Most of our work is on homes, but the same equipment that keeps a house clean works on a small block of flats or a shopfront, and those buildings often suffer more because nobody individually owns the problem. Communal gutters fill up, stairwell windows go grey, shared paths go green and slippery, and a shop fascia fades a little more every month. This page sets out plainly what we take on for shared and commercial buildings, and just as importantly what we do not, so you can tell quickly whether we are the right fit.
What we cover on apartment blocks
On a block, the surfaces that are normally shared are the communal gutters, the roofline, stairwell and landing glazing, entrance glass and the shared paving, paths and bin areas. Those are the items we are usually asked to quote block-wide. Individual balconies and flat windows are often the leaseholder's own responsibility, so we list communal and private items separately on a quote. That way the managing agent can approve the communal work and individual residents can add their own windows if they want to, without anyone paying for something that is not theirs.
Low-rise only, confirmed at survey
Our reach comes from purified-water poles and a gutter vacuum with a camera, both worked from the ground, which reach up to four storeys. That covers most low-rise blocks. It does not cover tall buildings, and we do not offer rope access, cherry pickers or high-rise work. Before we quote a block we confirm the height and access at survey, including whether a pole can reach every elevation from safe standing ground. If it cannot, we tell you rather than stretching the job past what the equipment is designed for.
Walls, render and shared hard surfaces
Rendered and painted walls on blocks go green in exactly the same way as on houses, usually worst on the north side and behind communal planting. We treat them with the same low-pressure softwash and biocide we use on homes. Shared paths, car park edges and entrance steps are cleaned with a rotary surface cleaner so the finish is even, with a treatment for moss and weeds in the joints, which matters on routes that residents walk every day in the wet.
Shopfronts and small commercial premises
For shops and small commercial buildings the visible items are the frontage glass, the fascia signage and any canopy, plus the entrance threshold and forecourt paving that take the most footfall. Signage collects a grey film that dulls it long before anyone would call it dirty. Many frontages suit a monthly or fortnightly glass visit, with the signage and paving done less often. We work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm, and plan the order of work around trading so we are not across the doorway at your busiest time.
Notice, access and residents
Residents need notice before window work, parking may need clearing under gutter runs, and some blocks have their own contractor rules. We plan those in at quoting stage rather than turning up and discovering them. On the day we keep access clear and avoid blocking parking or entrances for longer than the work needs, and treated areas are rinsed and kept clear until they are dry.
Paperwork for managing agents
Management companies and facilities contacts often need documents before anyone is allowed on site. We can provide method statements and insurance details on request, and risk assessments for sites that require them. Gutter clears come with before and after photographs of every section cleared, which gives you a record for the building file. For small blocks it is nearly always cheaper to do everything in one visit and split one invoice than to have each flat book separately, and we can invoice the managing agent or individual leaseholders, whichever the building prefers.
More detail: flats and small blocks and shopfronts and small premises.
Questions managing agents ask
- How tall a building can you clean?
- Our ground-based reach systems work up to four storeys. We confirm height and access at survey and do not take on high-rise work.
- Do you work for management companies?
- Yes, and we can provide method statements, insurance details and risk assessments on request.
- Can individual flats book their own windows?
- Yes, alongside or separately from the communal work, though a combined visit costs each flat less.
- Can you clean a shopfront before opening?
- We start from 8am Monday to Saturday and plan the order of work around trading.
- Do you cover the whole of Plymouth?
- We work across Plymouth and a 20-mile radius of the city.
Ask for a block or frontage quote
Tell us the building, roughly how many storeys and which items are communal, and we will come back with a written quote.