Roof Soft Washing
Low-pressure soft wash roof cleaning for algae, moss, lichen, and organic staining.
$349 to $1,149, by roof area. Find your size in the table below — every price is published, so you get a number without a visit or a phone call.
Roof Soft Washing Prices
Priced on roof area. Cleaned with low pressure and a surface-appropriate cleaning solution.
| Size | Price | Typical time on site |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 sq ft | $349 | 1 hr 30 min |
| 1,001 - 1,750 sq ft | $469 | 2 hr |
| 1,751 - 2,500 sq ft | $589 | 2 hr 30 min |
| 2,501 - 3,500 sq ft | $729 | 3 hr |
| 3,501 - 4,500 sq ft | $869 | 3 hr 30 min |
| 4,501 - 5,500 sq ft | $999 | 4 hr |
| 5,501 - 6,500 sq ft | $1149 | 4 hr 30 min |
Included: Gutter interior clean-out and downspout flush.
Not included: Steep pitch and heavy growth are quoted separately. Moss and lichen release gradually over several weeks of weather.
The roof material and its condition get checked first, along with where the water will go and what is planted below it. A roof-appropriate solution is applied at low pressure and left on the growth. Nothing is scraped, brushed or blown. Because roof work sends dislodged growth straight into the trough, the gutters are cleared out and every downspout is flushed to confirm it runs — that is part of the price, not an add-on to it.
Those black streaks are gloeocapsa, a living organism with roots in the shingle, and moss and lichen grip the granules directly. Pressure takes the granules off with the growth, and granules are the shingle's UV protection — you buy a clean roof and pay for it in roof life. Killing the growth and letting weather release it protects the shingle, and it is also what every major shingle manufacturer specifies. High pressure on a shingle roof will void a manufacturer warranty.
What to expect: This is the one service that is not finished the day we leave. Algae rinses off relatively quickly, but moss and lichen release gradually over roughly four to six weeks of rain and weather as the dead growth loses its grip. The roof keeps improving after the visit. If you need it looking its best for a specific date — a listing photo, an appraisal — plan backward from that.
Worth adding: House Wash. Roof runoff carries loosened growth down the walls, so the siding wants washing after the roof rather than before. Booked together it is one setup and one visit instead of two.
The roof material and its condition get checked first, along with where the water will go and what is planted below it. A roof-appropriate solution is applied at low pressure and left on the growth. Nothing is scraped, brushed or blown. Because roof work sends dislodged growth straight into the trough, the gutters are cleared out and every downspout is flushed to confirm it runs — that is part of the price, not an add-on to it.
Those black streaks are gloeocapsa, a living organism with roots in the shingle, and moss and lichen grip the granules directly. Pressure takes the granules off with the growth, and granules are the shingle's UV protection — you buy a clean roof and pay for it in roof life. Killing the growth and letting weather release it protects the shingle, and it is also what every major shingle manufacturer specifies. High pressure on a shingle roof will void a manufacturer warranty.
What to expect: This is the one service that is not finished the day we leave. Algae rinses off relatively quickly, but moss and lichen release gradually over roughly four to six weeks of rain and weather as the dead growth loses its grip. The roof keeps improving after the visit. If you need it looking its best for a specific date — a listing photo, an appraisal — plan backward from that.
Worth adding: House Wash. Roof runoff carries loosened growth down the walls, so the siding wants washing after the roof rather than before. Booked together it is one setup and one visit instead of two.
Our Process
1. Inspect Roof & Surroundings. We check the roof material and condition, and identify nearby landscaping and drainage areas before starting.
2. Low-Pressure Treatment. We apply a roof-appropriate soft wash treatment. Standard asphalt shingles are never cleaned with high pressure.
3. Clear & Clean Gutters. The gutters are cleared out, the downspouts are flushed to confirm they run, and the outside faces are cleaned — all included in the roof price at no extra charge. Roof work sends dislodged growth straight into the trough, so leaving it there would wash back over everything we just cleaned.
