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Roof cleaning in Australia has one rule that outranks everything else, and it is a rule about what you must not do. SafeWork NSW's safety alert on pressure cleaning asbestos roofs states it plainly: never use high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos products.

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The consequences are not theoretical. SafeWork NSW says that when high pressure water is used to clean asbestos roofs it can cause widespread asbestos contamination, which may lead to inhalation of asbestos fibres, and that high-pressure cleaning of asbestos roofs affects not only the property being cleaned but neighbouring properties as well. Its alert follows an April 2017 incident in which high-pressure water cleaning of an asbestos roof caused widespread contamination and neighbours had to vacate their properties during the clean-up. The remedy for an asbestos roof is a licensed asbestos removalist, not a cleaner.

That makes the age of the house the first question on any roof cleaning enquiry. Australian guidance is that many houses built before 1990 contain asbestos cement materials, especially in eaves, internal and external wall cladding, ceilings in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries, and fences. Cement roof sheeting on a house of that era should be treated as suspect until somebody qualified says otherwise, and a cleaning business that does not ask about it is not one to engage.

The roof that must never be washed

SafeWork NSW's position is a prohibition rather than a caution. Never use high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos products. The reason is dispersal: asbestos cement releases fibres when it is disturbed, and a high-pressure jet turns a bonded sheet into an aerosol that travels. SafeWork NSW's own material notes it has responded to many incidents resulting in wide-spread asbestos contamination and extensive clean-up costs.

The scope of the harm is what makes this different from an ordinary safety warning. SafeWork NSW says the effect is not limited to the property being cleaned but reaches neighbouring properties as well, and its alert describes a 2017 case in which neighbours were forced to vacate during the clean-up. A homeowner who lets a contractor water-blast a cement roof is not only risking their own household.

If the roof is or may be asbestos cement, the answer is not a gentler wash. SafeWork NSW directs people to use a licensed asbestos removalist. In Victoria, asbestos removal licensing distinguishes Class B work, covering non-friable asbestos and the asbestos-contaminated dust derived from removing it, from Class A work, covering friable asbestos and other asbestos-contaminated dust. Roof work of this kind belongs to a licensed removalist under a notified, controlled process, and the paperwork it generates belongs with the house records.

What Australian roofs are made of, and how each behaves

  • Concrete roof tiles, the most commonly cleaned roof, where the surface coating wears and the cleaning question is really whether it should be recoated afterwards.
  • Terracotta tiles, which are glazed and far more durable but brittle underfoot and easily cracked by careless access.
  • Colorbond and other coated steel sheeting, which cleans well at low pressure but where aggressive treatment damages the coating that protects the steel.
  • Zincalume and older galvanised steel, where the surface finish matters more than the appearance.
  • Asbestos cement sheeting, which must never be pressure cleaned, and where any work is licensed removal work.
  • Slate, which is a specialist material with its own trade and should not be treated as a hard tile.
  • Solar panels, which increasingly sit on top of all of the above and constrain both access and what can be sprayed.
  • Gutters, valleys and flashings, which are part of any roof job and are covered separately in the gutter cleaning guide.

How a roof clean should be carried out

  • Establish the roof material and the age of the house before anything else, and stop if asbestos cement is possible.
  • Assess access from the ground: pitch, brittleness, condition of the sheeting or tiles, and whether the roof can be walked on at all.
  • Choose the access method by the fall prevention hierarchy rather than by convenience, working from a platform where possible.
  • Protect what is below: garden beds, rainwater tank inlets, air conditioning units, skylights and anything that should not receive runoff.
  • Disconnect or divert the rainwater tank first, since roof wash water should not go into drinking water storage.
  • Treat moss, lichen and algae with an appropriate product and dwell time rather than relying on force.
  • Clean at the lowest effective pressure for the material, keeping water away from the underside of sheets and out of ridge and valley laps.
  • Clear gutters and valleys afterwards, because everything you removed from the roof has landed in them.

What goes wrong on roof cleans

  • Cracked and broken tiles from foot traffic, which is the most common damage on terracotta and older concrete tile roofs.
  • Water driven under laps and flashings, causing leaks that appear at the next heavy rain rather than on the day.
  • Stripped surface coating on concrete tiles, which leaves a porous, chalky surface and makes recoating effectively compulsory.
  • Damaged paint systems on coated steel, which shortens the life of the sheeting.
  • Bedding and pointing at ridge capping disturbed by pressure, which is a repointing job.
  • Debris washed into gutters, valleys and downpipes and left there, which converts a roof clean into a blockage.
  • Contaminated rainwater tanks where the inlet was not diverted before the work.
  • On a pre-1990 house, asbestos fibre release across the property and the neighbouring ones, which is the outcome SafeWork NSW's alert exists to prevent.

Keeping a roof in condition between cleans

  • Keep overhanging branches trimmed back, since shade and leaf drop are what feed moss and lichen.
  • Keep gutters and valleys clear, because a blocked valley holds moisture against the roof surface.
  • Inspect from the ground with binoculars after storms rather than climbing up to look.
  • Watch for slipped or cracked tiles and lifted ridge capping, which are repairs rather than cleaning matters.
  • Check rainwater tank first-flush devices and inlet screens, which is where roof debris ends up.
  • Have flashings and penetrations checked when the roof is cleaned, since that is when someone is up there anyway.
  • Resist the urge to clean a roof simply because it looks weathered, because every clean has a cost in wear to the surface.

