The short answer
Scaffolding is not always needed to clean a roof. A low, simple roof can often be reached with ladders and roof ladders, while a tall house, a steep pitch, a fragile covering or a roof with no firm spot for a ladder base calls for a tower or full scaffold. The height, pitch and condition of the roof decide it, and we confirm the access at the survey before quoting.
The ways onto a roof
Safe access comes before price, and a cleaner who skips it is taking a risk with their own life and with your roof. Treat any quote that does not mention how the roof will be reached with some caution.
Roofers use several kinds of access, from the simplest to the most substantial. A ladder against the eaves gets someone up to gutter height. A roof ladder is a light ladder with a hook at the top that sits across the ridge, giving a firm foothold and spreading weight so no one stands directly on the covering. For short jobs on a low roof, that pair is sufficient.
A mobile tower is a free-standing platform on wheels, useful where the work is along one elevation and the ground is level. A full scaffold is a framework around the building, with boards and guard rails, which gives a stable platform at eaves level and often at several heights. It is the usual answer for a tall or complicated house, and for work that needs both hands and a good deal of material handling.
The aim in each case is the same: a safe way to reach the roof, a safe place to work and a safe means of stopping things falling. Whichever method is used, it is picked to fit the building.
What decides whether scaffold is needed
Height comes first. A bungalow or a single-storey extension is far simpler than a three-storey Georgian terrace. The higher the eaves, the harder it is to ladder safely, and the more a scaffold earns its place. Pitch is the next factor. A steep slope is hard to stand on even with a roof ladder, and a mansard roof, with its near-vertical lower pitch, may need scaffold simply to reach the upper section. In a mansard, the lower part of each side is close to vertical.
The covering also counts. Natural slate, stone slates and old clay tiles can be brittle, and working on them from a roof ladder is slower and more delicate. In some cases the safe answer is to work from scaffold and avoid the slope altogether.
Think about weight, too. A person carrying a bucket, a hose and a brush needs to be able to move safely about, which is why a firm platform is worth more than it looks on a drawing. A hazard that is easy to forget is the electric supply: overhead cables, satellite dishes and solar panels all need a plan.
Finally, the surroundings. A narrow side passage, a boundary wall or a steep garden may leave no firm place for a ladder base. Neighbouring buildings and public pavements bring their own demands, and an overhanging tree can block the route.
Roofs where access is the main question
Some roofs in this area need more thought than most. Terraced houses with parapet walls hide part of the roof behind a low wall, and a gutter that runs behind the parapet can only be reached by someone on the roof or on a scaffold. That channel, lined in lead, sits behind the wall and is called a parapet gutter. Roofs on listed buildings may have restrictions on what can be attached to the structure, and neighbours' consent might be needed for access over their land.
Flat roofs are often reached by an internal hatch or a ladder, and a low parapet or an upstand around the edge becomes the edge protection. Commercial and industrial roofs bring other questions, including fall protection, fragile roof lights and walkways. We look at each roof before quoting, because the way in affects both the time and the price of the work.
For the length of a typical job, once access is in place, see how long roof cleaning takes.
What it means for cost and planning
Scaffold is a real cost. It has to be erected and taken down, and it is usually hired by the week. For a re-roof it is part of the price, and for a clean it can be a significant share of the total. That is why we look hard at whether a ladder and roof ladder are enough, and why we will say so when they are. We would not quote for scaffold we do not need.
When scaffold is needed, it is often sensible to combine the clean with any other work at the same time. If gutters need replacing or fascias need painting, doing them together saves putting the scaffold up twice. Our page on pressure washing a roof explains why we choose a gentler method, which also affects what access is required.
Where scaffold would stand on a public pavement, the council needs to be asked first. We raise this at the survey if it applies to your property.
What the survey records
We survey the roof before giving a price, and one of the things we note is how it can be reached. We photograph the building and the approach, and explain which access we recommend and why. If the roof is shaded or has trees close by, we say how that affects the work. You can read about that problem in our answer on trees and roof moss.
It helps to tell us about anything at ground level that affects access, such as a narrow side passage, a conservatory below the eaves or parking restrictions on the street. Our roof cleaning service page sets out the whole process, and you can ring 01225 285181 to arrange a visit.
