Scaffolding for roof cleaning

[Incheck]

Hey all. Hope you’re well. Been a while a while since i posted on here, had some pretty serious issues with my back that are ongoing so i kind of took a break from the site for a while also. 
Over the past year or two we’ve had an increasing number of enquiries about roof cleaning. (Maybe because we already offer render cleaning and patio/driveway cleaning, people just see it as related i guess) It seems to be where the demand & money is at the moment and considering the state of things in other fields i am considering it, as i feel the need to diversify further in order to stay afloat could be necessary. I’m only considering roof cleaning for easier properties with straightforward roof shapes (low council type semis & low detached, bungalows etc) due to health issues and inexperience it makes sense to look down the easier avenues first. 
i’m looking at purchasing a set of roof scrapers as i believe the scrape and treatment method is what i like the sound of. Pressure washing just sounds like a no no in my mind. 
id rather be professional and do it safely/properly, not prepared to risk my neck doing it off a ladder and would be hard graft on the body anyway. So my main question to people already in the game is, do you get the customer to organise and pay for the scaffolding? To me it seems to make sense as otherwise it would push the turnover up drastically in no time otherwise. Also the customer then knows they're paying the true cost of the scaffolding directly from the scaffold company which may be to their pleasing as i’ve heard certain tradesmen inflate the prices of scaffolding to their customers. 
when the scaffold is then up we just show up, charge xyz For the roof clean itself im guessing. If this is how its generally done, or if anyone has any insight, id be grateful to know. Thanks in advance

 

[Part Timer]

I would think if you scaffold the full house you wouldn't get the work as the cost would be too high.

My son's friend does them off a scaffold tower, much cheaper but you have to have a large van to transport them.

 

[ksp]

Hey all. Hope you’re well. Been a while a while since i posted on here, had some pretty serious issues with my back that are ongoing so i kind of took a break from the site for a while also. 
Over the past year or two we’ve had an increasing number of enquiries about roof cleaning. (Maybe because we already offer render cleaning and patio/driveway cleaning, people just see it as related i guess) It seems to be where the demand & money is at the moment and considering the state of things in other fields i am considering it, as i feel the need to diversify further in order to stay afloat could be necessary. I’m only considering roof cleaning for easier properties with straightforward roof shapes (low council type semis & low detached, bungalows etc) due to health issues and inexperience it makes sense to look down the easier avenues first. 
i’m looking at purchasing a set of roof scrapers as i believe the scrape and treatment method is what i like the sound of. Pressure washing just sounds like a no no in my mind. 
id rather be professional and do it safely/properly, not prepared to risk my neck doing it off a ladder and would be hard graft on the body anyway. So my main question to people already in the game is, do you get the customer to organise and pay for the scaffolding? To me it seems to make sense as otherwise it would push the turnover up drastically in no time otherwise. Also the customer then knows they're paying the true cost of the scaffolding directly from the scaffold company which may be to their pleasing as i’ve heard certain tradesmen inflate the prices of scaffolding to their customers. 
when the scaffold is then up we just show up, charge xyz For the roof clean itself im guessing. If this is how its generally done, or if anyone has any insight, id be grateful to know. Thanks in advance

Most people I’ve seen have used a scaffolding tower and then a ladder for parts with difficult access. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I'm doing one tomorrow with my scaffold and roof ladder. Scaffold a lot safer than a ladder and it looks more professional. I'm looking at a longer van just for the maintenance and one for the window cleaning.

 

[ched999uk]

Some people hire a tower but you still have to know how to build it properly. I realise its a contentious issue but to plan to work for hours from a ladder is a H&S no no. A small tower will help make the job easier and safer. Problem with custy organising the tower is will they get the right one when it's required. Also some if not all hire companies give 'trade'  discount when hiring of upto 50%. You could start by hiring job to job then when you know work level buy a small tower like a mi-tower as it's relatively small and designed for 1 person to build but it still requires a decent size van. 

 

[Incheck]

Some people hire a tower but you still have to know how to build it properly. I realise its a contentious issue but to plan to work for hours from a ladder is a H&S no no. A small tower will help make the job easier and safer. Problem with custy organising the tower is will they get the right one when it's required. Also some if not all hire companies give 'trade'  discount when hiring of upto 50%. You could start by hiring job to job then when you know work level buy a small tower like a mi-tower as it's relatively small and designed for 1 person to build but it still requires a decent size van. 

Yeah mate this is it. Thing is with scaffold towers youd have to be constantly moving it, taking it up, putting it down, sounds like a ballache whereas you could just have scaffolding covering the whole house, then of course theres the unlevel ground/obstacles etc. and with all the equipment in the van already i doubt wed fit it in being honest! I agree about not working on the ladder for long periods of time its a hell of a risk but i just couldnt physically do it either. Bungalows happy days of course. I asked my mate whos a builder average cost of scaffolding round a house he reckons £1800 give or take ? dont think many people are gonna be prepared to pay that somehow. 

