The base rate
Facade cleaning in Taiwan is priced per square metre. In 2026 the broad market band is NT$30–70/m², and where a specific building lands inside it depends on the seven variables below.
That band is for cleaning alone. It does not include coating, repair, or the survey that tells you whether either is needed.
The four access methods
| Method | Per m² | Daily | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane | NT$30 – 50 | NT$15,000 – 25,000 | Tall buildings with open surrounding space |
| Cradle / gantry | NT$40 – 60 | NT$12,000 – 20,000 | Buildings with roof anchor points |
| Rope access | NT$50 – 70 | NT$3,000 – 9,000 per operative | Awkward positions, narrow lanes, unriggable sites |
| Drone | Quoted after survey | Quoted after survey | All site types; no fall exposure |
Each is genuinely better than the others somewhere. Crane access is efficient where there is room for the crane and no road to occupy. Cradles work where the roof was designed for them. Rope access reaches geometry nothing else does. Drone operation removes the fall hazard entirely and needs neither road closure nor scaffolding.
The seven variables
1. Height. Equipment requirement rises non-linearly. Under 10 storeys to over 30 can differ by 50% on unit rate.
2. Area. Unit price falls as area rises. Below about 500 m², a NT$3,000–5,000 minimum charge typically applies.
3. Cladding material. Tile, exposed aggregate, curtain wall, metal panel and stone each need different agents and pressures. Mixed elevations cost more.
4. Soiling level. General dust is the base case. Established moss, rust, grease or graffiti: +30–50%.
5. Access method. As above — and the choice is often constrained by the site rather than free.
6. Location and travel. Urban and remote sites differ on mobilisation. Hillside and coastal sites add difficulty.
7. Frequency and contract. One-off engagements price worst. Two- to three-year contracts typically 10–20% better.
The costs that are not in the quote
This is where a comparison on headline rate misleads.
| Hidden cost | Typical | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Road-occupancy permit | NT$3,000 – 8,000 | Crane, some cradle work |
| Additional work-at-height insurance | NT$5,000 – 15,000 | Any method with personnel at height |
| Lost trading revenue | Varies, often the largest | Retail, hotels, F&B podiums |
| Complaint handling | Staff time | Residential communities |
Aggregated, these commonly add 15–30% to the real cost of conventional methods — and none of it appears on the quotation. Drone operation avoids the first two entirely and largely avoids the second two, because there is no hoarding and no closed circulation route.
The number worth comparing is total cost for your site, not rate per square metre.
Four ways to reduce the total
All four are legitimate — none of them involve buying less work.
Clean on a cycle. Soiling that has established is 30–50% more expensive to remove than soiling that has not. A building cleaned every 18 months costs less per clean and less over a decade than one cleaned every five years.
Contract multi-year. 10–20% better rates, and the cycle actually happens rather than being deferred each year.
Combine cleaning and coating. One mobilisation instead of two. Coating follows cleaning in the same engagement, and the coating then lengthens the interval before the next clean.
Schedule for the dry season. October to March in Taiwan. Fewer weather delays, and delay is what turns a fixed-price programme into a variable one.
What the number does not tell you
A clean facade and a sound facade are different things, and only one of them is visible.
Cleaning improves appearance. It does not tell you whether tiles are debonding, whether joints have failed, or where water is entering. On buildings past about 20 years old those are the questions with consequences — and the cost of not answering them is not measured in cleaning budgets.
The order we would suggest: survey, then clean what the survey says warrants cleaning, then repair what it flagged, then coat. Cleaning first is not wrong; cleaning instead is.
Full method-by-method market rates are in the facade cleaning cost guide. To establish your building's actual condition, book an asset assessment or call +886-2-7733-7678.
