Roof cleaning · soft wash
We remove moss, lichen and black streaks with a low-pressure soft wash matched to your roof. Water tanks and gardens protected. Written price before we start.
From $690 inc. GST · fixed in writing before we book
Why it matters
Growth holds moisture on tiles and can wear coatings over time.
Dark staining on the south and shaded faces is usually algae — it washes off with the right method.
Moss and grit wash into gutters and valleys, causing overflow.
This is for you if
The job, step by step
Material, coating and pitch are checked from satellite images and your photos before we quote.
Tank downpipes diverted, plants pre-wet and surrounding surfaces rinsed.
A biodegradable cleaner matched to tile or Colorbond, then a gentle rinse. No tile blasting.
Loosened debris is cleared from the gutters. Photos of each roof face, with notes on cracked tiles or rust.
Quick answers
Straight answers to the questions Sydney homeowners ask before booking.
Our roof cleaning is a low-pressure soft wash that treats moss, lichen, algae and black streaks with a biodegradable cleaner, followed by a gentle rinse. It also covers diverting any downpipes that feed a water tank, protecting the garden, clearing loosened debris from the gutters and a photo report of each roof face. We clean and report only; we do not sell roof restoration or repairs.
Moss and lichen keep tiles damp and can wear the surface coating over time, while loose growth washes into gutters and valleys and blocks them. Black streaks are usually algae, which is mostly cosmetic but makes a roof look older than it is. A clean roof also makes it easier to see cracked tiles, pointing or rust that growth was hiding.
A roof is due for a clean when moss, lichen or dark streaks are visible from the ground, most often on south-facing and shaded faces. A settled patch of weather suits a soft wash, because the cleaner needs time to work before heavy rain. It also makes sense before selling, or before a gutter clean, since the wash sends debris into the gutters.
Soft washing kills moss, lichen and algae with a cleaner applied at low pressure, then rinses the roof gently instead of blasting the growth off. Before starting, we divert tank downpipes and wet down plants; after the rinse, we clear the gutters and photograph each face. The cleaner and technique are matched to the roof, whether terracotta, concrete tile or Colorbond.
Roof cleaning for most homes falls within $1,080–$1,620 (typical single-storey home, ~180 m²), with prices starting from $690 including GST. Roof area, storeys, pitch and the amount of growth are the main factors, and we measure from satellite images and your photos rather than needing a site visit. Your exact fixed price is confirmed in writing before we start.
Most roof cleans are done in a single visit, and the expected time is confirmed with your quote. Roof area, pitch, storeys, the amount of growth and working around tanks or solar panels all affect it. The roof keeps improving after we leave, because dead lichen can take several weeks of sun and rain to weather off completely.
If the roof is sound and simply dirty, cleaning is enough; restoration is for roofs with worn-out coatings, broken tiles or failing pointing. Concrete tiles whose colour has worn back to bare concrete will not look new after a clean, so it helps to know which you need before getting quotes. We only clean and report, so our photos show whether repairs are needed and you choose who does them.
Yes, gutters are cleared after every roof wash we do, because the wash loosens moss and grit that ends up in them. Valleys we can safely reach are cleared too, and both are photographed afterwards. Solar panels on the roof are not sprayed with roof cleaner; they can be cleaned with pure water as a separate add-on on the same visit.
A low-pressure soft wash is not meant to damage tiles, because it relies on the cleaner rather than the force of the water to remove growth. The damage usually comes from high-pressure cleaning, which can wear away the coloured coating on concrete tiles and drive water under tile laps. Tiles that are already cracked are photographed and pointed out to you before we start.
High-pressure washing can strip the surface coating from concrete tiles, erode porous unglazed terracotta and force water under laps and flashings into the roof space. On Colorbond and other metal roofs, abrasive scrubbing or a high-pressure nozzle can damage the paint finish. It also tends to remove only the surface growth, leaving roots in porous tiles to regrow.
Reconnect any water tank downpipes only after the first good rain has rinsed the roof, following the instructions we leave with you. Expect areas of heavy lichen to look patchy at first; the growth is dead and will weather off over the following weeks. To slow regrowth, trim overhanging branches, keep gutters clear and keep an eye on the shaded faces your report flags.
What’s included
We check the roof type, coating condition and pitch from satellite images and your photos before quoting.
Low-pressure soft wash with a biodegradable cleaner for tiles and Colorbond; gentle rinse where the material needs it.
Downpipes to water tanks are diverted, and plants are pre-wet and rinsed.
Loosened debris ends up in gutters — we clear them as part of the job.
