Roof cleaning warranties

We will not tell you what your specific warranty says. Shingle warranty terms differ by manufacturer, by product line, and by year, and any article that summarizes them for you is describing a document you cannot enforce. Find your shingle manufacturer and product, download the warranty PDF for that product, and read the maintenance and exclusions sections yourself.

What we can say is what the risk looks like. ARMA's guidance is that pressure washing an asphalt shingle roof causes granule loss and very likely premature failure of the roof system, and EcoWatch's 2026 consumer guidance lists voided warranty among the consequences of high-pressure washing on asphalt, clay, and slate. Granule loss is exactly the kind of damage a manufacturer will attribute to improper maintenance rather than to a product defect.

There is a second warranty in play: the cleaning contractor's own workmanship guarantee, and any regrowth guarantee they offer. Treat regrowth promises skeptically — ARMA states cleaning results are only temporary and discoloration will likely recur, so a long "no regrowth" guarantee is either heavily qualified or not meant seriously. Read what it actually covers.

Some manufacturers sell shingles with algae-resistance provisions — Malarkey describes premium lines using at least a 10% copper granule blend, and ARMA notes algae-resistant products are commercially available and designed to inhibit growth for extended periods. If your roof has such a provision, the terms and duration are product-specific. Check the document, not the brochure.

How to choose

Find and read your own shingle warranty first

Manufacturer plus product line plus the warranty PDF. The maintenance and exclusions sections are the ones that matter.

Do not let a contractor tell you what your warranty allows

They have not read it and they are not liable for it. If they say pressure washing is fine, that is a reason to end the conversation.

Keep dated records of every cleaning

Invoice, method named, before and after photos. If you ever make a granule-loss or premature-failure claim, this is the evidence that you maintained the roof properly.

Read the regrowth guarantee's exclusions

ARMA says recurrence is likely. Any guarantee against it will have conditions. Find out what they are before you value it in the price.

Ask about the contractor's damage coverage separately

If they damage your roof or your landscaping, what covers it? That is their liability insurance, not their workmanship guarantee. Verify it exists.