Core • Module 3 — Roof cleaning (soft wash)
Module 3 — Roof Soft Wash: Workflow + QA (Lesson)
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Module 3 — Roof Soft Wash: Workflow + QA (Lesson)

What you’re doing today

You’re running a roof wash the way we run it: read the roof first, protect before you apply, let chemistry do the work, and close out with proof.

Roof work is your highest-ticket service and your highest-liability service. The workflow isn’t optional — and it isn’t the same as a house wash. Same discipline, different stakes.

You’re running a roof wash workflow that is repeatable and defensible:

  • protect first
  • apply with control
  • monitor dwell
  • rinse gently
  • close out with proof

Why this matters

Roof work has high ticket potential and high liability.

A good workflow prevents:

  • plant damage
  • paint damage from overspray/runoff
  • water intrusion
  • "it didn’t work" complaints

Tools & materials (minimum viable)

  • PPE: gloves + eye protection (minimum)
  • Hose + consistent water supply
  • Controlled application method (no chaos spraying)
  • Proof Pack: phone camera

Quick Start (the 60-second version)

  1. Scope + hazards
  2. Plant protection plan
  3. Controlled application
  4. Dwell + monitoring
  5. Gentle rinse
  6. Proof Pack + closeout

Read the roof before you touch anything

Walk the property and answer four questions before setup starts.

  1. What type of roof is it?

    • Shingle is common and forgiving when you soft wash correctly.
    • Tile needs extra attention around ridge tiles and mortar caps — many are loose before you arrive and customers blame the last person up there.
    • Metal is surface-dependent (fast to clean, easy to make a mess if you don’t control runoff).

  2. What’s the pitch?

    • Low pitch: still slick when it’s biologically loaded.
    • Steep pitch: this becomes ladder-at-the-eave or ground application only.

Hard rule: if you’re asking yourself whether it’s safe to walk, the answer is no.

  1. What’s the biological load?

    • Light streaking = normal maintenance.
    • Heavy coverage or visible lichen = longer dwell + possible reapplication.

  2. What are the hazards?

    • power lines at the roofline
    • skylights
    • solar panels
    • painted fascia below drip edges
    • landscaping at the foundation
    • dirty gutters that can streak when runoff hits them

Take your before photos now (front wide, worst slope, notable problem areas). This starts your Proof Pack and protects you if a pre-existing issue gets blamed on you later.

Plant protection (before anything else)

Roof runoff travels down every slope, through every gutter, out every downspout, and lands at the foundation. Whatever is planted there is in the path.

  • Pre-wet everything in the runoff path before solution touches the roof.
  • Keep beds wet during dwell.
  • If you can temporarily redirect a downspout extension away from a sensitive bed, do it (and put it back when you’re done).
  • If runoff is going to pool aggressively in a valley/downspout area, stage a capture plan (bucket/bin) when it’s appropriate.

Covering plants with painter’s plastic (when you need it)

We will cover bushes/flowers — and in “no gutter” situations, even grass — with painter’s plastic when the risk is high.

Two rules:

  • Plastic is a short-duration tool, not a permanent blanket.
  • In direct sun, plants can “cook” under plastic. Don’t leave them sealed up and walk away.

During dwell, plant management is your primary job.

Gutter bags + vent bags (small tools that make you look premium)

  • Gutter bags at downspout exits capture runoff so it doesn’t dump straight into landscaping.
  • Vent cover bags (small versions of gutter bags) keep roof solution off lead vent pipes.
    • If lead vents get hit, they can flash-rust and turn orange.
    • It doesn’t always “hurt” anything, but it looks sloppy. We avoid it.

No gutters = different strategy

With gutters, you don’t have to cover as many plants with plastic.

Without gutters:

  • assume runoff will sheet straight off the drip edge
  • cover more aggressively (including grass when needed)
  • dilute runoff on the plastic and manage it back toward the foundation instead of letting it roam

Step-by-step workflow (foreman sequence)

  1. Scope + roof type + hazards
    • type, pitch, biological load, hazards
  2. Plant protection plan
    • pre-wet and keep plants wet
    • stage runoff control

House vs Roof direction (don’t mix these)

  • House wash: apply bottom-up, rinse top-down (streak prevention rule).
  • Roof wash: apply top-down in controlled sections. Your job is runoff control + dwell monitoring.
  1. Controlled application (top-down, in controlled sections)
    • Start at the top of the slope and work down.
    • Why: roof work is about control and efficiency. Top-down lets the solution work its way down while you continue your pattern, reducing double-work.
    • Overlap passes. Consistent coverage beats hot spots.
    • Tile detail: as you work, make sure you hit the lips/ledges/faces. On many tile roofs the bottom edge/face of the lowest tile (right above the gutter/drip edge) needs attention — and that piece often gets handled from the ground.
    • Wind is a stop condition.

