Roof Cleaning Business Guide

By Mike P.

About The Author:

I started in the roof cleaning business about 12 years ago 1997 in Florida. I had been in the construction industry my entire life and just happened to stumble upon another company cleaning a shingle roof. I started talking to one of the workers and he explained a little about what he was doing. I started looking around the neighborhood and realized there were many roofs that needed cleaning. I always just thought the roofs needed replacement or were just getting old. After talking with this gentleman for awhile I soon found out that is what most people think.

So I went home after work and decided to do some research on the internet. Unlike now back then there was not much information on roof cleaning. I did make friends with the owner of a roof cleaning company that sold chemicals to clean roofs. He was located in Georgia at the time and is no longer in business due to health problems. He explained most of the business and cleaning details to me.

Download E-Book

If you would like to download this author's work in an easy to read & print E-Book format click on the button below. Thank you for your support.

License & Insurance:

It is very important you get your occupational license because if you don’t someone will turn you in and it will cost you a lot more. Many municipalities today require you to have insurance before they will issue you a occupational license and some will make you take a test which is usually mostly about the business end of roof cleaning not the actual cleaning part. Don’t be worried most tests are open book and you can study before taking it.

The best license to go for is one for pressure washing because you will eventually offer this service along with your roof cleaning. Now insurance will be cheaper also for pressure washing especially if you ever hire employees. Workman’s compensation for anything to do with a roof is very expensive. Always shop around for insurance because different companies offer different rates all the time. The easiest way to get multiple quotes and I have always found the best rates is with NetQuote using them takes all the hassle out of shopping your rates because they will do it for you. It is free and you should go ahead and fill out the short form now so you will know what you are going to have to pay which will put you one step closer to starting your own roof cleaning business.

In order to get your roof cleaning/pressure washing occupational license you need to go down to your local city hall usually in the same area as your building department or driver’s license building. The cost runs between $25 and $50.00 depending on where you live. In some states like Florida if you have a business even if you are sole proprietorship with no employees you have to get workman’s compensation on yourself. This is really stupid because workman’s compensation is actually employers insurance to make sure the employee doesn’t sue you if he or she gets hurt on the job. Since you own the business I doubt you are going to sue yourself. Like I said previously workman’s compensation is expensive BUT there is a loophole if you incorporate you do not have to have workman’s compensation on any officers of the company and this would be you, your wife or kid that may help you. So I would recommend incorporating because it will be cheaper than the workman’s comp and you will also be protected personally from liability. Here is a great place to Incorporate and find answers to all of your questions Incorporate Now. Most people incorporate as a LLC or a sub chapter s, just research it a little on their site and you will be able to determine what it is you need. (probably an LLC which is a limited liability corporation and is the cheapest and easiest to do.).

Cheap Way to Start Your Roof Cleaning Business:

There is a couple of ways to go about this. One is fairly inexpensive and is a good way to start off especially if you have limited funds. The second is what you will want for your roof cleaning business once it gets going. Let’s go over the inexpensive way to clean roofs.

First you will need to purchase a cleaner that will do the hard work for you. You will see many different cleaners being sold on the internet for all different prices. I have found that good old OXI Clean that you can purchase from Sam’s club or even Wal-Mart does just as good of a job. You can also use chlorine like you purchase for your pool.

This also works great and I have never had a problem with either. Many of your competition will tell people that the chlorine will hurt their roofs or plants so I use OXI Clean and tell them it is safe for the environment because it is. I don’t tell them that it is OXI Clean I just tell them I mix my own cleaners depending on what I am cleaning. Just put it in a 5 gallon pail and no one will know what it is.

Now you need a way to spray the cleaner on the roof. You can use a pump up bug sprayer or purchase a bottle sprayer that attaches to the garden hose. If you go to your local Home Depot they will have miracle grow which comes with a bottle sprayer that attaches to the hose or you can ask if they sell one by itself.

