How Much Does Roof Cleaning Cost?

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. Wouldn’t it be great to have your roof look brand new again?

Before going ahead you will want to know the basics of how much it will cost you and how to get it done to the best possible standard. The following tips will ensure that you get this job done in the way that most suits you.

What It Involves

There are a couple of different ways of getting a roof cleaned thoroughly and professionally:

• The first one is to use a scraper and brush to manually get rid of the dirt and the other unwanted stuff that has built up over time.
• Another roof cleaning approach is to use a power pressure washer on the roof. This should be enough to clean the dirt and moss on roof tiles in most cases, although it may be a lot messier when the dirt and water gets blown about. It can also damage certain types of roof, so is only a suitable option in some cases.

In either of these cases, it is clear that there is some preparatory work needed. This means doing things such as organising access to the roof and covering anything that might get damaged during the cleaning work.

Once the roof has been completely cleaned, there is the option of spraying on a chemical that makes sure that moss doesn’t grow back on it. Other types of coatings and sealants are also available; to finish off the job in the way that best suits you.

Why Do It?

Only a really serious build-up of dirt, moss on roof tiles and other stuff is likely to cause you major problems with your roof. The life-span of the tiles may be affected eventually, but for most people cleaning their roof is a purely aesthetic decision.

The difference between a clean roof and one that hasn’t been cleaned can be night and day. It will probably end up looking brand new again after this work, which is a fantastic thing to see after years of it getting progressively dirtier and older-looking.

Getting Quotes for Roof Cleaning Prices

If you want your roof cleaned to a high standard then the first step is to get a few quotes. You can get roof cleaning prices easily enough at a reputable quotes site such as Quotatis.

The more quotes that you get, the more likely you are to get one that suits your budget. It is generally recommended that you try for at least 3 different quotes for comparison purposes.

Be sure to give the company all of the information needed to get start with, although they may also want to go out and see your house before finalising a quote.

How Much Does Roof Cleaning Cost?

The cost of getting your roof cleaned will vary depending upon a number of facts.

First of all, there is the matter of where you live. 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.

1. A small, one-man roofing company could charge you around £400-£500 in the capital
2. The roof cleaning cost using a small company like this could be as low as £350 in other parts of the South and the Midlands.
3. Further North, the cost for roof cleaning tends to drop, to as little as £300 for a one-man company in some cases.

We have just looked at small roofing companies, so it is also worth considering the difference in cost when you use a medium sized one. This type of company will have up to 5 employees and will usually charge more than in the previous example.

1. In London, a medium-sized firm will charge you up to £600 for cleaning your roof.
2. In the rest of the Southern region and the Midlands, expect to pay maybe £450-£500.
3. If you live further North then the price could be potentially as low as £400.

When it comes to large roof cleaning companies with more than 10 employees the price goes up accordingly.

1. Large companies London could charge up to £850, at the upper end of the price scale.
2. In the South and Midlands, £550-£650 is the sort of price range you will be looking at.
3. The price you pay further North should be £450-£550.

Other factors that could affect the price include the following:

• The size of the roof
• Difficult access
• Poor state of repair
• Large build-up of moss and dirt
• Type of roof
• The method of cleaning used (power washer or scraping)

 The Length of Time Needed

The amount of time needed to clean your roof will largely depend upon:

• How much moss, lichen and dirt have built up over the years.
• The size of your roof
• Other factors, such as ease of access and the difficulty of working up there

If you get an experienced roof cleaning company to take a 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.

It Is a DIY Job?

The biggest reason why more people don’t clean their own roof is the fact that it involves working at a height where many of us wouldn’t feel safe.

The job itself isn’t really very difficult in most cases and doesn’t involve a huge amount of specialist roof cleaning equipment. However, the fact that it has to be done up on the roof makes it far less suitable as a DIY job.

It can be dangerous to work on the roof, as any sort of fall can lead to a very serious injury. The professional firms who offer this service employ experienced tradesman who are comfortable working at heights and who take all of the necessary precautions to stay safe while up there.

Climbing up onto the roof and cleaning away the dirt and moss on the roof tiles isn’t really 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 someone else.

 How to Avoid Bad Tradesmen

Of course, you will want to make sure that you only ever employ experience and professional tradesmen for jobs like this. Worryingly, a quarter of Brits say that they have been ripped off by tradesmen at some point.

If you make a bad choice then 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 take the following pieces of advice into consideration.

1. Be wary of unbelievably low quotes. We have already seen a few examples of roughly how much you can expect to pay. Once you start getting quotes you should see that they are all pretty close to each other. One that is far lower than the rest is probably best avoided.
2. Use a reliable quotes site. The best tradesman quote sites will give you the guarantee of only dealing with recognised experts in the field.
3. Check out online reviews. These days, it is possible to find out what other people think about just about any service provider that you plan to use. By reading some online reviews you can get a far better idea of the quality of the company you plan to use.
4. Ask you friends and neighbours too. It should be easy enough to see which friends and neighbours have had their roofs cleaned; they will be the ones living in houses with spotlessly clean roof tiles, after all. Why not ask a few of them if they would recommend the contractor who did the work for them?

By following these simple steps, you should have a fantastically clean roof again in no time. It is a great feeling to see clean roof tiles up there and feel that your home is more attractive than it has been for some time.