Published solar panel cleaning prices
Price solar cleaning per panel. The count is easy to agree on with the customer, and it tracks the work. Cost guides publish both per-panel prices and totals for a whole system.
| Price | Published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Per panel | $10 to $20 | HomeGuide |
| Per panel, Bay Area company | $10 to $25 | Smart Solar Cleaning |
| Per panel, skylight or solar | $20 to $30 | Angi |
| Whole system, one cleaning | $150 to $500 | HomeGuide |
| Whole system, one cleaning | $200 to $500 | HomeAdvisor |
| Whole system, one cleaning | $150 to $350 | EnergySage |
| Minimum | $100 or more | HomeGuide |
HomeGuide also publishes totals by system size. An average home system has 15 to 25 panels, it says, and professionals may lower the price per panel on large jobs.
| Panels | Published cost |
|---|---|
| 5 to 10 | $50 to $200 |
| 10 to 15 | $100 to $300 |
| 15 to 25 | $150 to $500 |
| 25 to 35 | $250 to $700 |
| 35 to 45 or more | $350 to $900 or more |
Build a per-panel rate from crew time
Time a few jobs from arrival to cleanup and divide by the panels cleaned. Count the ladder setup, tie-off, hose runs and the water system in that time. Panels per hour on the roof alone will leave part of the visit unpaid.
These inputs are examples. A crew of 2 costs $45.00 an hour per worker and cleans 7.5 panels per crew hour on a one-story roof. Pure water, filter resin and brushes add $1.00 a panel.
The example keeps 15% of the price for overhead and 20% for profit. The result matches Measured Bid's sample one-story rate of $20.00 a panel, inside the published per-panel ranges above.
Charge for roof height and access
HomeGuide says roof height and steepness decide whether the job needs extra equipment and safety measures. It also notes that steeply tilted panels shed dirt more easily. A second-story roof means taller ladders, more time tied off and slower moves between arrays.
| Stories | Per panel | 20 panels |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $20.00 | $400.00 |
| 2 | $22.00 | $440.00 |
| 3+ | $25.00 | $500.00 |
The sample two-story rate is 10% above one story, and the 3+ story rate is 25% above. Time your crew on taller roofs to set your own steps. Measured Bid's solar line has no steep adjustment of its own. If a steep or tile roof slows the crew, raise the price on that estimate before you send it.
Pure water, the cleaning method and the panel warranty
HomeGuide says many professionals clean with a water-fed, non-abrasive brush and deionized water. The owner of a cleaning company quoted by EnergySage says tap water or abrasive materials can leave hard water stains, residue or surface damage. EnergySage adds that scratched glass can void the panel warranty.
Some panel makers list the water hardness they allow, according to HomeGuide. Read the maker's cleaning instructions before your first job on a new brand. Put the cost of your water system, filters and resin into the supplies line of your rate, so every panel carries a share of it.
Set a minimum per visit
A small array still needs the ladder, the water system and the drive. A minimum covers that visit.
At the sample rate, jobs under 8 panels price at the minimum. HomeGuide says most solar cleaning pros charge minimum fees of $100 or more.
Charge one minimum per trip. If the customer also wants the roof soft washed, the roof cleaning and 20 panels come to $1,103.00 at the sample rates, and the larger minimum of the two, $350.00, is the only floor. The roof cleaning pricing guide covers the roof line.
Sell a cleaning schedule
Solar cleaning repeats. HomeGuide recommends cleaning 1 to 2 times a year in most cases, and more often in heavily wooded, dusty or polluted areas. EnergySage also says once or twice a year, and HomeAdvisor says an annual cleaning is enough for most systems.
Offer the next visit when you finish the first one. Record the time per panel on the first visit and use it to price the next one.
Worked example on the sample house
The customer counted 20 panels on a one-story house. The rates are Measured Bid's sample rates.
Sierra Pressure Washing Co.
(916) 555-0100
Solar panel cleaning estimate
No. 1042
- Stories
- 1 story
- Panels
- 20, counted by the customer
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panel cleaning | 20 panels | $20.00 / panel | $400.00 |
The line comes to $400.00, above the $150.00 minimum. On your website the homeowner would see a range of $350 to $450, and your team sees the line in the dashboard.
| Panels | 1 story | 2 stories | 3+ stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $150.00 | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| 10 | $200.00 | $220.00 | $250.00 |
| 20 | $400.00 | $440.00 | $500.00 |
| 30 | $600.00 | $660.00 | $750.00 |
| 40 | $800.00 | $880.00 | $1,000.00 |
Quote solar cleaning from an address
Measured Bid doesn't count solar panels from aerial imagery. The count is typed: by the homeowner on your website's price form, or by your team in New estimate. Look at the roof on the map with the estimate, or ask the customer for a photo. The estimate shows the year of the aerial imagery, and panels added after that year won't be in the picture.
Measured Bid prices the count at your per-panel rate for the stories on the job. When the customer also wants the roof cleaned, it measures the sloped roof area from the address and prices both on one estimate with one minimum. Windows and gutters can go on the same estimate. The window cleaning pricing guide covers those rates, and the pressure washing calculator prices the roof, gutters and windows by hand.