Before and after photos of each roof face, plus notes on cracked tiles, pointing or rust.
Lichen dies straight away but can take weeks to fully weather off. We tell you what to expect.
Your roof, your method
Tell us the roof type in the calculator, or we confirm it from satellite images and your photos. The method follows the material.
Fired clay. Glazed tiles release grime readily; unglazed tiles are more porous and hold lichen longer. We keep the pressure low and take extra care around ridge capping and pointing, which we photograph if it is cracked.
The colour is a surface coating over the concrete. If it has already worn back to bare concrete, no clean will bring the colour back, and we say so from your photos before you book rather than after the job.
No abrasive scrubbing and no high-pressure nozzle on the sheet. We check screws, laps and flashings for rust and note what we see, because cleaning can expose corrosion that grime was hiding.
We work around the array without spraying cleaner onto the panels. If you want the panels cleaned too, that is done separately with pure water, as an add-on on the same visit.
Price guide
Published so you can budget before you enquire. Your exact price is fixed in writing before we book.
| Typical job | Price (GST incl.) |
|---|---|
| Small single-storey roof (~120 m²) | $720–$1,080 |
| Typical single-storey home (~180 m²) | $1,080–$1,620 |
| Large two-storey home (~260 m²) | $1,790–$2,690 |
| Minimum job | $690 |
What changes the price: roof size, storeys, pitch, roof material and how heavy the growth is.
Ranges are a guide for typical Sydney homes. Your exact fixed price is confirmed in writing before we start — no call-out fee, no surprises.
Save with a bundle
Extra services booked for the same visit are 10% off — we’re already set up on your roof.
See your price
Tell us about the property and your suburb. You’ll see a GST-inclusive estimate straight away, then a written fixed price by SMS.
Prefer to talk? 0468 070 392 · Mon–Fri 7am–6pm · Sat 8am–2pm
Method
High pressure does make a roof look clean on the day. The question is what it costs the roof. Here is how the two compare.
| Low-pressure soft wash | High-pressure blasting | |
|---|---|---|
| How growth is removed | A cleaner kills it, then a gentle rinse | The force of the water tears it off |
| Looks clean on the day | Streaks mostly gone; dead lichen can linger for a while | Yes, straight away |
| Coloured tile coating | Left in place | Can be worn away, most noticeably on concrete tiles |
| Water under tile laps | Low risk at low pressure | Can be driven under laps and into the roof space |
| Growth left behind | Treated, not just cut back | Surface growth removed; roots in porous tiles can remain |
Some concrete roofs with heavy build-up need a firmer rinse after treatment. If yours does, we explain why on your written quote before you agree to anything.
Every job documented
When we finish, a report lands on your phone: timestamped photos and video of the work, and honest notes on anything we noticed. It’s how you know the job was done.
After the wash
A soft-washed roof keeps improving after we leave. Knowing this upfront avoids a surprise the next morning.
On the day
Black streaks and loose grime are rinsed off. Areas of heavy lichen may still look patchy: the growth is dead but still attached. A mild cleaning-product smell can linger briefly.
The first good rain
Rain helps rinse the roof further. This is also when you reconnect a water tank, following the instructions we leave with you.
The following weeks
Dead lichen dries out, loosens and weathers off. How quickly depends on how heavy it was and how much rain and sun the roof gets.
Longer term
Regrowth depends on shade, overhanging trees and which way each face points. South-facing and shaded faces usually come back first, and your report flags them.
Packages with roof clean
Complete
A full reset: before selling, after a wet year, or when lichen has taken hold.
$1,680–$2,380Typical single-storey home, about 20 panels · GST included
Includes a bundle saving of about $70
Across Sydney
Highlighted regions have a local guide: what we see there and why it changes the job.
Questions
Something else? Call 0468 070 392 or ask in the quote form.
A low-pressure soft wash is designed not to. High-pressure blasting can strip coatings and push water under laps, which is why we don’t use it on roofs.
We disconnect or divert downpipes feeding tanks, pre-wet and rinse plants, and ask that pets stay inside during the wash. Reconnect the tank after the first good rain (we explain this on the day).
Loose grime and streaks go straight away. Heavy lichen dies immediately but can take a few weeks of weather to fully fall away.
It depends mainly on roof size, storeys and pitch. See the typical range above — your fixed price comes from satellite measurements and photos, confirmed before we start.
No. We clean and report. If your roof needs repairs we will show you photos and you can choose who fixes it.
Only at the start so we can confirm tank and pet arrangements. You get the photo report at the end.
Guides
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An instant GST-inclusive estimate, then a written fixed price by SMS. No call-out fee.