If you use a bug sprayer than mix the OXI clean 8 to 10 scoops per gallon of water.
If you use the bottle attachment then usually you can put a pound of OXI clean into one bottle. If not fill the bottle to about ¾ full of OXI clean. Keep an eye on it because you don’t want to run out while you are spraying it on.
If you use chlorine mix it 30% chlorine to 70% water. This is a safe mixture for plants if you rinse before and after.
No matter what chemical you decide to use always rinse the plants before and after you clean the roof and if possible cover them with plastic this is mostly for a visual effect for your customer because the cleaner should not hurt the plants.

Now all you need to do is wait 5 to 10 minutes and rinse with a garden hose using a pressure nozzle. Some areas may require you to apply cleaner again to make sure the roof comes clean. It really is that easy.

Other tools needed one or two fiberglass extension ladders buy the best it is your life you are saving. Spare clamps and fittings for your pump and hoses. Make sure you have tarps you can put over landscape if necessary. Extra tips for your wand or gun you will use mostly #40 and #50 tips. Rags, chemical, goggles for eye protection and good pair of cougar paws roofing boots. Use a respirator you don’t want to get dizzy while you’re up on the roof. Wear jeans or some type of durable long pants keep the chemicals off of you. I would wear some heavy latex gloves.

Semi Pro Roof Cleaning Setup:

Keep in mind the main difference between the semi pro roof cleaning setup and the inexpensive roof cleaning equipment is the amount of time it takes to do the job. Once you get busy instead of cleaning one roof a day you can easily do 2 roofs in a day. This will increase your profits and you will look more professional to your customer. I kept my business simple and never tried to compete with the big companies. I felt if I could make $1500.00 per week cleaning roofs I was happy. If you have more ambition you can build a roof cleaning rig that can clean 4 roofs a day and no job will be too big. I just prefer no headaches so I kept it simple and did the work myself.

Ok what you want to do is purchase a 6x10 utility trailer with axles and tires to handle 2000 lbs. usually if they have car size tires on the trailer it will be rated for this but always ask what the axle is rated for and you can look on the tires to see what they are rated for. Now you will need two water tanks one for your cleaning solution and the other for water to rinse with. I would purchase one 80 gallon tank for chemicals and one 150 gallon tank for rinsing. Mount these side by side over the wheel of the trailer to keep your load balanced.

Now purchase a UDOR Kappa 40 which is mated to a gear reduction and 5.5 hp Honda motor this is a great chemical pump. It can handle both chemical application and rinse down duties. Mount this on the trailer between the tanks and the back of the trailer leaving room for your hose reel and hose. Now you will need a Titan hose reel that will carry 200’ of 5/8” hose. For the supply side of the pump you want to hook a ¾” hose to the pump and leave the hose long enough to be able to stick in the top of either tank down to about 6” off of the bottom of the tank. You always want to pull your water and chemicals from the top of the tank if you put a fitting in the bottom of the tanks they will eventually leak and you will also draw up any particles left in the tank into your pump. Now let’s hook up the pump to your hose reel. I only used one outlet of the pump before I found this hookup on the web, I would do it this way it works a whole lot better.

If you only run 1 gun just use a 5/8" hose instead of a 3/8" or 1/2" and make yourself a 2 into 1 mini manifold using 3 - (1/2" barbed x MPT) brass fittings and 2 - 90 degree 1/2" brass elbows and 1/2" MPTxMPT close couplers and make the two outlets flow to 1 outlet into a 1/2" Titan aluminum hose reel with SS manifold. The hose reel should be large enough to hold 200' of 5/8" Kuri tec AG hose (for max flow and reduced friction loss.) (Goodyear of Tampa 813-627-8956 has it and they will ship all over if you do not have a dealer close to you.)

Then you attached the hose to the reel with 1/2" MALE barb to Male MPT fitting and couple with (2) SS worm gear clamps.(turn clamp screws opposite of each other to avoid leaks from crimping. Then on the other end of the 5/8" AG hose. Put a 1/2" SS ball valve that can handle a minimum 300 psi ( I buy 800 psi) then you will have to make a Phelps wand or use an aluminum 3/8" wand of a comfortable length and Then, play with the tip sizes to get your flow right.

Go to your local power wash supply and have them give you or order several brass "Spraying Systems" tips like a 20-40, 30-50, etc. just tell the local supplier your pump flow rate and pressure and then they can help you do the math.

