Stroud sits where five steep, wooded valleys meet — the Frome, the Slad, the Painswick, the Nailsworth and the Golden Valley running up towards Chalford. That geography is the whole story for a roof. The valley sides funnel and hold damp air, so on autumn and winter mornings mist pools in the bottoms for hours, humidity stays high, and the streams and woodland keep the air moving slowly. The town gets a steady, ordinary amount of rain by English standards — around 800mm a year, with October the wettest month — but it's the trapped damp, not the rainfall total, that grows moss. Properties down in the valley bottoms and on the shaded north-facing slopes barely dry out between October and April.
You see it most on the old cloth-town stock. Stroud grew rich on wool and the valleys once held the best part of 150 working mills, and the housing that came with that trade — three-storey weavers' terraces stacked up the hillsides at Rodborough and Chalford, clothiers' houses, ranks of stone cottages on the slopes above the centre — is largely Cotswold stone. Stone tile is porous and textured, which gives moss spores something to grip, so a roof that looks merely "a bit green" from the lane is often carrying a thick mat of moss and lichen in the laps by the time anyone calls us. The stone underneath is usually sound; the moss has just been holding water against it for years.
The newer stock tells the same story by a different route. The post-war and modern estates around Cainscross, Cashes Green, Paganhill and out towards Stonehouse are mostly concrete interlocking tile, and those green up heavily too because the textured surface holds moisture in this valley air. Whether it's a listed weaver's cottage at Uplands or a 1970s semi at Cainscross, the approach is the same: lift the bulk moss off by hand, then treat the cause with biocide. The same damp-valley picture carries down the A46 to Nailsworth and across to Minchinhampton and Woodchester.
Each one has its own approach. Method matters more than equipment.
The signature Stroud roof — found everywhere from Rodborough and Minchinhampton to the old town centre. Porous, heavy, split along the grain. Pressure-washing pits stone permanently, so these get hand-scrape and a neutral biocide only. There is no shortcut and we don't pretend otherwise.
Common on the steeper streets around Uplands, Bisley Road and the valley sides. Slate lasts a century; the problem is moss in the laps and rust weeping off old lead flashings. Method: hand-clear the laps, low-pressure rinse, biocide. The gentlest end of our toolkit.
The bulk of Cainscross, Cashes Green, Paganhill and the Stonehouse estates. Marley and Redland tiles, often heavily mossed because the texture grips spores in this damp valley air. We lift the moss by hand first, then biocide. Expect a noticeable colour shift as the biocide cures over a few weeks.
Older streets near the centre, Thrupp and Brimscombe along the canal. Brittle when wet — we don't walk these without a roof ladder hooked over the ridge. Hand-scrape and biocide, with extra care around hips and valleys where the tiles are bedded in mortar.
Stroud is dense with protected heritage. The Stroud District has dozens of conservation areas, and several cover the town directly — the Top of the Town around the parish church and the old market streets, and the Industrial Heritage Conservation Area that runs along the Thames & Severn and Stroudwater canals and the surviving mills through Thrupp, Brimscombe and Cainscross. The cores of Rodborough, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth and Woodchester are conservation areas in their own right, and the old clothiers' houses and weavers' cottages between them include a great many listed buildings.
For listed buildings, "cleaning" sits in a slightly grey zone — straightforward removal of biological growth normally doesn't need listed-building consent, because you're not altering the fabric of the building. Anything that touches the lime mortar, the lead, or the original stone-slate fixings does need consent, and we'll tell you upfront if a job crosses that line so you can speak to Stroud District Council before booking. On Cotswold stone we keep biocide off the lime-mortared verges by sheeting and rinsing the edges, and we never use concentrations that strip the patina the stone has earned over two or three centuries.
At quote stage we'll always note if your property looks listed in the survey, and we'll check the Historic England map before we start. It costs us five minutes; it can save you a planning headache.
Same pricing across the catchment — no extra travel charge for the surrounding valleys and villages.
Three-storey Cotswold-stone cottages stacked up the hill below Rodborough Common, with the steep access and stone-slate roofs that come with them. Beautiful, fragile, and never to be pressure-washed.
The flatter ground west of the centre, mostly post-war and inter-war concrete-tile housing along Westward Road and the estates. Heavy moss from the valley damp, straightforward access — a regular run for us.
Steep Victorian terraces climbing the hillside north of the centre, a lot of Welsh slate and clay, plenty of listed cottages. Towers and roof ladders earn their keep here.