What roof cleaning is priced on

  • Roof area, pitch and storeys, which together decide the access method and most of the price.
  • Roof material, since brittle terracotta and coated steel need more care and lower pressure.
  • The extent of moss, lichen and algae, and whether treatment with dwell time is needed rather than washing alone.
  • Whether solar panels are installed, which constrains access and adds care.
  • Whether gutters, valleys and downpipes are included afterwards, which they should be.
  • Whether the roof is being recoated after cleaning, which is a separate trade and a much larger job.
  • Site conditions: sloping blocks, narrow side access and neighbouring boundaries.
  • The age of the building, since anything suggesting asbestos cement changes the job entirely and takes it out of a cleaner's hands.

What to establish before anyone goes up, and how LokalMatch fits in

Settle three things in writing before the job: what the roof is made of and the age of the building, what pressure and products will be used, and who is responsible if a tile is broken or a leak appears afterwards. Roof cleaning is work at height on the part of your house that keeps the weather out, and the consequences of doing it badly show up weeks later in a ceiling.

The Australian Consumer Law applies to the service as it does to any other. The ACCC says services must be carried out with an acceptable level of care and skill, at least as good as what a competent service provider with average skills and experience would provide. Where the problem is major, including where the service creates an unsafe situation, the consumer can cancel and seek a refund or keep the service at a reduced price, and compensation for damage or loss is separate. A roof leak that appears after a clean is exactly the kind of damage to raise immediately, in writing, with photographs.

LokalMatch only makes the introduction. You describe the roof material, the age of the house, the number of storeys and whether solar panels are fitted, and businesses that cover your area contact you directly. Those businesses pay LokalMatch for the requests they receive. LokalMatch does no roof work, quotes no prices and does not vet, rank or recommend any business, so confirming what your roof is made of before anyone starts is still your step.

Roof Cleaning: frequently asked questions

How do I know whether my roof is asbestos cement?

By the age of the house and by having it identified properly rather than by guessing. Australian guidance is that many houses built before 1990 contain asbestos cement materials, especially in eaves, wall cladding, wet-area ceilings and fences, and cement roof sheeting of that era should be treated as suspect. Do not break a sample off to look at it. Ask a licensed assessor or removalist, and in the meantime treat it as asbestos, which means no pressure washing and no scraping.

Why is pressure cleaning an asbestos roof such a serious problem?

Because it disperses fibres over a wide area rather than containing them. SafeWork NSW says never use high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos products, that using high pressure water to clean asbestos roofs can cause widespread asbestos contamination which may lead to inhalation of asbestos fibres, and that it affects not only the property being cleaned but neighbouring properties as well. Its alert follows a 2017 case where neighbours had to vacate during the clean-up. The correct response is a licensed asbestos removalist.

Will cleaning damage my roof tiles?

It can, in two ways. Foot traffic cracks tiles, particularly terracotta and older concrete, which is why the access method matters as much as the cleaning method. And high pressure strips the surface coating from concrete tiles, leaving them porous and chalky, which is why so many roof cleans are followed by a recoat. Agree the pressure and the method beforehand, and ask what the operator expects the tiles to look like afterwards.

Do I need to disconnect the rainwater tank?

Yes, before the work starts. Everything washed off the roof, including moss treatment products, accumulated debris and any bird droppings, flows straight to the tank inlet. Divert the downpipe or disconnect the inlet first, and check the first-flush device and inlet screens afterwards. If the tank supplies drinking water and the diversion was missed, treat that as a water quality issue rather than an inconvenience.

Should the roof be recoated after cleaning?

It depends on the roof. On concrete tiles, where the original surface coating has worn or been removed by cleaning, recoating restores a protective surface and is often the reason the clean was booked in the first place. On Colorbond and other coated steel, the factory finish is the protection and recoating is a much bigger decision. Treat recoating as a separate trade and a separate quote, not as a small extra at the end of a wash.

Is moss on the roof actually a problem?

It holds moisture against the surface and it blocks gutters and valleys as it sheds, which are both real problems over time. It also tends to grow where the roof is shaded and damp, so it is a useful signal about overhanging trees. Whether it warrants a full clean depends on the material and how much of it there is, and treating it with an appropriate product and dwell time damages the roof far less than trying to blast it off.

Sources

  1. SafeWork NSW — Safety alert: pressure cleaning of asbestos roofs
  2. SafeWork NSW — Pressure cleaning roofs: resources
  3. Asbestos Victoria — Finding and identifying asbestos in the home
  4. Asbestos Victoria — Licensed asbestos removalists
  5. ACCC — Consumer guarantees

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the cost of roof cleaning

Prices depend on the details of your project. We only publish price ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch quote data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the price:

  • Size of the home and number of bathrooms
  • Type of clean: regular, deep, move-in or move-out
  • Current condition and how long since the last clean
  • How often you book
  • Extras like inside the oven, fridge, cabinets or windows
  • Pets, stairs and access

How to compare roof cleaners before you hire

  • Ask exactly what's included in a standard clean, a deep clean and a move-out clean, since each company defines them differently.
  • Check whether the company carries liability insurance and whether cleaners are employees or contractors.
  • Ask whether they bring their own supplies and equipment, and whether they can use products you prefer.
  • For recurring service, ask whether the same cleaner or team will usually come.
  • For specialty work like carpet, upholstery or pressure washing, choose someone with the right equipment for that job.

Questions to ask roof cleaners before you hire

  • What exactly is included in the clean you're quoting?
  • Do you bring your own supplies and equipment?
  • Are you insured if something is damaged or someone is hurt?
  • Will the same person or team come each time?
  • How do you handle keys, alarm codes and access to my home?
  • What happens if I'm not happy with part of the clean?

Roof cleaning permits and local rules

Some roof cleaning work needs a permit or has to meet local bylaws. Rules vary by municipality, so ask your pro whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it — and check with your city or town if you’re unsure.

Permits and licensing

Guides about roof cleaning

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