Flat Roof Cleaning in Miami — TPO, EPDM, and Modified Bitumen

Drone flat roof cleaning runs $0.15–$0.35 per square foot. A typical 10,000–50,000 sqft warehouse or commercial flat roof falls between $1,500 and $17,500. Larger industrial roofs scale linearly with annual-maintenance discounts available.

Yes — measurably. White TPO ships at roughly 78% solar reflectance. Algae and atmospheric dirt drop it to 30–40% within a few years. Drone soft-wash restores most of the original reflectivity, which directly lowers building cooling costs and slows UV degradation of the membrane.

Foot traffic compresses TPO heat-welded seams (where the membrane is most vulnerable), punctures modified bitumen, and damages roof-edge metal flashings. Cleaning crews routinely cause damage that costs more to repair than the cleaning saved. Drone cleaning eliminates this entirely.

Yes. Carlisle, Firestone, and GAF TPO and EPDM warranty programs all include maintenance requirements; regular soft-wash cleaning satisfies those requirements and is documented for the warranty file.

A tethered industrial drone — flown by an FAA Part 107 commercial pilot — applies biodegradable soft-wash chemistry to TPO, EPDM, or modified bitumen flat roofs. The drone hovers above the membrane, no one walks the surface, and the chemistry kills algae and atmospheric soiling without compressing seams or puncturing the membrane.

White TPO ships with roughly 78% solar reflectance — one of the highest of any commercial roof system. Algae, mildew, and atmospheric dirt drop that reflectance to 30–40% within 3–5 years. Lost reflectivity translates directly into higher cooling load on the building's HVAC, and the UV that's no longer reflected accelerates degradation of the membrane polymers.

TPO (Carlisle Sure-Weld, Firestone UltraPly, GAF EverGuard), EPDM (Carlisle, Firestone), modified bitumen (cold-applied and torch-down), PVC (Sika Sarnafil, IB), and built-up roofing. Chemistry is matched to the membrane — TPO takes a different concentration than EPDM, and modified bitumen takes the gentlest formulation.

Three failure modes: heat-welded TPO seams compress under foot pressure and start to delaminate; modified bitumen surface granules and aluminum coating get scraped off; and roof-edge metal flashings get bent or fasteners loosened. Drone cleaning eliminates all three because no one walks the roof.

Yes. Algae secretes acids that degrade membrane polymers over years — removing it before root penetration is the most cost-effective membrane life-extension strategy. Combined with reflectivity restoration, regular soft-wash cleaning extends TPO and EPDM service life by years per maintenance cycle.

$0.15–$0.35 per square foot. A 10,000 sqft warehouse roof runs roughly $1,500–$3,500. A 50,000 sqft distribution center runs $7,500–$17,500. A 100,000 sqft industrial roof runs $15,000–$35,000. Pricing depends on membrane type, soiling level, and access.

No. The chemistry is membrane-matched and pH-neutral. White TPO and PVC come out cleaner without surface degradation. Modified bitumen with aluminum coating preserves its coating with the gentlest concentration.

24–60 months on TPO and EPDM, depending on tree shade, oceanfront exposure, and rooftop equipment density. Annual maintenance contracts extend these intervals because spore loads never re-establish between cleanings.

Yes — included in the same mobilization at no extra trip charge. Skylights, rooftop HVAC housings, solar arrays, and parapet caps all get cleaned during the same project. The drone navigates around equipment without needing access permits.

Small commercial (under 10,000 sqft): a few hours. Mid-size warehouse (10,000–30,000 sqft): 1 day. Large distribution center (30,000–100,000+ sqft): 2–4 days. The drone covers far more sqft per day than walking crews.

We carry $2M commercial general liability plus dedicated UAS (drone) liability and hull coverage. COIs naming the building owner, property manager, or facility manager are issued before mobilization on every project.

Yes. Every flight is conducted under FAA Part 107 by a licensed commercial drone pilot. For controlled airspace near MIA, FLL, OPF, and PBI we file LAANC airspace authorizations before mobilization.

Yes. On request we record solar reflectance index (SRI) measurements before and after using a calibrated reflectometer at multiple points across the roof. This documentation supports energy-savings claims to ownership and any LEED or Energy Star reporting.

Soft-wash chemistry lifts the biological growth that accelerates in ponding water (the staining), but it does not fix the underlying drainage issue. If we observe ponding during the survey, we flag it in the post-clean report so your roofing contractor can address the drainage.

Beneficially. Maintaining the high reflectance of cool-roof TPO and PVC membranes is what keeps the energy-savings credits valid. Carriers and certifying bodies require maintenance documentation — our 4K aerial footage and SRI measurements (when requested) satisfy those requirements.

Yes. We work around active rooftop PV arrays in the same mobilization and can also clean the panels themselves for an additional per-panel cost. The drone navigates between rows without disturbing mounting or wiring.

Spray-and-walk crews spread chemistry then walk the membrane to scrub, compressing seams and damaging surface coatings. Drone cleaning sprays from above and rinses without contact — same chemistry, zero foot traffic. The cost is comparable; the membrane damage profile is dramatically different.

Yes. Annual contracts for multi-building portfolios drop per-roof pricing 15–25% and lock in scheduling. We sequence the portfolio over 2–4 mobilizations per year and provide consolidated warranty-file documentation per building.

Quiet — the ground pump runs roughly 65–70 dB at the base. That's quieter than typical loading-dock activity. Office space adjacent to a warehouse experiences essentially no disruption during the project.