SolarCleaningBossPro Blog — Quotes & Estimates

Walking a Commercial Roof Before You Bid Solar Panel Cleaning

You can quote most houses from a satellite image and a couple of photos. A commercial roof is different. The access, the water, the layout and the rules of the building decide how long the job takes, and none of that shows up clearly from above. A site visit before you bid is the cheapest insurance you can buy against a commercial job that eats your whole day.

Why the Walk Matters

Bidding Commercial Solar Panel Cleaning Work covered how commercial bids differ and how to price them. This article is the checklist for the visit itself: what to look at, what to ask and what to write down so the bid and the first cleaning both go smoothly.

Before You Go

• Look at the satellite view. Count arrays and rows so you know what to expect.
• Confirm who will meet you. Get a name and number for the facilities contact.
• Ask about roof access rules. Some buildings need notice, an escort or a sign-in.
• Bring your safety gear. Even for a walk-through, follow the same fall protection rules you would on a cleaning day.
• Bring a phone with a full battery. You will take a lot of photos.

Access: Getting the Crew and Gear Up

This is the biggest unknown on most commercial roofs:

• Is access through an interior hatch, an exterior fixed ladder or a lift?
• Can hoses, poles and brushes go up the same way people do?
• Are doors locked, and who opens them? On which days and hours?
• Where does the truck park, and how far is it to the access point?

Photograph the access route from the parking spot to the roof. It becomes the access notes on the job later.

Water: Where It Comes From

A pure-water system needs a supply. Find out:

• Are there spigots on the roof? How many, and where?
• If not, how far is the nearest spigot from the arrays?
• Are you allowed to use the building's water, or do you bring your own?
• Where will runoff go, and does anything below need protecting?

Long hose runs and water hauling take time. Price them honestly. If you are unsure whether the building's water will work with your system, ask whether you can test it during the visit. Ten minutes now can save a wasted trip on the first cleaning day, and it shows the building contact you plan ahead.

Layout, Soiling and Safety

On the roof, walk the arrays and note:

• Panel count and rows, confirming your satellite count.
• Gaps and walkways between rows, and whether you can reach every panel with a water-fed pole without stepping on panels.
• Roof edges and skylights, which need guarding or a careful plan.
• Anchor points for fall protection, or whether you need a different approach.
• Soiling: dust, bird droppings, nests, nearby exhaust vents that leave grime, or trees dropping debris.
• Bird activity: nests under arrays are a chance to quote bird proofing or critter guards.
• Visible damage: cracked panels or loose hardware. Photograph them and mention them in your bid so nobody thinks your crew caused them.

The People

Commercial jobs live or die on the relationship with the building contact. On the visit, ask:

• Who should the crew call on arrival?
• Are there quiet hours, events or deliveries to avoid?
• Who approves the bid, and who handles billing?
• Do they want photos or a short note after each cleaning?

For an owner with several buildings, ask whether each site gets its own invoice or one monthly statement, which is covered in One Monthly Statement: Quoting Multi-Site Solar Cleaning Accounts.

Turning the Visit Into a Bid and a Job

Back at the office, build the bid from your service list while the details are fresh. Use the time you estimated on the roof, including access and water, to set the price per visit. Send it for online approval.

When it is approved, it becomes the scheduled job. Enter what you learned on the job once: the panel count, the mount, the flat or pitched roof, any extras, and access notes like “Roof hatch in the back stairwell, call Luis at the front desk, spigot by the north parapet.” Those show on the tech's phone every visit. Set quarterly cleanings at 90 days and they come due on the Waiting List on their own.

A thorough walk-through makes the first cleaning feel like the tenth. To see how commercial bids and scheduling work together, visit the solar cleaning estimate software page.