How to Start a Roof Cleaning Business

Start a roof cleaning business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Roof Cleaning Business
2. Form your Roof Cleaning Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Roof Cleaning Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Roof Cleaning Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Roof Cleaning Business
7. Get Roof Cleaning Business Insurance
8. Define your Roof Cleaning Business Brand
9. Create your Roof Cleaning Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your roof cleaning business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Roof Cleaning Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a roof cleaning business?

Fortunately, startup costs are low. A pressure cleaner can be purchased for as little as $2,000. Meanwhile, cleaning supplies can cost as little as $300 per month. While these costs are small, you’ll still need liability insurance. Having $1 to $2 million in liability insurance, after your company grows, is reasonable. This insurance is incredibly important, and it’ll defend your business in the event of an accident.

What are the ongoing expenses for a roof cleaning business?

You’ll need to maintain your high-pressure power washer. Similarly, you’ll need to keep all cleaning products fully stocked. Gas will be needed, as well as a small shop for operations. Typically, a small shop’s rent sits at around $3,200 per month—not accounting for utility costs. Any additional workers will be paid between $10 and $20, depending on their experience.

Who is the target market?

The best clients are residential homeowners. A lot of homeowners contact roof cleaners who cleaned the roofs of their neighbors. If one household gets a roof cleaning, you can expect nearby homes to purchase services too. There’s a high degree of “competing with the Jones’,” so to speak, giving roof cleaning busines,ses quite a lot of service in a single area. Often, this snowball effect can be prioritized during services. Aside from residential homeowners, apartment complexes are lucrative clients. Because multiple buildings need to be cleaned, they’re often great profit sources. These locations are also great networking opportunities, giving a roof cleaning business plenty of future clients to work with.

How does a roof cleaning business make money?

A roof cleaning business makes money by cleaning roofs. Cleaning, itself, can be an in-depth process. Normally, a location needs to be bleached, stripped of algae, and cleared of tree debris. In some cases, money can be gained by removing moss and lichen. The better a roof cleaning business can reduce algae-stained surfaces, the better.

How much can you charge customers?

On average, roof cleaning businesses charge about $1,500 for a single cleaning. Larger roofs, however, can be charged up to $2,800. Smaller services, like in-depth gutter cleans, can carry extra charges.

How much profit can a roof cleaning business make?

A well-off roofing business can make as much as $120,000 by its third year. The actual owner can make about $44,000 after his or her first successful year. Because roof cleaning businesses don’t require complicated billing, merchant accounts, or collections, hashing out expenses and profits is relatively easy.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Offer discounts and special services. Because homeowners don’t rely on roof cleaning services often, they’ll gravitate to any company which generates services based upon great deals. To earn bigger profits than your rivals, consider building a custom pressure cleaning rig. These rigs cost less, and they can clean roofs in less time while using half the chemicals of a conventional rig.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your roof cleaning business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

In most states, it is necessary to obtain a roof cleaning license. Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a roof cleaning business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

For more information about local licenses and permits:

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.

Service Agreement

Roof cleaning businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example service agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your roof cleaning business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Labor safety requirements

It is important to comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements.

Relevant regulations include:

• Appropriate hazard identification
• Injury reports
• Proper safety precautions when operating potentially dangerous equipment

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

The roof cleaning business is great for any previous roofing contractor, cleaner or household maintenance worker. It has a high profit potential, and it’s great for eco-lovers, explorative types, and hard workers alike. Workers can be their own boss, control their own schedule, eliminate costly trial-and-error methods, and experience a rapid startup.

What happens during a typical day at a roof cleaning business?

A roof cleaning business removes rooftop impurities. Normally, this includes using a pressure cleaner to remove algae. Roof cleaners can also use light bleach solutions to delicately lift difficult stains. Because typical roof cleanings last about three years, a roof cleaning business may not return to the same area for quite some time. Roof cleaning businesses also seal roofs with algae inhibitors, preventative solutions and shingle protectant. Often, this extends to using zinc strips to inhibit mold growth.

From an administrative end, a roof cleaning business administrator must constantly upgrade their services to ensure higher profits. They additionally need to conduct financial analysis, study markets, pay workers, restock cleaning materials and strike deals with clients.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful roof cleaning business?

Understanding home price evaluations helps. A clean roof can greatly raise a home’s price. By understanding this, a roof cleaning business can target homes and offer services based upon home evaluations. Other skills include basic roof cleaning, which includes the removal of limestone, moss and algae. Roof maintenance is another solid skill to have. The average roof costs about $15,000 to replace, which should be a price comparison point for most homeowners considering an in-depth clean.

Business ethics are also important. A lot of roof cleaners don’t have good reputations. For this reason, having a solid service plan helps. A deep understanding of cleaning equipment helps as well. You’ll need to understand how to use a pressure washer, detergent, and bleach. It is very important to practice safe cleaning approaches.

What is the growth potential for a roof cleaning business?

A roof cleaning business can grow quite a bit. That said, local cleaning businesses will likely have to compete against other providers. A cleaning business’s growth potential can be attributed to its credibility, benefits, qualified leads and special deals. Additionally, you’ll need to have a solid insurance plan. Communities don’t hire companies who aren’t properly insured, and they’ll avoid any company without a solid track record.