Old canal-side and mill housing strung along the London Road in the bottom of the Golden Valley — damp, shaded, and quick to green up. Clay and stone roofs that want a careful hand.
Scattered cottages and hillside homes in deeply wooded, shaded plots. North-facing pitches here barely see the sun in winter, which is exactly why the moss comes back fastest without biocide.
The surrounding towns and the common-edge villages — Cotswold-stone cottages at Minchinhampton, mixed stock at Nailsworth, newer estates at Stonehouse. All inside our catchment, all the same approach.
We come out, look at the roof, the access and the gutters, and tell you exactly what's needed and what it costs. On Stroud's steep valley plots we work out the ladder, tower or roof-ladder plan there and then. No hard sell, no pressure to book on the spot.
Heavy moss is removed by hand from a ladder or tower, gutters cleared at the same time. On Stroud's porous Cotswold stone and thickly mossed concrete tile especially, the bulk growth has to be lifted off before the biocide can reach the spores beneath.
An approved biocide is applied at the correct dilution. It kills algae, lichen and remaining moss spores at the root, without high-pressure water touching the tiles — which is exactly what fragile stone and slate need.
The biocide keeps working after we've left, preventing regrowth for up to two years even in the damp valley air. Most customers don't need us back for a top-up before then.
Plenty of firms turn up to a roof with a pressure washer and treat every tile the same. That's a fast way to make a Stroud roof look clean for a fortnight and cost the owner thousands later. The dominant covering across the old town and the surrounding villages is Cotswold stone slate — a porous oolitic limestone that's split, not sawn, along its natural bedding. High-pressure water doesn't just blast the moss off it; it drives into the open grain, lifts flakes off the surface, washes the lime mortar out of the bedding and the verges, and forces water under the laps into the roof space. The damage is invisible for a season and then shows up as slipped slates, damp in the bedroom ceiling, and a repair bill that dwarfs the clean.
So on stone and old clay we don't pressure-wash at all. We work down the pitch by hand, scraping and brushing the moss out of the laps, bagging it as we go so it doesn't end up choking the gutters or the borders below, and then we soak the whole roof in biocide at the correct dilution. The biocide is the part that actually solves the problem — it kills the spores that the eye can't see, and it keeps killing them for up to two years, which is why a properly treated Stroud roof stays clear long after a jet-washed one has greened up again. Concrete interlocking tile on the newer estates can take a controlled low-pressure rinse where that's genuinely the right tool, but even there the biocide does the real work.
The other thing Stroud demands is honest access planning. A roof you could reach off a single ladder on the flat in Quedgeley might sit above a two-metre retaining wall on a hillside in Rodborough or Uplands, with the eaves three storeys up on the downhill side. We survey that properly before we quote — tower, roof ladder, edge protection, where the kit can stand — so the price you get is the price you pay and nobody's improvising on a steep slope on the day.
There are three reasons it's worth doing, and they matter in this order. First, the life of the roof itself. Moss holds water against the tiles, and in the Stroud valleys — where the damp lingers and hard winter frosts still come through — that trapped moisture goes through freeze-thaw cycles that crack and spall the surface. On a Cotswold stone roof that's a serious bill, because reclaimed stone slates and the skilled labour to lay them are neither cheap nor quick to source. A clean and biocide treatment is a small fraction of the cost of re-slating a pitch.
Second, the gutters and the walls below them. As moss sheds, it washes down into the gutters and packs them solid, and a blocked gutter on a hillside terrace doesn't just overflow — it sends water straight down the wall. On the rendered and stone elevations common across Stroud that shows up fast as staining, damp patches inside, and frost damage to pointing. That's exactly why we clear the gutters free as part of every roof clean: there's no point treating the roof and leaving the thing that carries the water away choked with debris.
Third, the value and the look of the house. Stroud is full of buyers who pay a premium for character — a tidy Cotswold-stone cottage at Rodborough or Minchinhampton sells on its kerb appeal, and a roof furred with green moss undercuts the whole impression and can prompt awkward questions on a survey. Some insurers query roofs visibly buried in growth, too. None of this is dramatic, and none of it is a hard sell — it's just the practical reality of owning a roof in a damp, wooded, stone-built corner of the county. Sort it once, properly, and the two-year biocide protection means you can largely forget about it.
A Stroud roof clean keeps us on the ladders or tower most of the day regardless, so it makes sense to pull the gutters through while we're up there — and the biocide is what holds the result for two years. You pay for neither; both come as standard.
