Pre-Hurricane Season Exterior Cleaning Checklist for SWFL Homes — Summer 2026

Hurricane season officially starts June 1 in the Atlantic basin, but anyone who has lived through a SWFL summer knows the meaningful prep work happens in May. The roofers are booked. The shutter installers are booked. And the exterior cleaning crews fill up by late May too, because savvy homeowners know a clean roof and lanai hold up better when a named storm rolls through.

Here’s what to prioritize between now and the first week of June.

1. Roof Inspection + Soft Wash

Algae-streaked tile and shingle roofs trap moisture against the surface. When 100+ mph winds drive horizontal rain, that moisture gets driven deeper into the substrate and existing biological damage accelerates. A clean roof sheds water faster, dries faster after the storm, and shows the underlying tile or shingle condition clearly during your pre-storm inspection.

Schedule a soft wash roof clean before May 25 if you can. Combine it with a visual inspection of ridge caps, valley flashing, and gutter integrity.

2. Lanai and Pool Cage Cleaning

Screen enclosures are the most vulnerable structure on your property during a hurricane. They’re designed to flex but not to take sustained debris impact. Algae and mildew accumulation on the framing weakens the powder coat over time, which means a 70 mph gust can take down a pool cage that would have held in a clean condition.

The other reason to clean now: post-storm debris cleanup is harder on a cage that already had biological growth on it. The grime and storm debris bond together and require more aggressive (and damaging) cleaning to remove later.

A pool deck and lanai cleaning in May puts you in the strongest pre-storm position.

3. Gutter Clear (Separate Service)

We don’t do gutter cleaning ourselves, but it’s on every SWFL pre-hurricane checklist for a reason. Clogged gutters back up onto fascia, soffit, and roof edge — all areas that take the worst water damage in a storm. Get gutters cleared by a roofing or gutter specialist before the first June storm.

4. Driveway and Concrete

A pre-storm driveway clean isn’t about appearance — it’s about being able to identify damage afterward. A clean driveway shows hurricane-deposited silt, salt residue, and any concrete cracks clearly. A dirty driveway hides everything, so you can’t tell what the storm did until 30 days later when the silt has set in.

5. Loose Debris and Outdoor Items

Not our service line, but worth mentioning: walk your property and identify anything that becomes a projectile in 80+ mph winds — patio furniture, planters, grills, decorative items. Either tie them down or move them indoors before the first storm of the season.

When to Schedule

The window that works best:

• Roof soft wash: May 15 - June 1
• Lanai / pool deck: May 20 - June 5
• Driveway: May 25 - June 10
• House wash (paint/siding mildew): May 15 - May 30 (long-life prep, less time-critical)

If you wait until June 15 or later, scheduling gets tight because every other SWFL homeowner is requesting the same services. Mid-May is the sweet spot.

After a Named Storm

We prioritize post-storm cleanup in this order:

1. Roofs — silt removal, algae bloom from prolonged moisture
2. Siding and walls — salt spray rinse, debris removal
3. Hardscape — paver and concrete debris removal

For insurance documentation, before/after photos are critical. We document on every job, and the post-storm before/after often becomes part of the homeowner’s insurance claim package.

Get on the Schedule

Request a free pre-hurricane quote and we’ll get you slotted in the May window. Most requests get a same-day or next-day quote return.

Stay safe out there. SWFL summer is what it is, and the homes that come through best are the ones that started clean.