Real story: I cleaned a roof on a windy day and solution drifted into a neighbor’s flower bed. We apologized and paid to replace the flowers — and they were still upset. That job taught me something I treat as a hard rule now: if I can’t control my solution, I don’t work.

On roofs, the best setup is two people when possible: one applying with control, and one dedicated to plant/watch duty the entire time. 4) Dwell + monitoring

  • don’t rinse early
  • watch for drying on hot sections (re-apply as needed)
  • keep plants wet
  1. Gentle rinse
    • rinse only as needed
    • avoid driving water under materials
  2. Proof Pack + closeout
    • after photos + exceptions
    • completion message

The two things you must say before every roof job

  1. “Full results take a few good rains to clear the dead growth. The treatment keeps working after we leave.”
  2. (If heavy lichen/moss) “You may see some shadowing after the growth clears. That’s the shingle carrying years of growth history — not something we missed.”

Decision points (if X, do Y)

  • If the pitch is too steep to walk safely:

    • ladder-at-the-eave or ground application only
    • document the approach in Proof Pack notes (protects you if coverage questions come up)

  • If trees are hanging over the roof:

    • plan time to blow off leaves/debris before you start
    • price it in (or upsell gutter clearing if it’s needed)

  • If you see loose tile or mortar caps:

    • photograph them before you touch anything
    • tell the customer before you start (professional conversation, not a liability conversation)

  • If there’s heavy lichen/moss:

    • set expectations before you apply
    • the treatment kills it, but roots can leave a “ghost” mark in shingles (not a callback item)

  • If wind picks up:

    • pause application. Re-assess. Don’t send it.
    • if you can’t keep full control, reschedule.

  • If you’re near solar panels:

    • avoid direct contact
    • keep them cool and rinsed while you work around them
    • do not let roof solution drift/back-spray into panel edges

  • If fascia/painted trim is in the runoff path:

    • rinse those surfaces early and often
    • don’t let solution sit on painted wood

Common mistakes + fixes

  • Walking a steep pitch

    • Fix: if you’re sliding, you’re done walking it. Ladder-at-the-eave or ground application only.

  • Rushing plant protection

    • Fix: plants first, always. No exceptions.

  • Applying in wind

    • Fix: pause or wait. One overspray complaint costs more than the job paid.

  • Rinsing too early

    • Fix: let dwell finish. The chemistry needs time to work through the biological load.

  • Skipping pre-condition photos

    • Fix: if you didn’t photograph it, you own it.

  • Not setting the 2–4 week expectation

    • Fix: say it before you start. Results develop over time.

What good looks like

  • Even finish, no streaking
  • Plants healthy
  • Clean closeout message + proof

How to prove it (Proof Pack)

Minimum shots:

  • front elevation before/after
  • worst slope before/after
  • gutter/downspout runoff areas

QA checklist

Use the one-page checklist:

Pricing reality (what actually changes the job)

Roof pricing isn’t just “square footage.” The factors that move price are:

  • pitch (walkable vs steep)
  • roof type (shingle vs tile)
  • gutters present vs no gutters
  • biological load / neglect level
  • landscaping density + sensitivity
  • trees hanging over the roof (debris removal time)

Simple upsell script (trees → gutters)

“Ok, I’ve got the quote for your roof — it comes to $X. Also, I noticed a lot of trees near your house… have your gutters been cleaned out?”

If they mention gutter guards:

“Great — just as a warning, we still recommend having gutter guards cleared off.”

Do this next (assignment)

  • Run this workflow on a mock roof scenario and write your plant protection plan.
  • Identify every runoff exit point (gutter/downspout/drip edge) and write the control plan.
  • Capture a Proof Pack set (before/after + notes).

References (SOPs + checklists)

  • Operator SOP: 04_sops/roofs/roof-soft-wash-sop-v2.md
  • QA checklist: 04_sops/roofs/roof-soft-wash-qa-checklist-v1.md
  • Proof Pack SOP: 04_sops/proof-pack/proof-pack-sop-v1.md
  • Final Walk checklist: 04_sops/universal/final-walk-checklist-v1.md

Printables

  • Operator Checklist Pack (truck copy): 03_curriculum/printables/operator-checklist-pack-v1.md

Gear Box (Amazon)

Gear Box links (Amazon): Coming soon.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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