How cladding cleaning is priced
Most contractors work from a rate per square metre of elevation, then adjust it for access, soiling and the type of coating. A simple single storey unit frontage that can be reached from ground level sits at the bottom of the range. A four storey elevation over a live loading yard sits at the top, because the same square metre now needs safe access and traffic management.
As a broad guide for budgeting, straightforward commercial cladding cleaning commonly falls somewhere around 3 to 8 pounds per square metre, with small jobs subject to a minimum visit charge because the setup time is the same whether the elevation is 40 or 400 square metres. Heavily stained or high access elevations run above that.
Typical ranges by building type
These ranges are for orientation only. They assume reasonable access and a coating in sound condition.
- Small industrial unit frontage: a few hundred pounds as a single visit
- Mid size warehouse elevation: low four figures depending on height and length
- Multi building estate or retail park: quoted per building, usually with a phased programme
- Office block frontage with restricted access: priced on the access solution as much as the cleaning
What pushes the price up
Four things account for most of the variation between quotations.
- Height and access: high reach equipment or a platform costs more than working from ground level
- Level of soiling: dense organic growth needs treatment and dwell time, not one pass
- Coating condition: chalky, failing or previously damaged coatings need a gentler, slower method
- Site constraints: working around deliveries, trading hours or the public adds time
What a good quotation should tell you
A quotation is worth comparing only when it states the surfaces included, the method, the access arrangement and whether making good afterwards is covered. At OOR External every project starts with an assessment of the cladding profile, coating and access, and you receive a clear scope so you know what is included before work starts.
Where to save money without cutting corners
Combining surfaces in one visit is usually the biggest saving available, because the setup and access are paid for once. Cladding, roofline and entrance cleaning can be combined into a single coordinated scope, which is normally cheaper than three separate mobilisations.
The second saving is not leaving it too long. Growth that has been left for years takes longer to treat than growth caught early, and the labour is the cost.
A note on the figures
Figures on this page are typical UK guidance ranges to help you budget, not a quotation. Every price depends on the surface, the access and how heavy the soiling is, so ask for a written figure for your own property.