4. Final Rinse & Review. We rinse and review the result.
Roof Soft Washing by town
Where a town’s own surfaces are worth writing about separately, it has its own page — the same prices, with what actually weathers there and the sales tax for that county stated on it.
Our guarantee
Roof soft washing keeps improving for four to six weeks as treated growth releases with rain and weather. If your roof has not come around within 60 days, tell us and we will re-treat the affected area at no charge.
The guarantee covers cleaning. It does not cover conditions cleaning cannot correct — oxidized or chalked finishes, concrete scaling where the surface has already broken loose, failed paint or stain, and rust with an active source still feeding it. We identify those on the walkthrough and tell you before any work begins.
Book a house wash and a roof soft washing together and the driveway cleaning is free — up to a two-car driveway, about 700 square feet.
- Same property, same visit.
- Longer driveways get the first 700 square feet free and only the remainder priced by area.
- One per property per calendar year.
- Does not combine with other discounts.
- Sealing, oil and rust stain treatment, and paver joint sanding are not included.
Common Questions
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes, on two different timelines, because roof work does not finish on the same clock as everything else. On any surface other than a roof: if you are not satisfied with something we cleaned, tell us within 14 days and we will come back and re-clean it at no charge. Fourteen days rather than a week on purpose — most people do not look properly until the following weekend, and a rain in between makes anyone doubt the result. On roof soft washing: 60 days. A roof keeps improving for four to six weeks after the visit as the treated moss and lichen lose their grip and release with rain and weather. Judging a roof at two weeks would be judging it half-finished. If it has not come around within 60 days, it gets re-treated at no charge. What the guarantee does not cover is anything cleaning cannot correct: oxidized or chalked finishes, concrete scaling where the top layer has already broken loose, failed paint or stain, and rust with an active source still feeding it. Those get identified on the walkthrough and stated before any work begins, so nothing on that list is a surprise afterward. Separately from all of that, there is a warranty. The guarantee above asks whether we did the job right; the warranty asks whether it stayed clean. Black streaking on a roof we soft washed is warranted for two years — three if you are on the maintenance plan — and washed siding can carry a twelve-month regrowth warranty, included free with the plan. Two conditions are excluded from the roof warranty and we point them out before the work rather than after: heavy overhanging tree cover, and areas where water pools rather than draining. Both re-seed growth continuously no matter how well a roof was cleaned. What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing). You can get your own number right now: the [instant estimate](/instant-estimate) prices your property from the address in about two minutes, and what you accept is what you pay.
My roof still has some streaks a week after you cleaned it. Did it not work?
Almost certainly it did, and this is the single most common question about roof work. Algae rinses away relatively quickly. Moss and lichen do not — they anchor into the shingle surface, so they are killed rather than removed, and then they release gradually over roughly four to six weeks as rain and weather work the dead growth loose. A roof one week out is partway through that, not finished. Scraping or pressure-washing them off instead would take shingle granules with them, and granules are the roof's UV protection. That trade — a faster result for a shorter roof life — is not one worth making, and every major shingle manufacturer specifies against it. The guarantee is built around that timeline: 60 days on roof soft washing rather than the 14 that applies elsewhere. If the roof has not come around by then, it gets re-treated at no charge. What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).
How long before black streaks come back after a roof cleaning?
They should not come back for years, and there is a warranty on it. Black streaking is algae, and a soft wash kills it at the root rather than rinsing it off the surface. If black streaking returns on a full roof soft washing within two years, the affected area is re-treated at no charge. Two conditions are excluded because they re-seed growth continuously no matter how well the roof was cleaned: heavy overhanging tree cover, and areas where water pools rather than draining. Both get pointed out before the work rather than after. What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing). The [maintenance plan](/maintenance-plan) is built for exactly this: an autumn visit, next year's price held, and a longer roof warranty.
I have seen five-year roof warranties online. How does yours compare?
