What access we need, and how tight sites are handled
Access decides how a job runs more than almost anything else. It affects the method, the time on site and sometimes the price, and it is the thing most easily sorted out before we arrive rather than on the morning.
Across the villages and market towns we cover, no two properties present the same problem, so here is what we need and how we deal with the awkward cases.
What we need as a minimum
- Somewhere firm and level to foot ladders or set up equipment on each elevation being worked.
- A route to the rear of the property, usually a side gate wide enough to carry equipment through.
- Somewhere to park the van reasonably close, because equipment and waste have to be carried.
- Access to an outside tap for some treatments, or advance notice if there is not one.
- Cars moved off the drive on the day, and anything fragile taken in from below the working slopes.
Terraces, narrow lanes and permit streets
Where there is no rear access, equipment goes through the house only if you are happy with that, and otherwise the work is planned from the front and over the ridge with proper anchoring rather than improvised.
On permit and controlled streets we sort the parking side out in advance rather than turning up and hoping. In tight village lanes the van is usually parked clear and equipment carried in, with cones out where traffic passes close.
Soft ground, slopes and awkward footing
Winter jobs on lawns and borders need boards to spread the load, and a drive on a steep gradient may mean setting up further from the house than usual. Neither is a problem when we know in advance.
Where the only safe answer is a tower or scaffold, we say so at quote stage and include it, rather than discovering it on the day and pushing the price up.
Tell us about your access
A photo of the frontage and the side passage is usually all we need to plan the job properly and quote it accurately.
Sky Scrapers Ltd · info@sky-scrapers.co.uk
What to do before the visit
Unlock side gates, move vehicles, bring in garden furniture and pots from beneath the working slopes, and tell us about anything hidden such as a soakaway, a septic tank cover or a fragile outbuilding roof.
If you will be out, leave gate access sorted and we will photograph the work as we go so you can see what was done.
Our own photographs
Images from Sky Scrapers Ltd work showing the methods described on this page.
Where this applies locally
Towns where this comes up most often on our patch:
- Hand Roof Cleaning in WoburnBedfordshire · MK17
- Hand Roof Cleaning in PottonBedfordshire · SG19
- Hand Roof Cleaning in HitchinHertfordshire · SG4
- Hand Roof Cleaning in Letchworth Garden CityHertfordshire · SG6
- Hand Roof Cleaning in OlneyBuckinghamshire · MK46
- Scaffolding, ladders or powered accessComparison
- Preparing your property for a roof cleanProcess guide
- Semi-detached and terraced roofsBuilding type
Questions we get asked
What if there is no rear access at all?
It is common on terraces. We plan the work from the accessible side with proper anchoring, or agree a route through the property with you beforehand.
Do I need to move my car?
Yes please, on the day. It gives us somewhere to foot equipment and keeps your paintwork away from falling debris.
Is there an extra charge for difficult access?
Access is priced into the quote, which is why we ask about it up front. Nothing is added on the day for something we should have asked about.
Can you work if there is no outside tap?
Yes, but tell us in advance so we arrive set up for it rather than working it out on site.
In short
Firm footing, a route to the rear, somewhere to park and a tap where possible. Awkward access is planned and priced in advance rather than sprung on you.