Household services / Exterior cleaning

Exterior cleaning

Paths, patios, facades and gutters need suitable cleaning methods. Understand the surface, drainage and access considerations before booking exterior cleaning.

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Patio cleaningAsk about this service → Driveway cleaningAsk about this service → Pressure washingAsk about this service → Soft washingAsk about this service → Exterior wallsAsk about this service → Gutter cleaningAsk about this service →

Read before you book

Exterior cleaning guides

Costs, emergencies, how to choose a trade, seasonal timing and what landlords and tenants are each responsible for.

Exterior cleaning · London Gutter cleaning cost in London: a plain guide to prices Rough ranges for gutter clearing, pressure washing, window cleaning and driveway cleaning in London, the four things that move a quote, and how to… Cost guide · 5 min read

Exterior cleaning · Croydon Overflowing gutters in Croydon: urgent gutter cleaning steps Water pouring over a gutter in a storm is not an emergency in itself, but where it ends up can be. The first-hour steps,… Emergency guide · 5 min read

Exterior cleaning · Bromley How to choose a window cleaner in Bromley: checks and red flags None of the exterior cleaning trades is licensed, so the vetting is down to you. What to ask a window cleaner, gutter firm or… How to choose · 5 min read

Exterior cleaning · Richmond Gutter cleaning in Richmond: checks to make before you call Ten minutes from the ground tells you whether you need a gutter clear, a repair or something else. The safe checks, the information to… Before you call · 5 min read

Exterior cleaning · Surrey Gutter cleaning in Surrey: when to book through the year Gutters block in autumn, patios green over in winter and render dries in summer. A month-by-month guide to booking exterior cleaning in Surrey at… Seasonal · 5 min read

Exterior cleaning · Kent Patio cleaning in Kent: why paving goes green and black Green film, moss in the joints and black spots on the slabs are three different problems. What is growing on your patio, why Kent's… Explainer · 5 min read

All exterior cleaning reading, every area ↗

Exterior cleaning explained

Exterior cleaning covers the outside surfaces of a house rather than the rooms inside it. The usual jobs are window cleaning, clearing gutters and downpipes, and washing driveways and patios. Render and painted walls are softwashed, decking and conservatory roofs are cleaned separately, and roof moss is scraped and treated. Most firms offer these as single visits or as a regular round.

Ground level work is often a reasonable job to do yourself. Anything above the first floor is not, because it needs a tower, a mobile platform or scaffolding. Window cleaners and gutter firms now work from the ground with carbon fibre reach poles and gutter vacuums. Hire in for render, roofs and old brickwork too, where too much pressure strips surfaces that are expensive to put back.

Mild wet British winters suit algae, moss and lichen, so growth returns rather than being solved once. North facing walls, roofs and patios see the least sun, stay damp longest and go green first. Gutters need clearing once a year, or twice where there are deciduous trees nearby. Windows suit a four to eight week round. Driveways, patios and render are usually done every one to five years.

What moves the price

Height and access equipment needed: Gutter clearing from the ground is about £70 to £120 for a semi, while a tower, platform or scaffolding can add £200 to £500.
Area measured in square metres: Hard surfaces are priced by area at roughly £3 to £6 a square metre, so a 40 square metre drive is about £150 to £300.
Type of surface being cleaned: Block paving needs resanding afterwards and render needs low pressure softwashing, both of which cost more than jet washing plain concrete.
One off visit or regular round: A regular window round costs about £18 to £30 a visit for a three bed semi, and a one off clean often doubles that.
Region, waste removal and extras: London rates sit 20 to 30 percent above the rest of the country, and removing moss, silt and green waste is often charged separately.

Figures are indicative typical ranges for the UK, not quotes. Always get written quotes before work starts.

Before you enquire

Move cars, bins and furniture, and close all windows and doors before washing starts.
Flag old brickwork, lime mortar, soft render and loose pointing so pressure stays low.
Check any scaffold, tower or platform on the pavement has a council licence.
Agree in writing on resanding block paving, sealing, and where the waste water goes.

Common questions

How much does gutter cleaning cost in the UK?

A typical three bed semi is about £70 to £120 for clearing gutters and downpipes from the ground with a vacuum. A terraced house is often £55 to £90, and a detached or three storey property £120 to £200. Prices rise where the roofline is hard to reach and a tower or platform is needed. These are indicative typical ranges rather than quotes.

Can pressure washing damage brickwork, render or block paving?

Yes, and this is the most common cause of complaint. High pressure strips the fired outer skin from soft Victorian brick, which then soaks up water and spalls in frost. It also erodes lime mortar joints and can crack or blow thin render, so walls are better softwashed at low pressure with a biocide. On block paving it blasts out the jointing sand, so the blocks need resanding afterwards or they will shift.

How often should a driveway or patio be cleaned?

Every one to three years suits most hard surfaces, and annually in shaded or north facing spots that stay damp. Expect roughly £3 to £6 a square metre, so about £150 to £300 for a 40 square metre drive. Sealing after cleaning costs more, around £6 to £12 a square metre, and slows regrowth for a few years. Keeping joints sanded and leaves swept does more than cleaning more often.

Is it safe to clean my own gutters from a ladder?

Falls from height are a leading cause of serious injury, and ladders set on soft, sloping or wet ground are a common factor. If you do it yourself, stay at single storey height, foot the ladder on firm level ground and fit a stand off bracket so it never rests on the guttering. Anything at two storeys or above, or over a conservatory or extension roof, is worth paying for. Ground based gutter vacuums let a firm clear the same gutters without anyone leaving the ground.

By area

Local exterior cleaning guides

The same service, written for where you live: typical local prices, the housing stock and the trades that cover it.

London Croydon Bromley Richmond Surrey Kent Berkshire Buckinghamshire Guildford Woking Birmingham Manchester Every location →