Drone roof cleaning for commercial and residential roofs
Soft-wash chemistry applied from a tethered drone, with nobody walking the roof plane. Tile, metal, shingle and flat membrane, cleaned without the foot traffic, ladders or pressure that shorten a roof's life. The same equipment, method, insurance and published rate nationwide.
Fully Insured
$2M Liability
FAA Compliant
Part 107 Certified
Commercial Projects
Up to 200 ft by drone
Drone roof cleaning, in short
A tethered Lucid Bots Sherpa drone applies heated, chlorine-free soft-wash chemistry to tile, metal, shingle and flat membrane roofs at low pressure, with no crew walking the roof and a reach of up to 200 ft (about 18 stories) per staging position. Commercial roofs are $0.12–$0.25 per square foot; small residential roofs are $0.25–$0.35 per square foot, with no minimum charge at any size. FAA Part 107 crews, $2M liability. Rates shown are our published national rates. Every job is a fixed price after a free site survey.
- Surfaces
- Tile, metal, shingle, flat membrane
- Method
- Heated soft-wash at low pressure, no foot traffic
- Reach
- Up to 200 ft (about 18 stories) per staging position
- Commercial rate
- $0.12–$0.25 / sq ft, published nationally
- Residential rate
- $0.25–$0.35 / sq ft, no minimum
- Compliance
- FAA Part 107 · $2M liability
What drone roof cleaning replaces, and why foot traffic matters
A roof is judged from the street and from above, and both views are unforgiving of black algae streaking, moss, lichen and general atmospheric grime. The traditional fix puts a crew on the roof with a pressure washer, and that is exactly where roofs get damaged: pressure lifts shingle granules, cracks aged tile, and foot traffic itself breaks tile that was never designed to be walked on repeatedly. Roofing manufacturers routinely warn that pressure washing and foot traffic void material warranties.
Drone roof cleaning removes both problems at once. The drone stays above the roof plane and applies low-pressure soft-wash chemistry, so nothing pushes water under a shingle lap or a tile course, and nobody is on the roof to crack, scuff or dislodge anything. The chemistry does the work during its dwell time; the drone's rinse simply carries the loosened soil away.
This matters most on the roofs that are hardest to safely walk: steep pitches, aged tile, standing-seam metal that scratches underfoot, and flat commercial membranes where a technician's boots and equipment are themselves a puncture risk.
Roof types we clean
- Concrete and clay tile
- Standing-seam and painted metal
- Asphalt shingle
- Flat and low-slope membrane and built-up roofs
- Skylights and roof-mounted equipment housings
- Gutters and roof edges reachable from the flight path
Heated soft-wash chemistry, low pressure, zero foot traffic
The aircraft is a Lucid Bots Sherpa, flown on a tether that carries power and cleaning solution up from the ground rig, so it never lands on the roof and never carries a fuel or water tank into the air. The rig heats water and injects a chlorine-free, sodium percarbonate based soft-wash chemistry, which lands on the roof already warm and starts working on biological growth immediately.
Pressure stays low throughout the application and the rinse. Dwell time, not force, is what lifts algae and lichen from tile and shingle, and low pressure is what keeps granules on a shingle and glaze intact on tile. Every roof is documented in 4K before and after, delivered with the invoice.
What never happens on the roof
- No crew walking the roof plane
- No ladders leaned against gutters or fascia
- No pressure washer wand stripping granules or cracking tile
- No equipment staged on the membrane or tile courses
Up to 200 ft per staging position
The drone reaches up to 200 ft, about 18 stories, from a single ground staging position, which covers the pitch and ridge height of the overwhelming majority of residential and commercial roofs without needing to relocate. Complex, multi-level or steeply pitched roofs are mapped for staging positions at the site survey, so every ridge and valley is reachable before the proposal is written.
FAA Part 107 crews, $2M liability, and no fall-from-height exposure
Every flight is conducted by an FAA Part 107 certified remote pilot with a visual observer on the ground. Where a property sits in controlled airspace we file LAANC authorization in advance, and the area beneath the active flight is coned off. Because the drone stays above the roof rather than a person standing on it, the fall-from-height exposure that drives so much of the cost and risk of traditional roof cleaning is not part of the job.
We carry $2M commercial general liability plus dedicated UAS aviation liability, with certificates naming the owner and property manager issued before mobilization. Wash and rinse runoff is directed away from landscaping and, where a local rule requires it, kept out of the storm sewer: Pittsburgh and Denver both prohibit contaminated wash water entering storm drains.
Six things that move a roof cleaning quote
Every quote is a fixed price built from a measured roof area and a walkthrough or aerial survey of the property. The rate per square foot moves inside the published range according to the factors below, and the total moves with size: bigger roofs get lower rates.
- Roof area and pitch, measured from drawings or aerial imagery and confirmed on site
- Roofing material: tile, metal, shingle and membrane each take different chemistry
- Soiling level: light film versus heavy algae, moss or lichen growth
- Number of levels and ridge height, which sets the staging plan
- Access and site logistics for the ground rig
- Scheduling: business hours, after-hours or weekend work
Roof cleaning pricing, per square foot
Commercial roofs share the same band as our other commercial exterior work, $0.12–$0.25 per square foot, fixed after a free site survey, with no minimum charge, easing to $0.12–$0.20 at 40,000 sq ft and up. Small residential roofs up to 3,000 sq ft are $0.25–$0.35 per square foot, also with no minimum charge at any size; above that the rate slides into the commercial band by 40,000 sq ft. The totals below are computed from that model at the size shown.
Residential (small roof)
$0.25–$0.35 / sq ft
Roofs up to 3,000 sq ft. No minimum charge.
