Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
Have you ever thought about how something as simple as having your roof cleaned can add value to your property? Not only that, maintaining your roof can save you money in treating potential water or air leaks.
Now that we have your attention, let’s delve further into your roof cleaning costs.
Roof cleaning prices can start from as little as £350 for a semi-detached property, and increase to up to £800 for a large, detached house. The science is simple really. The larger the area to wash and treat, the more it will cost.
Want to know where on that scale you and your property sit? The below table should point you in the right direction.
| Type of Property | Roof Cleaning Cost (Minimum) | Roof Cleaning Cost (Maximum) |
| Terraced House | £350 | £450 |
| Semi-Detached House | £450 | £600 |
| Detached House | £600 | £800 |
| Large Detached House | £800 | £1,000+ |
A terraced house would see professionals manually remove the moss with a scraping tool, before treating it. The same would occur with a semi-detached house, with any debris that has gathered in the gutters cleared.
Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
While a pressure washer can be used for any size of house, this is often saved for larger detached houses. Although it is certainly worth asking the question.
It isn’t difficult to spot which properties have had their roofs cleaned. Just walk down any street and take a look for yourself. It is clear to see, and if left for too long, can begin to look particularly unkept.
A professional roof cleaner will first come round to your property to assess the type of roof that you have, and assess the best way in which to complete the job. From there, they will carry out a risk assessment and advise on a price.
How to Clean Your Roof
There are two main ways that a professional can choose to clean your roof. The first one is the old-fashioned way of using a bit of elbow grease. The other way is to use a power pressure washer.
Manually
When done manually, the worker will use a scraper and a brush to manually remove the dirt and unwanted build up of moss over time. This takes longer, but is often the more affordable option.
Pressure Washer
A power pressure washer will lift pretty much all the moss on the roof tiles, making quite a mess below in the process. That isn’t a problem though, quite the opposite. If a lot of moss gathering ends up on your driveway, path or garden as opposed to the roof, then it is much easier to dispose of. Some roofs may not be suitable for this method as the pressure can damage old tiles.
Roof Cleaning Cost: A Breakdown
If you’re particularly inquisitive, you’ll want to know the full breakdown of your roof cleaning costs. You’re paying for it after all.
We will work off the previously mentioned high end price on a semi-detached property of £600.
| Section | Cost | Percentage |
| Materials | £60 | 10% |
| Labour | £360 | 60% |
| Scaffolding | £180 | 30% |
The prices involved will change for each property, but the proportion of the costs spread out as a percentage should stay largely the same for any house – no matter the size.
Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
How Long Does It Take to Clean a Roof?
The time taken to clean your roof is dependent on a number of factors. First and foremost, the condition of the roof will be the main factor, closely followed by the size of the roof in question.
Finally, the difficulty of the job and the ease of access will also determine how long the job will take. Typically, the job should take no longer than a day to reach completion.
What Does Roof Coating Entail?
In summary, roof coating is a colour paint that is designed to help seal any existing tiles. Not only do they help to keep them in place, but they also improve the aesthetics no end.
We would always advise to wait until the warmer summer months before opting for a roof coating. In the cold and damp, the tiles may not cure properly.
Factors Impacting Roof Cleaning Costs
Size of Roof
Have we mentioned that the size of the house and roof in question will have a huge impact on your roof cleaning costs? It is worth repeating, as it should be at the forefront of your thinking throughout. If you live in a large, detached house, don’t expect to pay the same price as someone living in a terraced house.
Repairs
The state of the existing roof tiles will also play a huge part in the final costs. If they haven’t been looked after, or are particularly old, they will need to be treated and possibly replaced. This should be covered in the initial assessment that the worker will undertake.
Amount of Moss
We’ve all seen the roofs that have been left unattended to and have gathered an additional layer of moss on top of the tiles. The longer you leave this, the longer it will take the worker to remove and clean. Time is money in the roof cleaning world.
Accessibility
If the roof cleaning firm that you opt for requires scaffolding to access your roof, expect to pay a fair bit more for this to be arranged. This isn’t an issue for most properties, but can become one in quirky designs.
Height
For safety purposes, a roof cleaner will be required to use special equipment when attending to a particularly high roof. Again, this should come as no surprise and should be made clear from the beginning.
Area
As in most work of this type, where in the UK you are based will have an impact on the costs. London homeowners should always expect to pay more than pretty much any other part of the country.
Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
Roof Cleaning: The Benefits
Increase in Property Value
If you have an eye on a potential sale of your property in the future, you’ll be delighted to hear that looking after your roof can increase the value of your home. Consider checking out the home staging cost before you sell your property.
A well-maintained roof suggests to potential buyers that the property have been well looked after by the previous tenants. If your roof is ruined, then be sure to check out our new roof cost comparison.
Aesthetics
Again, back to that walk down the street and looking at the roofs of several properties. You don’t want to be the house that everyone looks at and thinks that it needs work doing. The roof is one of the first things that people can see on a house without entering it. First impressions are important in the property world.
Investment in Your Home
So perhaps you aren’t thinking of selling your property. Should that mean that you take less pride in it? Absolutely not. With today’s technology, attending to your moss-gathered roof is about an awful lot more than just cleaning it. Potential water and air leaks can also be inspected, and the lifespan of your roof will be increased greatly.
Tile Sealing
Seals on your roof tiles are of paramount importance (1). They prevent water from entering your home via the roof as well as protecting from sunlight damage. Do we need to say any more?
Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
Can I Clean My Own Roof?
We strongly advise against attempting to clean your own roof. It isn’t often you see people up on their own roofs attending to that unwanted moss, and for good reason.
The professionals are only too aware of the risks involved, and take every precaution possible to ensure their safety.
At such great heights, a fall could be extremely dangerous.
A disclaimer will be signed by a professional before any work is done, confirming that any damage done to tiles will be covered as part of the job.
If you take on the job yourself, you could end up doing more damage than good.
Please, leave it to the professionals. It isn’t worth damaging yourself and your property.
Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
Should I Clean the Moss Off My Roof?
Having said that, it is advisable to tend to your roof occasionally, to prevent excess build up of moss. If you do decide to go up on your roof, make sure it is to remove moss only. Don’t be attempting anything more than that, it simply isn’t worth it.
Also, make sure that somebody else is on hand to supervise. You’ll want those ladders holding in place, after all.
Will the Moss on My Roof Grow Back?
Unfortunately, yes. Moss is a persistent growth and will return to your roof, sooner or later. A north-facing roof will see the moss return in around three years. You can extend this time by up to five years if the roof is power washed and treated with a sealant.
For a south-facing roof, you can expect to add an additional two years onto the time it takes for the moss to grow back. Lucky you!
Avoid Cowboy Roof Cleaners
It isn’t always possible to know when a ‘professional’ is trying to pull a fast one on you. However, there are some signs to look out for that should help you in recognising when you are dealing with a bad tradesman.
Regular readers of this blog will have read this before, but it is absolutely true. If a quote seems too good to be true, it usually is. You should always gather multiple quotes to see the price range that you are looking at.
If someone is quoting much higher than that, don’t be tricked into thinking that they are the very best. They might well be, but they shouldn’t be charging a premium. They are most likely fully booked up and trying to land your job at a price that they will make room for.
On the other side of the coin, if a price seems too low, please don’t be tempted into thinking that you are grabbing a bargain. Sure, a few pounds here and there may just reflect a good price. However, a significant dip in price usually reflects two things;
- The worker in question isn’t particularly skilled or experienced
- The worker in question isn’t busy
Both usually go hand in hand. An unskilled worker doesn’t tend to be busy.
Does Vinegar Kill Moss?
Actually, yes (2). The acid in vinegar acts in the same way that acid in rain does, and kills the moss off. Once the vinegar has been applied, the moss should be easier to scrape off.
This technique should be used only for small areas of built-up moss. You don’t want to be going up on your roof with dozens of bottles of vinegar to treat the entire roof!
How Often Should I Clean My Roof?
This really is dependent on the roof itself. Does your home have concrete or cement tiles? If so, we recommend cleaning your roof every three years. If you have slate tiles, you will more than likely be fine to clean it once a decade.
The main point we would like you to take away from this blog is not to try to clean your entire roof by yourself. It is dangerous, and you could very well end up damaging the roof as opposed to cleaning it. Fixing this is another job in itself, and the costs can soon add up.
Put your trust in the professionals and you’ll be on the up and up (just not onto the roof!).
Get A FREE Quote from local Roofers
Get quotes from local companies and tradespeople in your area. Saving you up to 40% and dozens of hours on researching.