Then you are going to have to try to find a tip that gives you the flow rate you want but allows you to move safely on the roof or from a ladder. The flow rate will depend on you and how fast you are willing to move to apply chemicals or rinse.

If you want to save some money you can go with an electric pump that runs off of 12 volts most use a marine battery to run the pump. The best one on the market is a Delevan 5800. I personally prefer to use gas powered and I always purchase a bigger and better pump than needed. The Delevan 5800 is used by many roof cleaning companies.

Making a Phelps Wand:

One 48" schedule 80 threaded 1/2" pvc pipe.

Two 1/2" schedule 80 female couplers (only one is needed if ball valve is placed on wand, rather than on hose end).

Two 1/2" male/female sprinkler elbows (provides spray angle adjustment).

Two 1/2" to 1/4" nylon and/or brass reducer bushings. We use nylon on the spraying end and brass at the q/c end.

One 1/2" pvc ball valve (can be placed on wand/or end of hose, personal preference)

One stainless steel or plastic nozzle of whatever size that's appropriate to your pump setup. The nozzle can be screwed directly into the reducer bushing or a 1/4" stainless quick connect coupler can be used for fast nozzle changes.

One 3/8" Hansen stainless steel quick connect socket or you can also use a stainless steel or brass hose barb of whatever size hose that you intend to use with 1/2" mpt if you prefer the hose-clamped "hard plumbed" version.

Download E-Book

If you would like to download this author's work in an easy to read & print E-Book format click on the button below. Thank you for your support.

Roof Cleaning Chemicals to Use:

To clean a roof with no pressure in my opinion chlorine is the only way to do it. Many guys add TCP / Borax to heir mix because they believe it helps in keeping the roof clean longer. Some add a bottle of dawn dish detergent to help the chemical stick to the roof better. I personally just use chlorine period. I mix it 30% chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) to 70% water you can purchase the chlorine wholesale but when you start if you want to just go to your local pool supply store this will work also.

You would like to purchase chlorine that is 12% sodium hypochlorite. If you use a weaker solution you will need to add more to your water to make the proper strength. The average 2000 sq. ft. roof will take between 35 and 50 gallons of solution to clean. So if you are mixing in 30% chlorine to make up the correct mixture you will need 10.5 gallons to 15 gallons of chlorine. Now I always carry a pump up sprayer with about a 50/50 split of chlorine and water to pre treat any areas that look like they are going to be more difficult to clean. After you spray on your chemical wait 5 minute or so and start rinsing. You can use this same mixture to wash the entire house.

If the temperature falls below 50 degrees your solution will not work as well. You should mix up the amount of chemical you will need for the jobs you are doing each day. You can use it the next day but I like it to be as strong as possible so I only mix up what I need for the day. Keep in mind I am not trying to create a roof cleaning empire I just want a small slice to keep me happy.

You will see where I had mention OXI Clean in the cheap way to get started in the roof cleaning business and it works great the problems you have with it is it does not dissolve well unless the water temperature is hot. It will work in cold water it just doesn’t like to dissolve so you start to have problems with it getting into your pump and clogging it up.

Handling Chemicals

Eye contact: Immediately flush the eye with water. If irritation persists, call for medical help.
Skin contact: Wash off with soap and water.
If swallowed: Call for medical help if the amount swallowed is large.

Roof Cleaning Truth:

There is certainly a lot of misconception involved with the topic of roof cleaning. Can you clean an asphalt shingle roof? Can you clean a roof without harming the shingles? What are the black streaks on my roof? What will happen if I don't get the roof cleaned? These are just a few of the questions this article will answer. Knowing this information can save you costly future roof replacements and added heating and cooling costs.

In many regions across the country roof algae (Gloeocapsa Magma) is a growing problem. The algae thrives in warm humid climates, usually first appearing on the north facing slopes of your roof where the right amount of shade and moisture are common. With the proper atmosphere the algae only needs one more element to survive and that's food.

Roof algae feeds on the crushed limestone that is used in the manufacturing of asphalt shingles. When shingles were first produced manufacturers quickly realized they were to light and would not provide adequate protection, so they added crushed limestone to the asphalt to add weight and durability to the shingles.

