Some of this work is genuinely worth doing yourself. Some of it costs more in hire, time and damage than getting someone in, and it is worth knowing which is which before the weekend.
Reasonable to do yourself
A ground-floor path, a small concrete area, garden furniture. Low surfaces, forgiving materials, nothing at height and nothing you cannot replace.
This guide sits under our Pressure Washing work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.
Not worth it
Anything at height, anything on render or a roof, and anything on sandstone or block paving where a lance leaves permanent marks. The repair costs more than the job would have.
The hidden costs
Machine hire, a day of your time, the water, and the risk. Once those are counted, the gap between DIY and a quoted price is usually much smaller than it first looks.
Questions we get on this
- Can I do the walls myself with a hired washer?
- We would not on render. It is the single most common cause of the damage we get called to look at.
- What about gutters from a ladder?
- Working at height is where accidents happen. Ground-based vacuum is safer and faster.
- Do you fix DIY damage?
- We can clean and advise, but eroded render or striped stone needs a builder.
Related reading
- Why the lowest exterior cleaning quote often costs more
- One-off clean or a regular cycle?
- What changes the price of a driveway clean
- What changes the price of a roof clean