How much does roof cleaning cost in the UK?
Roof cleaning costs £500 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £300 and £1,000 per job. Type of property: Terraced house £300 to £500; Semi-detached house £400 to £700; Detached house £600 to £1,000. Prices reviewed June 2026.
Roof cleaning is priced by the size of the roof and the method used, from a gentle soft wash to scraping off moss by hand and treating the tiles. Bigger, steeper and harder to reach roofs cost more.
Roof cleaning cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your roof cleaning in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
To price the whole job, use the fascia and soffit cost calculator.
Roof cleaning cost breakdown
Typical roof cleaning costs, by option:
| Type of property | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Terraced house | £300 to £500 |
| Semi-detached house | £400 to £700 |
| Detached house | £600 to £1,000 |
| + Biocide moss treatment | add £80 to £200 |
What's included in the price?
Typical roof cleaning prices include:
- Moss and debris removed from the tiles
- A soft wash or scrape, depending on the roof
- A biocide treatment to slow regrowth
- Clearing up and a check of the gutters
What changes the price?
The things that move roof cleaning prices most:
Roof size and number of pitches
Soft wash versus hand scraping and treating
Access, height and whether scaffolding is needed
How much moss and lichen has built up
How the price is built up
The price is built up from the size of the roof, the method and the access. A terraced house has the least tile area to cover and sits at the bottom of the range, near £300, while a semi-detached roof runs to about £400 to £700 and a larger detached roof reaches £600 to £1,000. On top of the clean itself, the method matters, as a careful soft wash takes longer than a quick hand scrape but is gentler on the tiles. Access is the other big driver, and a roof that needs scaffolding rather than ladders adds cost. A biocide moss treatment to slow regrowth adds a further £80 to £200. This is a labour-led job. Most of the price is the time on the roof and the access equipment, with materials like the biocide and cleaning products a small share, so labour is usually around 80 to 90 percent of the total.
Ways to keep the cost down
- A terraced house sits at the bottom of the range, near £300, because there is less tile area to cover, so expect to pay more for a semi-detached or detached roof of the same condition.
- Clean the roof before the moss builds up thickly, as a light clean is quicker than scraping years of growth and keeps the job nearer the lower end of each tier.
- Treat the biocide moss treatment, at £80 to £200, as optional rather than automatic, and only add it if regrowth is a real problem on your roof.
- Use a local firm rather than one travelling in from further afield, as a company based near you does not have to price in the travel time and tends to come in cheaper on labour.
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, roof cleaning typically costs around £600 per job, about 20% above the UK average of £500. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £490.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £300 | £500 | £1,000 |
| London | £360 | £600 | £1,200 |
| South East / South West | £320 | £530 | £1,100 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £290 | £490 | £970 |
Guide prices per job, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Roof cleaning cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £290 | £480 | £950 |
| Birmingham | £300 | £500 | £1,000 |
| Bristol | £320 | £530 | £1,100 |
| Cardiff | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| Edinburgh | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| Glasgow | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| Leeds | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| Liverpool | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| London | £360 | £600 | £1,200 |
| Manchester | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| Newcastle | £290 | £490 | £970 |
| Sheffield | £290 | £490 | £970 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for roof cleaning, not quotes.
The materials cost much the same anywhere. It is the labour that moves.
Compare this with a real quote
The figures above are guide prices. Two or three quotes for your roof cleaning tell you what it costs where you live.
Common questions
How much does it cost to clean the roof of a semi-detached house?
A semi-detached roof typically costs £400 to £700, depending on the method and how much moss has built up.
How much does roof moss removal cost?
Scraping moss off by hand and applying a biocide treatment usually costs £400 to £800 for a typical house, or about £10 to £15 per square metre.
Is roof cleaning a good idea?
Done gently, yes: thick moss holds moisture against the tiles and ends up blocking gutters. Done aggressively, no: high-pressure washing can strip the surface of concrete tiles and void what remains of any guarantee. The right method is scraping or soft washing followed by a biocide, which is what the £300 to £1,000 professional job should mean.
When is the best time of year to clean a roof?
A dry settled spell, typically late spring to early autumn: the roof is safer to work on, and the biocide treatment that kills the remaining moss spores needs dry days to bind rather than wash straight off.
How long does a roof biocide treatment last?
Typically 2 to 4 years before moss starts to re-establish, less on shaded, north-facing or tree-covered roofs that never fully dry. Re-treating at £80 to £200 before growth takes hold is much cheaper than another full clean.
What is the cheapest way to clean a roof?
A hand scrape and brush is usually the cheapest way, which is why a terraced roof can start near £300. Pressure washing looks cheap but can lift or crack tiles and force water under them, so it often costs more once repairs are needed. A soft wash costs a little more than a scrape but is gentler. The real saving is cleaning before moss builds up thickly rather than picking the harshest method.
How much should a roof clean cost?
For most homes a roof clean costs £300 to £1,000, with a typical job around £500. A terraced house sits at £300 to £500, a semi-detached at £400 to £700 and a detached at £600 to £1,000. Where the job lands depends on roof size, access and how much moss has built up. A biocide moss treatment adds £80 to £200 if you want it, and a firm travelling in from further away tends to charge more than a local one.
Does roof cleaning include the gutters?
Not always, so ask before you book. Some firms clear the gutters as part of the clean because moss and debris wash down into them, but others price it separately. Given a roof clean already runs from £300 to £1,000 depending on size and access, it is worth confirming what is included rather than assuming. If the gutters are full after the work, that is a fair question to raise with the firm.
Can I clean my own roof rather than pay a professional?
You can scrape moss yourself and apply a moss killer approved for amateur use, and since this is a labour-led job at around 80 to 90 percent labour, doing it yourself saves most of the £300 to £1,000 fee. The real cost is the risk. You are working at height on a slippery, fragile surface, and pressure washing can strip tiles and force water under them. For a low single-storey roof it can be worth it, but a two-storey roof is safer left to someone with proper access.
Does a roof cleaner need a certificate to use moss killer?
Yes, if it is a professional product. In Great Britain the control of moss is regulated under the GB Plant Protection Products Regulations, the rules for pesticides, and HSE says anyone using a professional plant protection product must hold a recognised certificate, previously called a certificate of competence, or be a trainee working under the direct supervision of someone who does. It matters for DIY too: HSE says professional products should never be used by the untrained amateur, so if you treat your own roof, use a moss killer approved for amateur use and follow the label.
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- Using pesticides in your garden, home or allotment HSE · Use only products approved for amateur use at home; professional products are for trained users.
- Agricultural, horticultural and amenity use of pesticides: FAQ HSE · Anyone using a professional plant protection product, which includes moss control, must hold a recognised certificate or work under direct supervision.
- Control of Pesticides Regulations: requirements HSE · How HSE regulates surface biocides such as fungicidal washes, as distinct from moss killers.
- Fragile roofs: safe working practices HSE · Why working on a roof, and above all a fragile one, needs proper access equipment rather than a ladder.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): Roof cleaning typically costs £500 in the UK, ranging from £300 to £1,000 per job. Reviewed June 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). Roof cleaning cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-09-28. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/roof-cleaning-cost/2026-09-28 (156 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.