Gloeocapsa Magma is an airborne algae so it can land on any roof with no rhyme or reason, though it does seem to be more prominent in areas holding a lot of trees. Once the roof algae lands on the roof it will have to be killed and removed properly or it will continue to spread, it will never get better or just go away on its own. The algae begins feeding on the nutrients in the shingles, as it rains it is spread down the roof causing black streaks. If not taken care of it will take over the entire roof in a few short years turning the whole roof black.

Besides looking very unsightly and diminishing any home's curb appeal and value, what other damage can roof algae do? When roof algae are not taken care of they stop the shingles from reflecting heat from the sun's UV rays. When this happens it can affect your home's heating and cooling costs without you even realizing it. Also because the shingles cannot reflect heat they start to diminish prematurely. Signs of wear are curled corners, wavy or humped shingles, broke or loose shingles, and an excess of shingle granules appearing in your gutters just to name a few.

Most home owners become concerned when the first unsightly black streaks begin to appear long before permanent damage is done. It's at this point that most home owners will call a roofing contractor and in my opinion it's the point where home owners are steered in the wrong direction.

It has been my experience from talking with many troubled home owners that most and I express the word "most" roofing contractors are not going to tell the home owner that their roof only needs to be cleaned. Think about that for a moment, why would they? I have had many customers tell me that a roofing contractor told them that the black streaks were water marks or a sign of wear in either case a roof replacement was recommended.

Another scenario is that some roofing contractors have no idea themselves what roof algae is and that it can be cleaned. Some will also combat losing a potential roof replacement job by telling the home owner that you can't clean shingles without damaging them, which is completely untrue. None the less many home owners are suckered into a costly, premature roof replacement of a roof that only needed cleaned. If you think about it, it is no different than replacing your vinyl siding because it has mold or mildew on it, no one would think of doing that.

The good news is that shingles can be cleaned properly without harming the shingles, and the major shingle manufacturers say so themselves. They even have suggestions and guidelines for cleaning roof algae off of asphalt shingles without harming them. The proper methods include a low pressure chemical application followed by a light rinsing. NOTE: never use or allow a pressure washer to be used on your roof.

Inexperienced home owners and unethical contractors have damaged shingles by attempting to blast the algae off the shingles using high water pressure. Doing this blows the shingle granules off which are there to protect the shingles, thus lessening the longevity of the roof.

In the past some have tried zinc strips on the peak of the roof which are suppose to release chemicals down the roof when it rains to help combat roof algae. Most have reported poor results with the strips. Recently shingle manufacturers have produced algae resistant shingles but there have been plenty of cases of roof algae still invading such shingles. This is why they can only call them "algae resistant" and not algae proof.

What to Charge:

The best advice I can give you is don’t take bigger jobs than you can handle. Let the big companies go after the large expensive homes that are 3 stories tall with vary steep roofs. Focus your advertising towards the older homes 1500 to 2500 square feet. Be reasonable take your time doing the job so the roof is spotless. You may not be able to charge as much but the jobs are easier, safer and you can make a good living doing them.

What to charge roof cleaning

1000 to 2000 square feet $299.00
2010 to 2500 square feet $375.00
2510 to 3000 square feet $425.00
3010 to 5000 square feet $600.00 (you will probably never get a job this size because the big companies will be able to out bid you and these are the jobs they go after)

What to charge gutter cleaning

Single story up to 2000 square feet $100.00
Single story up to 3000 square feet $125.00
Cleaning the outside of the gutters you can use gutter zap or if you go to Wal-Mart in the auto section purchase Black Magic road tar remover this will get rid of the streaks.

House Washing

Up to 2000 square feet $225.00
2010 to 3500 square feet $375.00
3510 to 5000 Square feet $500.00

If I they combine any two services I will give them a 25% break off of the total price.

