How Much Does Roof Cleaning Cost?

In its April 2026 table, Checkatrade's roof cleaning guide gives a typical range of £8.50 to £14 per m² of roof. A typical semi-detached home works out at £637.50 to £862.50. Those numbers describe the whole job for an average home, so a small terrace comes in under them and a large detached house goes over, and a house with several dormers or a long hipped roof can climb higher still.

The same guide puts hand removal of moss with a biocide treatment at around £11.50 per m². That is a useful midpoint, because it is the method most roofers use on a typical tiled house: the bulk of the growth is lifted off by hand or with low-pressure water, and the surface is then treated to slow regrowth.

Treat every figure as a yardstick only. It is a third-party national guide, not a Crown price, and a roof in Crawley may cost more or less than the average. Ask whether any quote includes VAT, since cost guides often show prices before it is added. For the written total on your own roof we survey first and share photos, so you see what the figure is based on. The hub page for this work is roof cleaning and moss removal.

Size comes first. Roof cleaning is measured by area, so a long, wide roof costs more than a short one even when the growth is similar. Pitch matters, since a steep roof takes more time and more care. A hipped roof has more slopes to work than a plain gable, and dormers, chimneys and roof windows all add edges to clean around.

The condition of the roof matters just as much. A light green film on a sunny slope is quick to treat. A thick mat of moss, packed into the overlaps and hanging over the gutter, takes far longer to lift away and carry off. Lichen, which clings tighter, can mean a second visit. Our lichen on roof tiles answer explains why.

Method changes the figure as well. Hand work and a biocide cost more than a quick wash, but a wash alone leaves spores behind and the green comes back sooner. Then there is the material under the growth. Cracked tiles found once the moss is off are a separate matter from the clean, and our answer on broken tiles found during roof cleaning covers what happens then.

Reaching the roof safely is part of the price. On a low bungalow, ladders and roof ladders may be enough. On a two-storey house, or where the slope cannot be reached from a ladder, scaffold may be needed, and the same Checkatrade guide shows scaffold at around £18 per m² on top of the cleaning rate.

Checkatrade's fascia and soffit table (September 2026) lists scaffold hire at £300 to £600 per elevation per week, averaging £450. A cleaning job rarely needs a whole month, but the erection and removal are why scaffold is rarely cheap for a short job. Scaffold over the pavement is subject to a highway authority licence, which is sorted out with the scaffolder through us; on private land none is needed.

The sensible question is whether other work could share the access. If gutters, fascias or a ridge repair are also due, doing them in one visit means you pay for the scaffold once. Allow for the time the job takes when you plan the day.

Citizens Advice advises getting three or more written quotes first. When they arrive, check what each one covers rather than just the total: whether the whole roof is included, whether a biocide treatment is part of the job, whether access and VAT are included, and whether the gutters are cleared of the moss that falls into them.

A very low price deserves a question. Roof cleaning done properly takes time, and a price far below the national range may mean a quick blast with a jet wash, which Marley says can mark the surface of a tile and wear down its life. A price far above the range deserves a question too: ask what is driving it.

We give one clear total in writing once we have inspected the roof, so there is nothing to decode. Ask also the number of days the roofer plans to be on site, since a rushed job rarely gets the edges and valleys properly done. If you are weighing a treatment against doing nothing, read how often you should clean your roof before you decide, since the interval changes the lifetime cost.