How much does roof cleaning cost?

How much does roof cleaning cost?

Roof cleaning costs roughly $0.20 to $0.70 per square foot of roof, or $300 to $1,050 for 1,500 square feet of roof, according to This Old House's national cost guide, which puts the average at about $675. The guide labels that example a 1,500-square-foot home, but its range is the per-foot rate applied to 1,500 square feet of roof surface, and a house's roof area is rarely the same as its living area, as the next section shows. These are general national figures, and the cleaning method is one of the main reasons one quote lands near the bottom of the range and another near the top.

Locally, Macomb Power Washing Solutions prices roof treatment from $450 in Macomb and Oakland County, as listed on our pricing page. Where a given roof lands above that depends on its area, its pitch, the number of stories and how long the growth has been there. Each of those price drivers is covered below, so a homeowner can see why two houses on the same street can get different quotes for roof cleaning.

How is roof cleaning priced per square foot?

Roof cleaning is priced per square foot of roof surface, which is a different number from the square footage of the house. Roofers also count in squares, and one roofing square equals 100 square feet. A quote that says 18 squares is describing 1,800 square feet of roof.

Roof area depends on the footprint of the house and the slope of the roof. A sloped roof covers more surface than the floor below it, and the steeper the pitch, the bigger the gap. A roof that rises 6 inches for every 12 inches of run has about 1.12 square feet of surface for every square foot of footprint before the overhangs are added. A roof that rises 12 inches in 12 has about 1.41.

House style changes roof area more than living space does. A 1,500-square-foot ranch spreads all of its floor area under one roof, so its footprint is about 1,500 square feet. A 1,500-square-foot two-story colonial stacks its floors, so its footprint is closer to 750 square feet. At the same pitch, the ranch has roughly twice the roof to treat, even though the colonial is taller. At a 6/12 pitch that is about 1,700 square feet of roof on the ranch and about 840 on the colonial, before the overhangs are added.

How do pitch, height and number of stories change the price?

Pitch, height and stories raise the price of roof cleaning because they slow the work and add safety equipment. This Old House reports that a steep roof can add up to $0.15 per square foot for extra safety equipment, and that each additional story adds about $0.10 per square foot. Those adders sit on top of the base rate for the method.

A steep roof takes longer to treat because a technician cannot walk it freely, so more of the work happens from ladders, roof anchors and the eave line. Height adds ladder setups and longer hose runs. In Macomb and Oakland County that is the gap between a low-slope ranch from the 1950s or 1960s and a steep two-story colonial in a newer subdivision.

The table applies This Old House's national figures to example roofs and is a planning tool, not a quote. A treatment from us starts at $450 whatever the national math says for a small roof.

Does removing moss cost more than removing black streaks?

Removing moss usually costs no more than treating black streaks, because This Old House says moss removal is included in most basic cleanings and puts it at the same $0.20 to $0.70 per square foot. Thick cushions can still push a quote toward the top of that range, since they take more solution and more time to kill and clear, and a prevention treatment for moss that keeps returning runs $150 to $250. On asphalt shingles, the black streaks are a thin film of algae, explained in our guide to black roof streaks, and a single treatment typically handles them.

Moss cushions build up in shaded valleys, behind chimneys and along the lower edge of a north slope, the places where wet leaves sit and the shingles dry last. Those spots need a heavier application, and the dead mats take longer to break up and clear than dead algae does. On a wooded lot in Washington Township, Rochester Hills or Independence Township, one slope of a house can carry moss while the sunny side shows only light streaking, so a quote may price the slopes differently. Wood roofs are a separate case, covered in our guide to moss on cedar shake roofs.

How do roof cleaning methods compare on price?

Roof cleaning methods range from a few cents to about $0.75 per square foot, and the cheapest methods do the least. The figures below come from This Old House and are national ranges.

Soft washing tops the range per square foot, and the steps involved explain much of that. A soft wash puts the solution down gently and waits for it to kill the growth, and the beds underneath get soaked beforehand and rinsed again afterward. This Old House recommends a soft wash for asphalt shingles and for clay and concrete tile. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) says not to use a power washer, brush or broom on algae and to lighten the stain with a diluted household bleach solution that is rinsed off gently. Why pressure is kept off shingles, and what that means for the warranty, is covered in is roof cleaning worth it.

What should be included in a roof cleaning quote?

A roof cleaning quote should name the roof area, the method and everything the crew protects, so you know what the number buys. A one-line quote that says "roof cleaning" leaves the pressure, the dwell time and the plant protection unstated.

• Roof area: in square feet or squares, and whether every slope is included.
• Method: soft wash or low pressure, with no high pressure on shingles.
• Moss: whether moss treatment is included or priced as its own line.
• Plant and property protection: pre-wetting beds, rinsing them afterward, and handling downspout runoff.
• Gutters: whether they are checked or cleaned after the roof is treated.
• Trip charges: whether any travel or setup fee sits outside the total.

Every roof quote from Macomb Power Washing Solutions is itemized, in writing and back to you within 24 hours, with travel at no charge. A roof treatment can share the visit with gutter cleaning, which starts from $149; our gutter cleaning cost guide covers that price.

How often will you pay for roof cleaning in Michigan?

A roof treatment in Michigan is usually needed again after three to five years, which spreads one bill over several summers. At our $450 starting price, that is roughly $90 to $150 a year. Shaded slopes set the schedule. A north-facing roof under mature oaks and maples stays damp longer and tends toward the three-year end, while a roof in open sun tends toward five.

Michigan's season also shapes when the money gets spent. A roof treatment is a liquid application that has to dwell and then be rinsed, so in Macomb and Oakland County it belongs to the frost-free months from late spring through fall. Homes on landscaped lots need beds pre-wet and rinsed during the treatment, and mild days make that protection easier than a hot afternoon when leaves dry fast. Plan the treatment for the same months you would wash the house.

How do you compare two roof cleaning quotes?

Compare two roof cleaning quotes by turning each into a price per square foot of roof and checking that both describe the same method. Divide each total by the roof area in the quote. If one bidder measured 1,600 square feet and the other 2,100, the gap may come from the measurement rather than the rate.

Then check the lines that change the job: whether both include moss, both are soft washes, both protect the plants and both cover every slope. A lower quote for a high-pressure wash or a blower cleaning describes a different service from a soft wash. Once the method, area and inclusions match, the remaining difference is the rate itself.