Not one company in Northeast Ohio offers that five-year structure — it is a national template, and it is worth reading before you compare it to anything. In every version we have read in full, "five years" means twelve to twenty-four months of actual coverage followed by a bill for half the original price for every re-treatment through year five. The five is how long you can call them. It is not how long you are covered. What is actually offered around here: we read the sites of the seven largest exterior cleaning companies working Stark, Summit and Cuyahoga counties on the same day. Six advertise a warranty or a guarantee. Two publish terms you can read — a length and what happens if growth comes back — and the longer of those two is one year. Ours is two years against black streaking, three on the maintenance plan, with no cost share at any point and the two exclusions named on the page. Whoever you book with, open the warranty first: find the number of months, find the percentage, read the exclusions. What the roof warranty covers, and how it compares to the five-year ones you will see online, is set out in [how to read a roof cleaning warranty](/learn/roof-cleaning-warranty-what-five-year-really-means). Roof pricing is on the [roof soft washing page](/services/roof-soft-washing).
Is roof cleaning safe for my roof?
A roof-cleaning method should match the roof material and condition. SurfaceWorks ProWash evaluates the roof before service and uses a low-pressure approach for applicable roofing materials rather than high pressure on standard asphalt shingles.
Will the cleaning solutions harm my landscaping, grass, or pets?
We take steps to protect landscaping, grass, and outdoor pet areas during service, including pre-wetting and rinsing nearby plantings and controlling runoff and dwell time. Let us know about sensitive plants, gardens, or pet areas when scheduling so we can plan around them.
How do you get moss and lichen off a roof?
Moss and lichen are treated with a low-pressure soft wash solution that is left to work on the growth, not scraped, blown, or pressure-washed off. Lichen in particular anchors into the shingle surface, so it releases gradually over the following weeks with rain and weather rather than vanishing the day we leave. Scraping or high pressure would take shingle granules with it and shorten the roof’s life, which is why we don’t use them. Dislodged growth ends up in the gutters, which is why roof soft washing includes clearing out the trough and flushing the downspouts rather than treating that as an add-on. Leaving packed debris in place would just let it wash back out over everything that was cleaned. The gutter clean-out is free with a roof soft wash and 25% off added to a house wash, and the rate is published on the [pricing page](/pricing). More on what the gutters do to a roof in [black streaks, moss and lichen](/learn/roof-moss-lichen-algae-damage).
Learn More — what black streaks, moss, and lichen actually do to a roof
My roof looks fine from the street but I was told it has algae. Which is it?
Both can be true, and on the newer Uniontown houses that is common. Architectural shingle roofs on wide, complex rooflines hold moisture in the valleys and on the north planes, and that is where the first algae establishes while the rest of the roof still looks new. So the visible face of the roof is the last place to check, not the first. We look at the valleys and shaded planes on the walk-through and tell you whether you are looking at early growth worth treating now or a roof that can wait — treating early is cheaper and easier than treating a fully streaked roof later.
Learn More — what black streaks, moss, and lichen actually do to a roof
Why does my 1970s Stow roof streak so badly on one side?
Because asphalt roofs on shaded north planes streak black with gloeocapsa growth, and on a low-pitch roof from that era the growth holds moisture against the shingle rather than shedding it. That is not just an appearance problem — moisture held against shingle is what shortens its life. The method is low-pressure soft washing that kills the growth and lets it release; walking or pressuring a roof that age takes granule off and is how a cleaning turns into a roofing conversation. We look at the shaded plane first and tell you what will clear and how long it takes.
Learn More — what black streaks, moss, and lichen actually do to a roof
My Cleveland lot is narrow and my neighbor's house is close. How do you handle overspray?
On lots this narrow, containment matters as much as method, so it is part of the walk-through rather than something we discover on the day. Overspray reaches the neighbor's siding, the fence and the garden, so we work with controlled application rather than volume, direct the rinse deliberately, and cover or wet down plantings that sit in the path. We also raise access constraints early — where the hose runs, where we can stand, whether a gate or a shared drive is involved. Those are the things that change how long a city job takes, and they are priced up front.
More questions answered on the full FAQ page.