Two houses on the same Evansville street can get very different roof cleaning quotes. Same weather, same kind of shingles. Different roofs.
The cost follows the work, and the work changes with the size of the roof, how steep it is, how hard it is to reach, and how much is growing on it. Below is each factor in plain words, plus what a quote should include. You won’t find prices here. Without seeing your roof, any number we posted would be a guess.
Size and shape of the roof
More roof means more solution, more rinse water and more hours. That’s the simple part.
Shape adds to it. A plain two-sided roof is quick to work across. Dormers, valleys, hips and a chimney or two mean more edges to work around. Valleys also collect leaves and stay damp, so growth tends to be heavier there.
Pitch, stories and access
A low roof on a ranch house is one job. A steep roof on a two-story house is another. Steeper and higher means slower work, more roof gear and more time setting up.
Getting to the roof counts too:
- Can we park the equipment near the house, or is it a long carry from the street?
- Is a fence, a steep yard or a deck in the way of the ladder?
- Do power lines or big limbs hang over part of the roof?
How much is growing up there
Light streaks on one shady slope are a different job from a roof gone dark from ridge to gutter. Moss and lichen hold on tighter than algae streaks, so they can take more time and more solution to loosen.
Trees drive a lot of this. Big limbs over a roof keep slopes shady and damp and drop leaves into the valleys. A roof under a row of oaks usually has more growing on it than one in full sun. Want to know what the dark stuff is? See what causes black streaks on a roof.
Gutters, plants and what’s below
Everything that comes off the roof lands somewhere. Before we start, beds and shrubs near the house get soaked with plain water, and anything that moves gets moved. Afterward, plants, walks and patios get rinsed. More beds, more patio and more stuff along the walls mean more prep and more cleanup.
Gutters packed with leaves can’t carry rinse water away. They may need clearing first, which is its own job. See gutter cleaning.
Adding protection after the cleaning
Some owners pair a cleaning with roof protection, a water-repelling treatment meant to help the roof stay clean longer. It’s a separate step with its own product. NexaNano’s catalog lists its Roof Protect at “Approximately 2,500 sqft coverage per 5-Gallons,” so roof size shows up here again. The roof also has to be clean and dry before it goes on, which can mean a second visit. When it’s done, we check it with a water-beading test.
One roof or a whole property
HOAs and property managers often have several roofs to think about. Roofs on one site can be planned together, on one schedule for the whole property. Each roof still gets its own look, because a north-facing building under trees won’t match the sunny one across the lot. Our commercial and multifamily page covers how that works.
What a low quote may skip
A lower number isn’t always a better deal. Ask what’s left out:
- A pressure washer on the shingles. It’s fast, and it’s the wrong tool. The granules on top shield the asphalt from the sun. InterNACHI notes that reflecting sunlight “helps protect the asphalt from the damaging ultraviolet or UV radiation in sunlight.” Blast the granules loose and the asphalt loses that cover.
- No rinse for the plants. Skipping the soak before and the rinse after saves time on the day. It can cost you shrubs.
- No look first. Cleaning a roof with bare spots or soft decking spends money on the wrong fix.
- A promise that it stays clean. Algae can grow back over time. A quote that says otherwise is promising too much.
Not sure what a proper soft wash includes? Read what soft wash roof cleaning is, or see how the method works on soft washing.
Why we quote after a look
A photo from the street can’t show the pitch, the decking, or whether the dark patches are algae or bare spots. So we come out first. At the free exterior evaluation, we look at the roof, tell you whether cleaning is the right call, and then quote your roof, not an average one. If cleaning isn’t the right call, you’ll hear that instead.
The job itself is laid out on our roof cleaning page. When you’re ready, call or text Revive Exteriors at (812) 664-6222, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
Common questions
Can you quote roof cleaning over the phone?
We can talk it through and answer your questions. A firm number has to wait until we’ve seen the roof. Pitch, access and the kind of growth all change the work, and none of them shows up well over the phone or in a satellite photo. The evaluation is free, so looking first costs you nothing.
Does adding roof protection change the cost?
Yes. Protection is a separate step with its own product, and the amount needed grows with the size of the roof. The roof also has to be clean and dry first, which can mean a second trip. Ask for it as its own line on the quote, so you can decide on the cleaning and the protection one at a time.
Do you charge for the evaluation?
No. The free exterior evaluation costs nothing. We look at the roof, take photos and tell you plainly whether cleaning, protection, something else or nothing at all makes sense. If the roof needs a roofer instead, we’ll say so and can refer you to a vetted local roofing contractor.