Before You Hire a Roof Cleaning Service

Have you ever looked at your roof and thought “that doesn’t look good”? Every day in Southwest Florida, an owner will look at their home or commercial building and realize that their roof tile is looking dirty and decides to hire a roof cleaning service. Florida is one of the most saturated markets in the country, so there are a lot of choices in many areas. Before you give the job to someone, we thought it would help to give you a few things to look for in a service.

Licensed and Insured

Unlike some professions such as electrician or plumber, roof cleaning doesn’t have a specific license. They do, however, need a business license for the county and/or municipality they are working in, so do ask about those.

When it comes to insurance, it pays to ask for specifics. There are two types of insurance involved, liability insurance to protect your property and workers’ compensation insurance to protect their workers. Small LLCs may, however, have filed to be exempt and not have workers comp coverage. Others may use the code for pressure washing (#9014) instead of the roofing contractor (#5551) that allows them to work on roofs. Without proper insurance, a few hundred dollar job can turn into a nightmare costing tens of thousands. If they refuse, pick another company.

Business Longevity

All businesses, including ours, were new at one point. Being new doesn’t mean that the roof cleaning service is a bad one, but it should make you look further into them. Disreputable companies usually don’t last long in a crowded market. To counter that, sometimes a company will close up shop and reopen with a new name. If they are claiming 20 years of experience with a 3-month-old company, inquire about their previous employment.

Protecting Your Property

Ask how they clean your roof. It is not uncommon for a less professional company to use high-pressure (up to 4,000 psi) washing. They do it because it’s easy and quick but damages the tiles. A roof cleaning service that cares about your investment will typically use a lower pressure method to prevent damage to your tiles.

It is often necessary to walk on a roof to clean it, however, there are techniques that minimize the risk of damage. Dissipating the weight of the workers and walking in specific directions and patterns can help. If you ask about how they plan to walk on your roof and their answer is just “we’ll be careful”, ask for more explanation.

Also, don’t forget your landscaping. Some of the solutions used in roof cleaning can be unfriendly to the landscaping around the house or commercial property. Our practice at Allied Roofing is to have one of our staff water the plants before, during and after the cleaning. If they are particularly sensitive plants, we cover them with plastic. We also use an eco-friendly cleaner.

Is it in Writing

A verbal quote is nice. A written quote is better. A reputable roof cleaning service will be willing to put the terms in writing for you. This also applies to any warranty or guarantee. What does the warranty cover and for how long? This can again be a question about longevity. A “lifetime” guarantee from a month-old company may not carry the weight of a 2-year warranty from a company that has been serving Lee County for 10 years.

Whether it’s a roof cleaning service, sealant to provide durability and long-lasting results, pressure washing for all of your exterior surfaces, outdoor algae control, or services for both residential and community buildings, Allied Roof Cleaning is your place to call. We are committed to making sure our work is top quality, no matter which service you choose. We are Southwest Florida’s number one choice for roof cleaning, pressure cleaning, and sealing, and we would like to be your number one choice as well. If you’re still questioning why you need Allied Roof Cleaning, visit our website to learn more!