 

[ched999uk]

I asked my mate whos a builder average cost of scaffolding round a house he reckons £1800 give or take ? dont think many people are gonna be prepared to pay that somehow

We had 3 story scaffold to take down a big chimney stack and that was £600. So I don't doubt £1800 for full scaffold. Have a look at the Mi-Tower scaffold towers. The 1 man is quite small and on wheels, I think it fits through 75cm gaps so not bad. They seem quick to put up. Not put up a tower in about 30 years but remembering back once you know the order they are fairly easy but easier with 2 people. The videos of the Mi-tower show 1 person building the tower, it had 'pegs' on the platforms so you can hook then next bits on then climb up and reach the bits you just hung on. They are not that cheap at about £2k for a 1 man 4meter platform. Similar in price to the slim Boss towers, but seem smaller to move and transport.

 

[Incheck]

We had 3 story scaffold to take down a big chimney stack and that was £600. So I don't doubt £1800 for full scaffold. Have a look at the Mi-Tower scaffold towers. The 1 man is quite small and on wheels, I think it fits through 75cm gaps so not bad. They seem quick to put up. Not put up a tower in about 30 years but remembering back once you know the order they are fairly easy but easier with 2 people. The videos of the Mi-tower show 1 person building the tower, it had 'pegs' on the platforms so you can hook then next bits on then climb up and reach the bits you just hung on. They are not that cheap at about £2k for a 1 man 4meter platform. Similar in price to the slim Boss towers, but seem smaller to move and transport.

Thanks Geez, i think i may have to pass up the idea unless its a bungalow, i havent got any storage space left in the garage at all, and cant justify that kind of outlay either. Picked up a few regulars today out of nowhere and done a little softwash on some stonework which i really enjoyed so im thinking just grind it out on smaller stuff weve already got the equipment for without having to invest more money, especially in the times we are in.

A ships gotta float itself at some point i guess without constantly having to pour investment in. 

 

[ched999uk]

Must admit I see a fair few people cleaning roofs for very good money but I'm not sure how easy it is to get enough work to justify the outlay of kit to stay safe. 

If you have the kit and skill to softwash then I do think that is a growing business. It seems like the environment is causing more algea and other stuff to grow at a massive rate on render. Plus there seems to be more and more buildings constructed and rendered on the outside. I think part of the softwash problem is that the public don't realise what it is and how it can make their render etc look so much better. It's just working out a method to educate people.

 

[Pjj]

We do get the customer to scaffold certain jobs , some go ahead some don’t , we also if it’s suitable use a scaffold tower we hire them and have them delivered to site I don’t have room in the vans for them and I just stick the hire costs  on top of the bill . 

 

[Incheck]

We do get the customer to scaffold certain jobs , some go ahead some don’t , we also if it’s suitable use a scaffold tower we hire them and have them delivered to site I don’t have room in the vans for them and I just stick the hire costs  on top of the bill . 

Cheers mate, there is a massive social divide, there are affluent areas close by where the cost of scaffolding probably wouldnt phase them but there are also many people who dont have that sort of money to hand, its all down to the customers personal financial circumstances i guess

 

[Pjj]

Cheers mate, there is a massive social divide, there are affluent areas close by where the cost of scaffolding probably wouldnt phase them but there are also many people who dont have that sort of money to hand, its all down to the customers personal financial circumstances i guess

Scaffolding depending on house size will be £300 upwards we have done a couple of jobs on shop fronts so only 10 meters and that’s what it cost a full smallish house will probably be £500-1000 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

My 8.7m Clima AGR tower cost me £3k brand new but I see they are up in price now. Its 2.4m long and 800mm wide so fits nearly everywhere. I was on it yesterday for 30mins fixing a gutter round a corner because one side was 12mm higher than the other so I have to remove it all and refit it properly. The new houses are getting flung up and everyone has small problems with their gutters and downpipes. You are right about needing a bigger van, I have to put the AGR frames on the roof and fit a chain and padlock round them, they are £200 each. In reality, the scaffold was the best thing I bought last year and got my money back in a few months. ? 

 

[RWCleaning]

My son's friend does them off a scaffold tower, much cheaper but you have to have a large van to transport them.

Brandon tool hire can deliver for a little extra to the job and pick them up after. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Brandon tool hire can deliver for a little extra to the job and pick them up after. 

I think you will be over £150 for a day's hire of a tower scaffold?

 

[Pjj]

I think you will be over £150 for a day's hire of a tower scaffold?

We pay around £70 delivery and collected 

 

[Iron Giant]

We have had scaffolding around house it's a semi detached so 3 sides, scaffolding was £700 for the job and this was a big firm doing the job, I have also spoke to small local builder about another job and he said it would be £700 for wrap around scaffolding , not sure about other areas of the UK but £1,800 seems well overpriced. 

 

[Incheck]

We have had scaffolding around house it's a semi detached so 3 sides, scaffolding was £700 for the job and this was a big firm doing the job, I have also spoke to small local builder about another job and he said it would be £700 for wrap around scaffolding , not sure about other areas of the UK but £1,800 seems well overpriced. 

Yeah mate have contacted a couple pf scaffolding companies since, both said between £650 & £900 give or take for wrap around scaffolding so you’re in the right ball park