- Check online reviews. By reading reviews you can get a far better idea of the quality of the company you plan to use
- Ask your friends and neighbours, too. It should be easy enough to see which friends and neighbours have had their roofs cleaned. Why not ask a few of them if they would recommend the contractor who did the work for them?
Click To Get QuotesEnsuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
When reaching out to potential contractors, always ask for any quotes to be handed to you in the written format – and if anyone refuses this, refuse to work with them.
Verbal contracts aren’t binding, and no matter how lovely someone seems when they’re discussing your job with you, they can easily refuse the memory of something which can end up costing you greatly.
Finding out about their experience, and whether or not they’re more accustomed to hand-removal or pressure washing will help to narrow your search to find the right contractor with the best skills for your project.
Finally, asking for proof of a contractor’s insurance is one of the most essential steps in the whole process. Without insurance, if damages happen, nothing is covered – whether that’s physical damage or otherwise.
Avoid traders without insurance as it screams unprofessionalism.
Final Checklist
If you’re considering having your roof cleaned and want to take the plunge, here’s our final checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered:
- Gather at least three quotes from different traders to compare their prices, using HouseholdQuotes to help you save up to 40% on your project
- Find out what’s best for your roof – do you have slate tiles? If so, pressure washing mightn’t be the best option
- Ensure anything breakable has been removed from the area when cleaning is taking place, as moss and other debris will fall from the roof
- Find out about roof sealants and if you want extra protection applied after the cleaning has happened.
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Steven Winston says
Great article and great advice, especially the DIY part. You shouldn’t try too clean your roof yourself even if you think it’s easy. There are certified professionals for the job which have insurance and all the training needed.
Cheers