Terms & Conditions

1. Who we are

PureGem Surface Clean is a partnership operated by Luke Lawrence and Gemma Lawrence, trading as PureGem. In these terms, “we”, “us” and “our” mean PureGem, and “you” means the person or business we are working for.

Business: PureGem Surface Clean
Address: 1 Granville Place, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 3EA
Telephone: 07971 167709 or 07886 610415
Email: lukelawrence7@puregem.co.uk

These terms apply to all exterior cleaning and restoration work we quote for and carry out, including roof cleaning, render and cladding cleaning, gutter clearance, driveway and patio cleaning, sealing, stone and brick cleaning, graffiti removal, decking cleaning and interior floor cleaning. They apply whether you contacted us through our website, by phone, by email, or in person.

2. Your consumer rights

If you are a consumer that is, an individual acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside your trade or business nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. In particular, we must carry out the work with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time, and for a reasonable price where the price has not been agreed in advance.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be excluded. If any part of these terms conflicts with your statutory rights, your statutory rights apply.

If you are a business customer, section 14 contains some additional terms that apply to you.

3. Quotes and estimates

We provide quotes free of charge and without obligation. You are under no pressure to accept one.

A quote is our offer to carry out the work described, at the price stated, on these terms. Unless the quote says otherwise, it remains open for 30 days from the date we send it.

Where we give an estimate rather than a fixed quote, we will say so clearly. An estimate is our best assessment based on what we can see, and the final price may differ if the condition of the surface turns out to be different for example if there is heavier growth, hidden damage, or an area we could not see from the ground.
If we find something during the work that would change the price, we will stop and speak to you before doing anything that costs more. We will not carry out additional chargeable work without your agreement.

Our quotes assume the property is accessible by normal means and that the surfaces are as described or as we saw them. If access requires special equipment, permits, scaffolding or a road closure, we will tell you and quote separately.

4. When a contract is formed

A contract between us is formed when you accept our quote verbally, in writing, by email, or by asking us to attend and begin work. At that point these terms become part of the contract. Please check the quote carefully when you accept it, particularly the description of the work, the surfaces involved, the price and the date.

5. Price and payment

We do not ask for a deposit. Payment is due once the work has been completed, unless we agree something different with you in writing. We will tell you at the time of the quote how payment can be made. Please pay using the method we have agreed with you.

Where the work is carried out over more than one visit, or as part of a larger commercial project, we may agree staged payments in advance. Any such arrangement will be set out in the quote or a separate written agreement. If a payment is not made when due, we may charge reasonable costs of recovering it. For business customers, we may also charge statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Our prices include the cost of the products we use and the disposal of the waste we remove, unless the quote says otherwise.

6. Dates, weather and access

Exterior cleaning depends on the weather. Roof work cannot be done safely in high wind, heavy rain or frost, and treatments should not be applied when rain will immediately wash them off or when temperatures are below the product’s working range.

We will agree a date with you and confirm it before we attend. Where we can, we will give you an approximate arrival time. If the weather makes the work unsafe or pointless, we will contact you as soon as we can and rearrange at no cost to you.

If we are running late or need to move a date for any other reason, we will tell you as soon as we can. On the agreed day, we need access to the property, the area around it, and the surfaces to be cleaned. If we cannot get access, we may not be able to carry out the work and section 8 will apply.

7. What we need from you

So that we can work safely and get the best result, please:

Clear vehicles, bins, plant pots, garden furniture and washing lines from the area we will be working in, and from anywhere debris could fall.
Close windows and doors, and keep them closed while we are working, particularly when treatments are being applied.
Keep children and pets indoors and away from the working area for the duration of the visit and until any treated surface is dry.

Tell us before we start about anything that could affect the work or be affected by it for example fragile or cracked render, loose tiles or pointing, asbestos, damaged or leaking gutters and downpipes, electrical fittings near the working area, septic tanks, drains, or particularly delicate planting.

Tell us about anything unusual regarding access, such as a locked gate, a shared drive, a neighbour’s land we need to cross, parking restrictions, or a permit that is required.

Make sure the person who agrees the work is authorised to do so for a rented property that usually means the landlord, and for a business it means someone who can commit the business.

If you do not tell us about a known problem with a surface, and the surface is damaged in a way that a competent cleaner could not reasonably have foreseen, we cannot accept responsibility for that damage. We will always stop and speak to you if we spot a risk ourselves.

8. If you change your mind or cancel

8.1 Your statutory right to cancel
Because most of our contracts are agreed by phone, by email or through our website or at your home the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 give consumers a right to cancel within 14 days of the contract being made, without giving any reason.

To cancel under this right, tell us clearly by email or phone before the 14 days are up. You do not need to use a special form, but a clear written statement is best. We will refund any money you have paid us within 14 days of your cancellation, using the same method you paid with, and without charging you a fee for the refund.