Getting Roof Cleaning Work:

First thing you need to do is choose your name, purchase the domain name and get you occupational license. Have business cards printed with your business name and contact information. Keep them clean and easy to read you can put all of your sales info on your website. You can get 250 free business cards from VistaPrint to get you started. Make sure you always take before and after pictures of your jobs and post them on your website. HODI Hosting has a great offer to get you started with a website. If you want to get a logo Logo Works can take care of you. Now get some custom signs made for your vehicle and your trailer if you want to create them yourself you can at Build a Sign. The more signs you have visible when you are parked in someone’s yard doing a great job or driving around town the more business you will get. Make sure they can see your phone number and web address this is more important than your business name.

Newspaper ads in local neighborhood papers are great any other advertising is a waste of money. If you sponsor a local little league team that can also help by keeping active in your local communities. You will build your business by word of mouth and when people see your lawn signs or your truck cleaning a customer’s roof.

When choosing your name, pick a name that doesn’t limit you to roof cleaning. I will almost guarantee you will eventually pick up a pressure washing machine to offer other services down the road. Most of your competition will try to sell products to their customers to help prevent mold and fungus growth. These products in my opinion do not work long enough to make them worth spending the extra money on them. I explain that the products don’t work and in a year their roof will start to show signs of growth again. I will clean their roof each year as long as they do not skip a year for 50% off of my price on the roof cleaning. Now you will start building a customer base with repeat work this will save you a lot of money. The hardest thing to do in business is getting the customer once you have them keep them. Almost all the time you go back the next year the customer will want one of your other services you offer. This is why I said you will eventually start cleaning driveways, walkways, pool enclosures, decks, fences etc… OXI Clean works great on wood also.

When you go into a neighborhood for the first time and you notice many of the homes need their roof clean go to the home with the best visibility from the busiest road in the neighborhood and explain that you normally charge $300.00 but if they will let you put a sing in their yard for 30 days and tell their friends and neighbors you will clean it for 50% off. Now take your time cleaning this roof even clean one ½ one day and the second half the next so when people drive by they can see the drastic difference. Once the customer sees the difference they will tell everyone about you and many times you can talk them into washing their complete house and charge them full price for this. People will understand if you explain that you can only give them a break on the roof. But tell them you will come back every year and clean it for the same price as long as they do not skip any years.

Cleaning the Roof:

If you research the web you will see people who claim to clean the roofs off of ladders using tools like a pitch witch these tools still put out to much pressure and will not do the job as good as standing on the roof. You have to be careful when walking on tile roofs because of the risk of breaking the tiles. Ok so you get to the job and everything is ready to go. First thing to do is soak the plants and other landscape. You should already have your chemical tank mixed and ready to spray on.

The rinse tank should be empty you have no reason to drive around with 150 gallons of water. After you rinse the plants stick the water hose in the rinse tank and start filling it. If you rig up a float shutoff and hook your hose to that your tank won’t over flow. You can get a simple float valve that will hook to your hose at a pool supply company. Now go up on the roof with your pump sprayer and pre treat any problem spots with your strong 50/50 mix. Now bring up your wand and enough hose to be able to walk the roof and start spraying your chemical. (Wear your safety gear protecting your eyes, skin and lungs).

I start at the opposite end of where I have my ladder and work my way back to it. Don’t step in the chemical or you will bust your azzz. After you get the chemical sprayed on go down and switch your hose from the chemical tank to the rinse tank now rinse the plants again before you go back up and start rinsing from the ladder until you clean a spot to stand. You cannot rinse too much rinse, rinse and rinse some more. Now go back down turn off your water fill hose and rinse the plants again and don’t forget heavily rinse the areas where the gutters drain. I rinse the gutters and spray down the house to make sure the chemical is rinsed away. You will be rinsing out your pump and hose while you rinse down the house keeping them in good shape and making them last longer. That is it clean up and hopefully your rinse tank is mostly empty. Stick a yard sign in the yard collect your money and go to the next roof. Just remember make sure you do the best job you can and if they call you back for a problem take care of it immediately.

Great Startup Specials

Get great insurance rates for your business and more with NetQuote.

You can get 250 free business cards with Vista Print.

Accept credit cards using your phone. Just $10.00 per month with Accept by Phone.

Have Logo Works design your new logo professionally.

Easiest way to incorporate with Incorporate Now.

Make your own professional custom signs, banners, magnets, etc... with Build A Sign

Get your website going with HodiHosting.net only $5.00 per month.