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Two idiots / Roof cleaning today

Rigo

New member
Messages
27
Location
Corby
UNBELIEVABLE.........

I have been cleaning windows for 10 yrs and today i could not believe what was going on next door. Two idiots on top of 3 bed semi, no roof ladder, free standing whilst spraying roof. Than washing down the roof using garden hose. Than clearing gutters by hand throwing down onto garden. Than sliding eaves protector under tiles without removing tiles and ensuring it went under house felt. From the ground using hose pipe, washed down the gutters and windows. Than My customer than told me they were going to do the same to his house next, i asked how much he was paying, £1100.00 he replied. I advised him not to do the work, he risked broken tiles while they walked about his roof. The guys also asked if i could clean all windows for them. 

This has made me think about soft washing roofs.

 
My customer than told me they were going to do the same to his house next, i asked how much he was paying, £1100.00 he replied. I advised him not to do the work, he risked broken tiles while they walked about his roof. The guys also asked if i could clean all windows for them. 

This has made me think about soft washing roofs.
How much!!!!! I had no idea that anyone would pay over a £1000 for washing a roof!! Is it just me or is that more money than sense?

 
Cheers everyone. I didn't realise that it was that lucrative a job - with the right kit, skills, and safety that is. 
We do a few roof cleans but it’s not overly popular down hear the vast majority we quote we dont get and I have noticed that they arnt cleaned by anyone else either , it’s not an easy job to do legally and abiding by HSE guidelines , there will always be the pikeys who do it running up and down the roof with no pipe at all but they also charge similar prices to those already quoted above 

 
there will always be the pikeys who do it running up and down the roof with no pipe at all but they also charge similar prices to those already quoted above
There is a house sort of opposite us that had it done last year and they were cowboys too regards h&s. I was scary to watch, but you just had to watch.

Same householders also had upvc sprayed a grey colour. Again cowboys - working out that back of an old Jag but not old enough to be a classic if you know what I mean ? They were just dangling off ladders, 1 lag balancing them and 1 hand with spray gun!!! Now the weather has been on the gutters you can see where the paint has been scraped off by expansion of gutters and brackets rubbing!!! Doesn't look good.  

 
How much!!!!! I had no idea that anyone would pay over a £1000 for washing a roof!! Is it just me or is that more money than sense?
I PW roofs and charge £300 minimum for a small roof. The cleaning up afterwards is the headache. The house looks great once the roof has been cleaned but it makes the neighbours roofs look bad. Yes its a good earner but I have scaffold and a few roof ladders. ?

 
UNBELIEVABLE.........

I have been cleaning windows for 10 yrs and today i could not believe what was going on next door. Two idiots on top of 3 bed semi, no roof ladder, free standing whilst spraying roof. Than washing down the roof using garden hose. Than clearing gutters by hand throwing down onto garden. Than sliding eaves protector under tiles without removing tiles and ensuring it went under house felt. From the ground using hose pipe, washed down the gutters and windows. Than My customer than told me they were going to do the same to his house next, i asked how much he was paying, £1100.00 he replied. I advised him not to do the work, he risked broken tiles while they walked about his roof. The guys also asked if i could clean all windows for them. 

This has made me think about soft washing roofs.
Sounds like pikies 

 
My next door neighbor paid two grand didn't like it so got retiled boy in next town over seen is charging £350 for scrape & bio
There a exterior cleaner near me he was charging £300 for roof cleaning one job took 3 days 2 if them ? my m8 went in at £800 but did not get it customer of mine i clean windows for he broke 9 tiles broke gutter and never told them gunked the tiles up with red sealer ? they said they wished theyd payed extra for my m8 ?‍♂️

 
There a exterior cleaner near me he was charging £300 for roof cleaning one job took 3 days 2 if them ? my m8 went in at £800 but did not get it customer of mine i clean windows for he broke 9 tiles broke gutter and never told them gunked the tiles up with red sealer ? they said they wished theyd payed extra for my m8 ?‍♂️
Up here a guy used a turbo nozzle and cleaned many roofs for £800 between two properties. A month later leaks appeared all over roof, the tiles were 50 years old. A few months later they got the roof retiled. A waste of £800.

 
How much!!!!! I had no idea that anyone would pay over a £1000 for washing a roof!! Is it just me or is that more money than sense?
A customer asked me recently if I do roof cleaning. He had been quoted £7k!!!! The guy came down to £2k for just spraying it with Biocide. It's a difficult roof to access but not to spray with a pole. I told him we'll spray it for £150 plus the cost of the biocide (I imagine 3x 5 litre tubs so £80). From my experience I can't see it will take us longer than an hour with 2 of us spraying. The only caveat is I need him to have the roof scraped first. I know a lot of local companies do roof scraping at a reasonable price but then tell the customer that biocide is a waste of money. My reasoning is that just spraying with biocide will lead to big clumps of moss dropping into his gutters and exasperating the problem he already has further.

