Exterior care for extraordinary buildings
Work at height starts long before the cleaning
A facade or glass wall four storeys or higher can't be cleaned from the ground. Equipment has to come to your building and people have to work at height. That takes preparation and time, and you see it in the quote and in how your building runs.
A lot of work before the first square metre
Before any cleaning starts, an aerial work platform has to be delivered and set up on ground that can take its weight, sometimes with a permit if it stands on the public road. With rope access, anchors and fall protection go onto the roof first. That preparation counts towards both the price and the schedule.
People at height
Anyone working at height needs fall protection and specific training, and can only start when the weather allows. Those rules are strict, and rightly so. Work at height always calls for extra safety measures, because a fall can have serious consequences. As the client, you want to keep that risk as small as possible.
Your building keeps running
An entrance is closed, part of the car park or a traffic lane is taken up, and on a large facade a crew can be at your building for days. Everyone who works or stays there has to find a way around it. That disruption belongs in the cost of maintenance too.
Cleaned at height, controlled from the ground
OPPY works with technology controlled from the ground. The pilot and the equipment stay below, inside a marked perimeter. Aerial work platforms, gondolas, rope access and scaffolding keep their place, and we are glad to work with partners who use them. For many facades, our approach is today's most efficient and cost-effective choice.
Most of the time goes into the cleaning
Nothing is set up against your facade and nothing is anchored on the roof. We arrange the permit and the perimeter in advance, so on the day the time goes into the cleaning: ± 3,000 m² per day.
Nobody at height
The pilot flies the drone from the ground. Below the work zone we mark out a perimeter that moves with the work. OPPY is insured for its drone operations.
Your building stays in use
We work zone by zone, at a time that suits how your building runs. Only the area below the drone is briefly marked off, and the rest stays accessible. After every job, the report is on the OPPY platform.
What each method needs on site
Each method has its place, and none is the best everywhere. A drone doesn't fly in strong wind or rain, and heavy crusts or graffiti sometimes need a different approach. Below you can see what each method needs from your building and your site.
Methods for cleaning at height compared. A gondola or BMU (building maintenance unit) is a cradle system permanently installed on the roof.
| Drone (OPPY) | Aerial work platform | Rope access | Gondola (BMU) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment and set-up | Drone and equipment on the ground, permit and perimeter arranged in advance | Delivery and set-up of the machine | Anchors and fall protection on the roof | The building's permanent installation, quick to deploy |
| Who works at height | Nobody: the pilot stays on the ground | An operator in the platform basket | Rope access technicians on the facade | An operator in the gondola |
| Space at the foot of the facade | A marked-off zone that moves with the work | A firm standing area, sometimes with a permit on the public road | A marked-off zone below the work position | A marked-off zone below the gondola |
| Well suited to | High facades, atriums, glass canopies and roofs that are hard to reach from the ground. | Facades and glass within the machine's working height | Almost anywhere an anchor can be fixed | Buildings with their own installation, across its full reach |
What we do
Facade cleaning
Brick, render, HPL and metal cladding cleaned with purified water and suitable products, controlled from the ground.
Window cleaning
Curtain walls, atriums and glass canopies, including places that are hard to get to.
Solar panel cleaning
Most worthwhile on flat roofs and wherever dust, pollen or bird droppings stay put after rain.
Drone inspection of facades, roofs and solar panels
A visual inspection of facade, roof and solar panels, with every finding marked in the right place in the report.
How we work, in five steps
- 01
Intro call
A 30-minute call about your building, what needs cleaning or inspecting, and when.
- 02
Site visit or remote assessment
We look at the facade, the materials and the surroundings, on site or from drawings and photos. You then receive a quote.
- 03
Permit and planning
We prepare the flight authorisation file and schedule the job for when it disturbs the building least.
- 04
Cleaning or inspection
An OPPY pilot flies from the ground, inside a marked safety perimeter.
- 05
Report on the platform
Photos, findings and the next scheduled job sit in your client portal, building by building.
Every job tracked on the OPPY platform
We offer more than a flight: a maintenance programme for each building, and the OPPY platform is where you follow it, from planning to report.
