These terms apply to all exterior cleaning services provided by GB Cleaning (“we”, “us”, “our”) to you, the customer (“you”). By requesting a quote, booking a job or ticking the box on our website forms, you agree to these terms. Please read them carefully, especially section 7 (pre-existing conditions) and section 8 (our liability).
If you are a consumer, nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
1. Quotes
Quotes are valid for 30 days and are based on the information and photos you give us and on what we can see at the time.
If, once we are on site, the job turns out to be materially different (for example a larger area, heavier contamination or access problems we could not reasonably have known about), we will explain the change and agree a revised price with you before doing any extra work.
2. Your right to cancel (consumers)
If you booked by phone, email, online or after we gave you a quote at your property, you have the right to cancel within 14 days of agreeing the booking, without giving a reason. To cancel, contact us by phone or email using the details above.
If you ask us to start work within those 14 days, you must tell us so expressly. If you then cancel after work has started, you will pay for the work done up to the time you cancel. Once the work is fully completed, you can no longer cancel.
3. Changing or cancelling a booking
Please give us at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to move or cancel a booked job.
If you cancel with less notice, or we arrive and cannot carry out the work because of something within your control (for example no access, no water supply or vehicles not moved), we may charge a fee to cover the costs we have reasonably incurred, such as travel time and lost working time. This does not apply during your 14-day cancellation period in section 2.
Exterior cleaning depends on the weather. We may reschedule if rain, frost, high wind or other conditions make the work unsafe or likely to give a poor result. We will contact you as early as possible and agree a new date. We are not liable for delays caused by weather or other events outside our control.
4. Your responsibilities
To allow us to carry out the work safely and well, you agree to:
give us safe access to the areas to be cleaned at the agreed time, including side gates and, where needed, permission for us to use any neighbouring land;
provide an outside water supply and, where we ask for it, access to an electrical socket, at no cost to us;
move vehicles, garden furniture, pot plants, ornaments and any loose or fragile items away from the work area before we arrive;
keep children and pets indoors or well away from the work area while we work;
close windows, doors and vents near the work area;
tell us before the work starts about anything you know of that could affect it, such as leaks, loose or damaged tiles, cracks, previous repairs, sealants or coatings, weak or loose paving, or rotten boards.
If we cannot carry out all or part of the work because these responsibilities have not been met, section 3 applies.
5. How we work
We carry out our work with reasonable care and skill, using methods and products suited to each surface.
Roof cleaning is carried out from the ground or from access equipment such as platforms. We do not walk on roofs.
We may take before and after photos of the work for our records and to show examples of our work. We will not publish your house number or your name, and you can ask us at any time not to publish photos of your property.
6. Results
We aim for the best possible result, but some marks may not come out fully, for example oil, rust, paint, tyre marks, tannin, deep-set lichen or old staining. We will tell you if we expect this.
Moss, algae and lichen grow back naturally over time. Treatments slow regrowth but are not a permanent guarantee, and some treatments take several weeks to work fully.
Cleaning can lift loose material. On block paving and patios, joint sand or weak pointing may wash out and need re-sanding or re-pointing. On wooden decking, cleaning may raise the grain.
Run-off from cleaning may cause temporary marks on walls, paths or windows below. These can normally be rinsed away and are not treated as damage.
Cleaning shows a surface as it really is. It does not repair it. We are not responsible for defects, wear or damage that existed before we started, or that are caused by the age or condition of the surface rather than by our negligence. This includes:
Roofs: old, porous, brittle, cracked, slipped or loose tiles and slates; failed or weak mortar, ridge or verge bedding; worn or missing flashing, felt or underlay; failing coatings; and leaks that existed before cleaning or that appear afterwards because moss or debris had been covering or plugging gaps that were already there.
Gutters and downpipes: old, brittle, cracked or misaligned guttering, failed joints and brackets, and blockages further down the drainage system.
Render, cladding and brickwork: existing cracks, hollow or blown render, failing paint or coatings, and weak or crumbling pointing.
Patios, driveways and paths: loose or damaged slabs and blocks, weak pointing and joint material, and sinking or uneven areas.
Decking: rotten, split or weakened boards, rusted fixings and failing stains or finishes.
If we notice a defect, we will tell you and may recommend that you have it checked by a suitable tradesperson. We are not responsible for repairs needed because of these existing conditions.
8. Our liability
We will repair, or pay the reasonable cost of repairing, physical damage to your property that is caused by our negligence or by a breach of these terms.
We are not liable for damage or loss that is not caused by our negligence or breach, including the pre-existing conditions described in section 7, normal wear and tear, or damage caused by weather, by other people or by your failure to meet your responsibilities in section 4.
If you are a consumer, we are not liable for loss that was not reasonably foreseeable when the job was booked, or for any business losses. If you are a business customer, we are not liable for loss of profit, loss of business, or any indirect or consequential loss, and our total liability for any claim is limited to the price of the job concerned, except for physical damage covered by our insurance.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited or excluded by law.
We hold public liability insurance with cover of £5 million.
9. Reporting a problem
Please check the work as soon as possible after it is finished. If you think we have caused damage or the work is not right, tell us within 48 hours by phone or email and send photos where possible, so that we can inspect it quickly.
Please do not arrange repairs before giving us the chance to inspect, except in an emergency. If we cannot inspect, it may not be possible to show what caused the problem.
If the work has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill, we will put it right at no extra cost.
10. Payment
Payment is due in full on the day the work is completed, unless we have agreed otherwise in writing. This is also shown on your invoice.
We accept cash, card and bank transfer. Bank transfers must be sent on the day the work is completed.
If payment is not received by the due date, we may charge interest on the overdue amount at 10% per year, calculated daily from the due date until payment is received.
For business customers, we may instead claim statutory interest and fixed compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
If we have to recover an unpaid amount, you will also pay our reasonable costs of recovery, as far as the law allows.
11. Complaints
If you are not happy with our service, please contact us using the details above. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to resolve it fairly and quickly.
12. Personal data and newsletter
We use your details to provide quotes and services, as set out in our Privacy Policy. Signing up to our newsletter is optional, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
13. General
If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest will remain in force.
We may update these terms from time to time. The terms in force when you book will apply to your job.
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.