 
He had been quoted £7k!!!! The guy came down to £2k for just spraying it with Biocide.
WOW £7K for a roof clean, how big was the house??? Even £2K to spray is taking the mickey, seems like he was trying to get the job to pay for all equipment required (scaffold tower and bio kit). Some people must be so gullible!!!

 
WOW £7K for a roof clean, how big was the house??? Even £2K to spray is taking the mickey, seems like he was trying to get the job to pay for all equipment required (scaffold tower and bio kit). Some people must be so gullible!!!
It's a strange one as it's a cottage with 3 dormer windows. I'd say the actual area is as big as a standard 5 bed but the roof goes a couple of different ways. Quite low access at the rear due to a raised garden. I don't even think @Pjj would charge 7k for it haha.

 
It's a strange one as it's a cottage with 3 dormer windows. I'd say the actual area is as big as a standard 5 bed but the roof goes a couple of different ways. Quite low access at the rear due to a raised garden. I don't even think @Pjj would charge 7k for it haha.
We don’t do many roof cleans as they aren't very popular down hear , Ime guessing we get 3 out of 10 that we quote but they aren't 7k ???, if I put up the prices we charge I  would be accused of boasting by some on hear ??? , I don’t feel it’s worth the hassle doing them unless I can earn a minimum of 2-3 times what we would earn doing glass .

 
We don’t do many roof cleans as they aren't very popular down hear , Ime guessing we get 3 out of 10 that we quote but they aren't 7k ???, if I put up the prices we charge I  would be accused of boasting by some on hear ??? , I don’t feel it’s worth the hassle doing them unless I can earn a minimum of 2-3 times what we would earn doing glass .
Agreed mate. Its not regular work and it's dangerous. One of my lads used to do roof cleaning, the company were paying him minimum wage to climb onto the roof using a roof ladder. IMO it should be done by scraping from a scaffold tower and the minimum you should be paying someone is £15 an hour, that all needs to be factored into the cost.

 
A customer asked me recently if I do roof cleaning. He had been quoted £7k!!!! The guy came down to £2k for just spraying it with Biocide. It's a difficult roof to access but not to spray with a pole. I told him we'll spray it for £150 plus the cost of the biocide (I imagine 3x 5 litre tubs so £80). From my experience I can't see it will take us longer than an hour with 2 of us spraying. The only caveat is I need him to have the roof scraped first. I know a lot of local companies do roof scraping at a reasonable price but then tell the customer that biocide is a waste of money. My reasoning is that just spraying with biocide will lead to big clumps of moss dropping into his gutters and exasperating the problem he already has further.
£150 is way too cheap, you'll need full ppe as well masks etc so you aren't inhaling the biocide it ain't for the faint hearted which is why I have avoided spraying chems and taking on add ons like other lads on here who know exactly what they are doing. 

 
I think With prices that low, you are surely telling people/customers that you aren’t even professional. Ridiculous. 
But on the other end of the spectrum, yeah I’ve heard all sorts of pricing, £1,600 for a days work for a one man band etc. 
 

Ive done a few small roof cleans over the last year. Just bungalows & garages. Quite enjoyed them, first couple I earned the same if not less than a normal day on windows, as I just wanted the experience. But last couple I’ve done I’ve earned more than I do on a good long day on windows & gutters. But it is of course harder work. I wouldn’t ever put these jobs ahead of my regular work. I always do them on weekends an just view them as an extra lump of money. I don’t even advertise roof cleaning. 

I turned down the offer of a chalet bungalow in the autumn, lots of annoying angles on the roof, 3 dormas & one side would have to be down from the pavement/road. And their garage roof.
I politely turned it down, but I remember thinking what would I charge.. I’d allow 3 days  max (2 full days and one short/half day I think) and a tub of algo clearpro. But I was thinking hypothetically what would I charge it I wanted it.? Maybe around £1250 give or take. I’m still not as quick/experienced as others.

When I cleaned their windows last they said theyre getting the roof done in the new year  “about 2 grand” was their answer when I asked how much they were quoted. But i Think it’s over 2k rather than under judging by the tone of their voice. Have to admit as I drove away half of me was thinking ah why didn’t I quote £1500 or something haha. Oh well. Good on them.

I imagine once you have all The gear & experience, it’s got to be the best profit margin cleaning service out there? 
 

 
It's something I'm seriously looking into.  Every other week I seem to be getting people asking me if I do roof cleaning, and these are not customers, these are walk ups which incidentally I don't really get regarding window cleaning.

I'd happily do 1 or 2 a month to boost up my earnings, it's just finding a safe way to do it.  I don't like the idea of using chemicals, that's one thing I like about WFP, no breathing in any chemicals. 

 
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