Reports don't get lost in an inbox, and photos don't sit in a group chat. Everything about a building is in one place, including for whoever manages it after you.
Plan and track jobs
Mission planningSee when a clean or an inspection is scheduled and where it stands.
A report after every job
DebriefBefore and after photos, with findings pinned to their location on the facade or roof.
History for each building
Flight logEvery job on every building, exportable as PDF or CSV for your maintenance plan or ESG reporting.
The buildings we work on
Facade and glass cleaning for hotels
The facade and the glass canopy are the first things a guest sees. We plan the work around your guests, so they barely notice.
Facade and glass cleaning for workplaces
Clean glass facades while your office carries on as usual, and a report you can use in your ESG reporting.
Cladding and solar panel cleaning for industry
Large solar roofs and sandwich panel cladding cleaned from the ground, planned around your production.
Frequently asked questions
Why not an aerial work platform?
For many buildings an aerial work platform is a good choice, especially for lower facades with firm, open ground to stand on, and many of our partners use one. Higher facades, glass facades, canopies and roofs involve more: a bigger machine, a standing area that can take its weight and people in the basket at a great height. With drones and robotics everyone stays on the ground, and the time on site goes mostly into the cleaning. On the first call we'll tell you honestly which approach is most efficient for your building.
How much does drone cleaning cost?
The price depends on the surface area, the material, the height and how easy the building is to reach. There is no machine to deliver or set up and nobody works at height, so the time on site goes mostly into the cleaning itself. If you have a quote or invoice from your last clean, have it to hand for the first call. We'll make the comparison together.
Is a drone allowed to clean a building?
Yes, with the right authorisation. In Belgium, spraying from a drone falls outside the open category and needs an operational authorisation in the specific category, the EU category for higher-risk drone flights (EU Regulation 2019/947), issued by the Directorate-General Aviation of the FPS Mobility and Transport (Federal Public Service). We prepare the paperwork for your building; you only need to give us the practical details.
What happens if it rains or the wind picks up?
Then we don't fly. Wind and rain are the clearest limits of any drone, and we take no chances with them. If the forecast is poor, we reschedule the job in consultation with you, and you see the new date on the OPPY platform, our client portal.
What do I need to provide as the building manager?
Not much, but a few things need arranging beforehand: access to the site, room to mark out a safety perimeter on the ground, and possibly water or power. We go through all of this during the site visit or remote assessment, so there are no surprises on the day.
How do I see what was cleaned or found?
After every job, the report is on the OPPY platform, our client portal. It holds before and after photos, findings pinned to their location on the facade or roof, and the full history of the building. You can export reports as PDF or CSV for your maintenance plan or ESG reporting, and give each colleague their own access.
From the blog
Prices, methods and regulations for facade and glass maintenance, explained without the sales talk.
Bleach or washing soda on a facade: why we advise against it
We advise against using bleach on a facade. Bleach lightens green growth, but can leave damaging salts in porous stone, render and joints and attack metal. Sodium hypochlorite is classified as very toxic to aquatic life. Washing soda and especially caustic soda are alkaline and can also leave salts and stains. A pH-neutral cleaner at low pressure is gentler.
09/27/2026Cleaning metal cladding and sandwich panels: what to watch out for
Cleaning metal cladding means water, a soft brush and, where needed, a mild product the panel manufacturer approves, working from top to bottom and rinsing thoroughly. Avoid abrasives and solvents, stay within the pressure the manufacturer specifies, and focus on the areas that rain does not wash.
09/27/2026
Drone building inspection: what does it show, and what doesn't it?
A drone building inspection shows what is visible from outside: cracks, joints, roof edges, gutters, loose elements and solar panels, photographed close up and located on the building. A thermal camera adds temperature differences, but only under the right conditions. Anything behind the surface, a structural judgement or a hands-on test needs someone on site.
09/27/2026
Plan a call about your building
A 30-minute intro call. Tell us about your building and how it is maintained today. We'll set our approach next to it and tell you honestly whether it's the right choice for your building.