Get my Stroud quoteStroud throws up more fragile Cotswold stone and steep valley-side roofs than almost anywhere in the county, and those take careful hand-scraping and proper access kit rather than fast pressure — which is part of why we won't quote a flat rate over the phone. Every roof's different. But to be straight with you, most roof cleans are £550–£950. A standard terrace or semi sits in that range; larger, steeper or more difficult roofs (heavy moss, awkward valley access, big detached houses) go up from there.
What moves the price:
Always included, never an add-on: a free gutter clear while we're up there, and the biocide that keeps moss off for up to two years.
How we quote: a free no-obligation survey, a written price the same day, no deposit, pay only when it's done. See our full roof cleaning cost guide →
Yes, and it's the bulk of what we do in Stroud. Cotswold stone slates are porous and split along their bedding planes, so pressure-washing is the one thing you must never do to them — it pits the surface, blows the lime mortar out of the verges and the damage is permanent. We lift the moss off by hand with scrapers and a soft brush, then apply a neutral biocide that keeps killing the spores beneath. Stone tiles get the gentlest method in our kit and nothing fast or aggressive ever touches them.
Carefully, and with the right kit for the slope. A lot of Stroud's housing is built into the valley sides — three-storey weavers' terraces at Rodborough, cottages stacked up the hill at Uplands and Whiteshill — so a single ladder off level ground often isn't safe or even possible. We use scaffold towers, roof ladders hooked over the ridge, and long-reach lances so we can work the pitch without loading our weight onto fragile tiles. On the steepest or tightest-access jobs we'll price in a tower or extra edge protection, and we tell you that at the survey rather than springing it on you later.
Stroud sits at the meeting point of five steep, wooded valleys, and those valleys trap damp air. Mist and fog settle in the bottoms for hours on autumn and winter mornings, humidity stays high, and the mature tree cover along the Slad, Painswick and Nailsworth streams keeps north-facing pitches in shade for half the year. Add the textured, porous surface of Cotswold stone and old clay tiles and you have near-perfect conditions for moss, lichen and algae to take hold. It's why Stroud roofs green up faster than properties out on the open Severn plain a few miles west.
No. Cotswold stone, Welsh slate and old clay tiles get hand-scrape and biocide only — pressure on those will damage the surface. Modern interlocking concrete tiles on the newer estates can take a controlled pressure-wash where it's the right tool. The biocide is what stops the moss coming back, regardless of which method we use to lift the bulk growth off first.
Up to two years, often longer, because the biocide we apply keeps killing fresh spores after we've left site. Stroud's damp valley air and heavy tree cover do mean a north-facing pitch in the bottom of the Slad or Nailsworth valley may green up a little sooner than a south-facing roof up on the common. Pressure-washing on its own gives you a clean roof for about a season — the moss is back the following autumn because the underlying spores are still on the tiles. A proper biocide treatment is the difference between scraping the surface and treating the cause.
Yes. Much of Stroud and the surrounding villages sit inside conservation areas — the Top of the Town, the Industrial Heritage Conservation Area along the canal and mills, and the older cores of Rodborough, Minchinhampton and Nailsworth — and there are a great many listed buildings among the old clothiers' houses and weavers' cottages. Cleaning biological growth off a roof normally doesn't need listed-building consent because you aren't altering the fabric, but anything touching mortar, lead or original stone fixings does. We flag it at the survey if a job looks like it crosses that line so you can check with Stroud District Council before we book it in.
No roof stays clear forever — spores are always airborne — but treating the cause keeps it clear for years not months: we scrape or soft-wash the moss off, then apply a biocide that carries on killing spores for up to two years. Pressure-washing alone just removes what you can see — it's back next autumn. Biocide (plus, on the right surfaces, a sealant) is the longest-lasting answer.
Spring (March–May) and early autumn are ideal — dry enough for the biocide to bond, and it sets the roof up before the damp months when moss grows fastest. In the Stroud valleys that damp season is long and the autumn mists are heavy, so getting ahead of it matters. We clean year-round, though; the biocide works whenever it's applied in dry conditions.
Depends on the tile. Modern interlocking concrete tiles can take a controlled low-pressure wash where it's the right tool; Cotswold stone, Welsh slate and old clay should never be pressure-washed — it strips the surface, cracks tiles and forces water underneath. On those we hand-scrape and treat with biocide. We always tell you the method first.
Victorian terraces, the docks regeneration, post-war estates.
Roof cleaning GloucesterRegency villas, Cotswold-stone village edges, damp-basin microclimate.
