Reserve your service date —
before it’s gone

Holding a date is the easy part. What makes the day itself go smoothly is a little information up front and a few minutes of preparation at the house. Here is what helps most, broken down by the kind of work you are booking, along with what to expect while the crew is there and once we leave.

What to send with your booking

The more I can see before the quote, the firmer the price. A few phone photos are worth more than any description: one of the whole roof or driveway from the street, one close-up of the worst staining and, for a pool cage, one from inside looking up at the screen roof. Tell me the paver or roof material if you know it, when the surface was last cleaned or sealed, and anything you are worried about, such as a rust stain by the garage or a tile you think is cracked. That way the quote covers the job you actually have.

Gates, codes and seasonal homes

Much of our work is behind a gate. If you live in a guarded community, let me know the name exactly as the gatehouse lists it and whether vendors are pre-registered by the owner, the manager or an online portal, and I will get the crew on the list before the day. If you are up north for the summer, you do not need to be home for most exterior work. Leave the water on, unlock the side gate or the lanai door if the job needs it, and we will send photos when we finish so you can see the result from wherever you are.

Preparing for a roof cleaning

Roof work needs clear access to the eaves, so move cars, bicycles and anything stored along the side of the house a few feet away from the walls. Close windows on that side of the house, and let us know about any satellite dish, solar panel or skylight so we work around it. We protect plants by wetting them before and after the soft-wash solution goes on, but if you have a prized orchid or a potted plant under the drip line, it is worth moving it into the garage for the morning. Pets are happiest inside while the crew is on ladders.

Preparing for lanai and pool cage work

Clear the lanai of cushions, rugs, towels and small items, and stack the furniture to one side or bring it indoors if it is light enough. The pool can stay full and the pump can keep running; we keep solution out of the water and rinse the deck toward the drains. If the screen door sticks or a panel is already torn, mention it, because we will note it in your record rather than leave you wondering whether it happened during the cleaning. Outdoor kitchens are cleaned around, not taken apart, so put away grill tools and anything you do not want wet.

Preparing for driveway, paver and sealing work

Cars need to be off the driveway and, for sealing, parked on the street or a neighbor’s drive for the rest of the day and night. Sealer makers set their own cure times before vehicles can return; SEK Surebond’s SB-6000 instructions, for instance, allow foot and vehicle traffic after 24 hours. Turn off the irrigation zones that reach the pavers the evening before and leave them off until we say they can come back on. If your association needs to approve a change in the look of a driveway, such as a glossy wet-look finish, get that approval before the date.

Booking for a condo board or HOA

If you are a property manager or board member reserving work on common areas, one date on the calendar is just the start. Send the building list, any vendor insurance requirements in the management agreement, and the notice period your residents expect before work near their units. Larger jobs are often split across several days, building by building, so owners can move cars and patio furniture in turn. We can work out that sequence with you once the hold is in place, and the quote will show each building or area as its own line.

Weather and the summer rain pattern

From late spring through early fall, afternoon storms are part of life here, so we start early and save the steps that need dry conditions for the morning. Most cleaning can go ahead in light rain. Sealing and polymeric sand cannot; both need dry pavers and dry hours afterward. If the forecast turns against a sealing job, I will contact you about moving it rather than putting product down on a surface that will not cure, and the cleaning portion can often still go ahead as planned.

After we leave

Every job comes with a written service record: what was cleaned, the products and method used, and before-and-after photos. Keep it with your home records, because it shows a buyer, an insurer or your association exactly when the work was done. If you hold a policy that asks for a vendor’s certificate of insurance, ask and we will send one. When the date for your next visit comes around, the record also makes the next quote faster, since the measurements and notes are already on file.