Most single-family homes
$500–$1,200
Typical total for most single-family roofs.
1,500 sq ft roof
$375–$525
Computed from the model at this size.
2,500 sq ft roof
$625–$875
Computed from the model at this size.
3,000 sq ft roof
$750–$1,050
Computed from the model at this size.
Commercial roof
$0.12–$0.25 / sq ft
Fixed price after a free site survey. No minimum charge.
40,000 sq ft and up
$0.12–$0.20 / sq ft
Bigger roofs get lower rates; the slide continues on very large projects.
20,000 sq ft roof
$2,400–$4,500
Computed from the model at this size.
40,000 sq ft roof
$4,800–$8,000
Computed from the model at this size.
100,000 sq ft roof
$10,364–$20,000
Computed from the model at this size.
Recurring maintenance schedules run 20–30% below the one-off price per visit, for every service. Portfolios of several properties under one owner or manager are priced 20–30% below single-building rates as an alternative to the maintenance discount, not on top of it.
Drone roof cleaning typically lands 30–60% below scaffolding or lift-based access on large commercial roofs, because there is no rigging to erect and no crew at height.
Rates shown are our published national rates. Every job is a fixed price after a free site survey.
Where we work
Every state, the same standard: tethered Lucid Bots Sherpa drones, heated chlorine-free chemistry with a 0 TDS pure-water rinse, FAA Part 107 crews and $2M liability coverage. Crews and equipment mobilize anywhere in the United States, with travel built into a fixed quote after a free site survey. In Florida we operate as Vista Drone Cleaning.
In New York, drone flights are scheduled around the city's takeoff and landing permit process, and water-fed pole and ground crews cover work that cannot wait for a permit.
A full-building exterior project completed in 48 hours
Workspace Property Trust · Miramar, FL, a four-story Class A office building in Miramar Centre Corporate Park. Delivered in Florida, where we operate as Vista Drone Cleaning.
A prospective tenant walkthrough was booked for Thursday and the job was only confirmed on Monday afternoon. Lifts and scaffolding could not clean the building in the time available, and nothing could block the entrances or take over the parking lot.
Before
After- 48 hours
- to complete the entire building
- ~29%
- below traditional pricing for the same scope
- Zero
- lifts or scaffolding on site
- Minimal
- disruption to tenants and daily operations
Frequently asked questions
What is drone roof cleaning?
Drone roof cleaning applies low-pressure soft-wash chemistry and a rinse from a tethered drone flown over the roof plane, so the surface is cleaned without a crew walking the tile, shingle or membrane. An FAA Part 107 certified pilot flies from the ground, and the roof never carries foot traffic, ladders or a pressure washer wand.
Which roof types can you clean?
Concrete and clay tile, standing-seam and painted metal, asphalt shingle, and flat or low-slope membrane and built-up roofs. Chemistry and dwell time are matched to the roofing material at the site survey, because what safely lifts black algae streaking from tile is not the process you would use on a granulated shingle.
Is it safe for shingles, tile and roof coatings?
Yes, because it is a soft-wash, not a pressure wash, and no one is walking the roof to do it. Pressure washing a roof is what strips granules off shingles and cracks aged tile; soft-wash chemistry does the cleaning at low pressure and the dwell time does the work. Foot traffic is itself a source of roof damage and warranty issues, and a drone removes it entirely.
How high can the drone reach?
Up to 200 ft, about 18 stories, per staging position, which covers the pitch and ridge height of the large majority of residential and commercial roofs from the ground or an adjacent staging point. Steep multi-level roofs are mapped for staging positions at the survey before we quote.
How much does drone roof cleaning cost?
Commercial roofs share the same band as other commercial exterior work: $0.12–$0.25 per square foot, fixed price after a free site survey, with no minimum charge, easing to $0.12–$0.20 at 40,000 sq ft and up. Small residential roofs up to 3,000 sq ft run $0.25–$0.35 per square foot, also with no minimum charge, and most single-family homes land $500–$1,200. A 2,500 sq ft residential roof runs $625–$875. Rates shown are our published national rates. Every job is a fixed price after a free site survey.
Do you remove black streaking and algae, or just surface dirt?
Both. The dark streaking common on tile and shingle roofs is biological growth, not just soot or dust, and it needs chemistry with real dwell time to lift rather than a rinse. The soft-wash chemistry is chosen specifically to treat that growth at the root, so the result holds longer than a surface rinse would.
What happens to runoff from the roof?
It is planned before we arrive. Roof runoff is directed away from landscaping, HVAC condensers and any nearby waterway, using biodegradable chemistry and controlled application rather than flooding the roof plane. On commercial sites with a documented drainage system we confirm its routing at the survey.
Do you clean roofs nationwide?
Yes. Crews and equipment mobilize anywhere in the United States, with travel built into a fixed quote after a free site survey. In Florida we operate as Vista Drone Cleaning, working year-round. In colder states water-based washing runs in the frost-free months, since a soft-wash roof needs above-freezing conditions to dry properly. In New York City, drone flights are scheduled around the NYPD/DOT takeoff and landing permit process.
What insurance comes with a roof cleaning job?
$2M commercial general liability plus dedicated UAS aviation liability, with certificates naming the owner and property manager issued before we mobilize. Every flight runs under 14 CFR Part 107, with LAANC airspace authorization filed where the property sits in controlled airspace, and 4K before-and-after documentation of the roof is delivered with the job.
Our core services
Get a fixed roof cleaning price
Send the address and roof type. We measure the roof area, walk the site and reply with a fixed proposal, no minimum charge.