Roof cleaning CheltenhamSouth Gloucester suburb, modern concrete-tile estates, all hitting moss age together.
Roof cleaning QuedgeleyThe Guys did a fantastic job on my roof and worked nonstop all day to get the job done and left everything clean and tidy after themselves, highly recommend and would look to use again 👍, made a massive difference to the house.
The Guys did a fantastic job on my roof and worked nonstop all day to get the job done and left everything clean and tidy after themselves, highly recommend and would look to use again 👍, made a massive difference to the house.
Would strongly recommend. Swift with good work quality and kept the surrounding areas tidy. Looks like a new roof! Would 100% recommend.
Would strongly recommend. Swift with good work quality and kept the surrounding areas tidy. Looks like a new roof! Would 100% recommend.
Blake and Daniel cleaned my patio and path at the front and did a great job. They were friendly and professional and explained well what they were going to do. I also had a bad dark patch which came up really well which others had failed to remove. I would definitely recommend them if like me you have a patio or driveway that badly needs a thorough clean
Blake and Daniel cleaned my patio and path at the front and did a great job. They were friendly and professional and explained well what they were going to do. I also had a bad dark patch which came up really well which others had failed to remove. I would definitely recommend them if like me you have a patio or driveway that badly needs a thorough clean
100% recommend this team . From start to finish was kept informed.On the morning a text to say what time they will be there and arrived on time . Worked from 9:30 till 7:30pm on the roof and jet washing all the area after. Very professional and had all the kit even a drone to show you the results of the whole area . The difference is amazing and looks like a new roof . Really happy with the results and so many comments from neighbours too saying how good it looks . You will not be disappointed .
100% recommend this team . From start to finish was kept informed.On the morning a text to say what time they will be there and arrived on time . Worked from 9:30 till 7:30pm on the roof and jet washing all the area after. Very professional and had all the kit even a drone to show you the results of the whole area . The difference is amazing and looks like a new roof . Really happy with the results and so many comments from neighbours too saying how good it looks . You will not be disappointed .
Had our drive re sealed and repaired amazing job by Blake and Dan thanks very much for your hard work it looks amazing highly recommended company
Had our drive re sealed and repaired amazing job by Blake and Dan thanks very much for your hard work it looks amazing highly recommended company
What can I say other than WOW !! Massive thank you to Blake and Dan for all of your hard work, so professional and such an amazing job! Left everything spotless so pleased, highly recommend to everyone. Extremely happy
Blake and Dan did a great job cleaning our roof and driveway. We're really happy with the outcome and would highly recommend Aquapro Cleaning to friends and family.
Blake and team did a great job of cleaning and resealing our roof. They worked hard and communicated well by proactively keeping us updated at every stage. We are happy with the end result and the transformation was epic!
Blake and team did a great job of cleaning and resealing our roof. They worked hard and communicated well by proactively keeping us updated at every stage. We are happy with the end result and the transformation was epic!
We had excellent service from start to finish. The guys were very professional, discussed everything over the phone initially then a visit with the drone to allow accurate quarter and expectation management. On the day they were considerate with the neighbours, did a wonderful job with the roof and gutters and cleared up so well that everything looked far better than when they started. Cannot recommend more highly.
We had excellent service from start to finish. The guys were very professional, discussed everything over the phone initially then a visit with the drone to allow accurate quarter and expectation management. On the day they were considerate with the neighbours, did a wonderful job with the roof and gutters and cleared up so well that everything looked far better than when they started. Cannot recommend more highly.
Great guys. Amazing job on the drive and always answers the phone. Recommend 100%
Great guys. Amazing job on the drive and always answers the phone. Recommend 100%
Really impressed with Aquapro Roof cleaning. Very professional guys that done such a good job, that it looks like I’ve had a new roof installed, (after 40yrs of dirt and moss). Blake talked me through everything in detail, and answered any questions I had. Showed me the end result with his drone footage and left house clean and tidy. Highly recommended.
Really impressed with Aquapro Roof cleaning. Very professional guys that done such a good job, that it looks like I’ve had a new roof installed, (after 40yrs of dirt and moss). Blake talked me through everything in detail, and answered any questions I had. Showed me the end result with his drone footage and left house clean and tidy. Highly recommended.
Great service, lovely & friendly team. So happy with the patio.
Great service, lovely & friendly team. So happy with the patio.
Free gutter clean and biocide treatment with every roof clean. Steep valley access and conservation-area work handled correctly. Fully insured, no-obligation quote, written the same day.