Two important points about how this works for a service like ours:

If you ask us to start work inside the 14-day period which is common, because people usually want the work done soon after booking you are asking us to begin early. If the work is then carried out in full, you lose the right to cancel once it has been completed.
If you ask us to start early and then cancel before we have finished, you will pay for the work we have already done, calculated in proportion to what has been completed. You will not pay for the rest.
If we have not given you the information about this right that the Regulations require, the cancellation period can be extended. We will always tell you about the right to cancel when you book, and it is set out here in any event.

8.2 Our ordinary notice arrangements
Separately from your statutory rights, and applying to every booking whether or not you are a consumer, we ask for the following:

Please give us at least 48 hours’ notice if you want to cancel or move a booked date. We will do the same for you.
If you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, or if we attend and cannot get access, we may charge a reasonable amount to cover the time we reserved and the travel we made. We will always explain the charge and keep it proportionate. If you have booked a date and cancel before we set off, this will usually be a small amount or nothing at all.
Cancelling because of forecast weather that makes the work unsafe does not count as late cancellation by you. We will simply rearrange.

Nothing in this section 8.2 reduces the statutory rights described in section 8.1 or section 2.

9. If we have to cancel or postpone

We will always try to avoid letting you down. If we do have to cancel or postpone because of unsafe weather, an equipment failure, illness or another reason outside our control. We will:

tell you as soon as we reasonably can;
offer you the next available date that suits you, or a full refund of anything you have paid us;
not charge you anything for the change.

If we are unable to carry out the work at all, or cannot do so within a reasonable time after the agreed date, you are entitled to cancel the contract and receive a full refund of any money you have paid.

10. The work, results and our guarantee

10.1 What we will do
We will carry out the work described in your quote, using the method we consider most appropriate for the surface, with reasonable care and skill, and in line with the manufacturer’s instructions for the products we use. We will tell you which method we intend to use before we start, and explain it if you ask.

10.2 What results to expect
Exterior cleaning can transform a surface, but it cannot reverse age. Before we start, we will tell you if we think the result will be partial.

10.3 Our guarantee
We stand behind our work. If you are not satisfied with the result, tell us and we will come back. Where the problem is with our workmanship something we did, or should have done, and did not do properly we will put it right at no cost to you. Depending on what has gone wrong, that may mean re-cleaning the affected area, re-treating it, or correcting the work in another appropriate way.

We ask you to contact us as soon as reasonably possible after you notice a problem, so that we can see the surface and understand what has happened. Please do not arrange for another contractor to put it right before speaking to us, because we cannot normally reimburse work we have not had the chance to inspect.

Our guarantee covers our workmanship. It does not cover:

natural regrowth of algae, moss, lichen or weeds over time;
damage or deterioration caused by the original condition of the surface, or by faults in the building that we were not told about and could not reasonably have seen;
damage caused by other trades or by work carried out by someone else after we left;
fair wear and tear, or the gradual fading of a sealer or coating;
anything you have specifically asked us to do against our advice, where we have recorded that advice.
This guarantee sits alongside your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and does not replace them.

11. Treatments, chemicals and safety

Some of the most effective exterior cleaning is done with professional biocide treatments often called softwashing rather than high pressure. These products are safe when used correctly and can be harmful if used carelessly. We are trained in their use and we follow the manufacturer’s instructions and our COSHH assessments.

We will tell you what we intend to use and answer any questions before we begin.
We take care to protect plants, grass, ponds, drains, pets and painted surfaces, and we will discuss any specific concerns with you.

During treatment and while a surface is drying, please keep children and pets away from the area, close windows and doors, and do not allow washing to be hung out.
Any run-off that reaches a drain is diluted, and we follow the product instructions on disposal. We will tell you if we need to take any special precaution. Please do not pressure-wash or scrub a treated surface yourself for the period we advise, as this can interfere with how the treatment works.

12. Damage, liability and insurance

We hold £5 million of public liability insurance and can provide the certificate on request. If we cause damage to your property while working, tell us straight away. We will inspect it, tell you honestly what we think happened, and either put it right or deal with it through our insurer.

We will not be liable for:

damage to surfaces that were already fragile, defective or at the end of their life, where the risk was not reasonably apparent to us and you did not tell us about it;
damage caused by pre-existing faults, such as loose tiles, perished seals, blocked or broken downpipes, or render that was already failing;
water ingress that results from a pre-existing defect that we identified and told you about;
loss or damage that is not a foreseeable consequence of our failure;
delay or non-performance caused by events outside our reasonable control, such as severe weather, flooding, illness, or a failure of equipment that could not reasonably have been avoided.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be limited by law.

Business customers: our total liability to you in connection with a contract, whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, is limited to the total price paid for the work concerned, or the amount recovered under our public liability insurance, whichever is greater.

13. Photographs of your property

We normally photograph exterior surfaces before and after we clean them. We use these images to record the condition of the property, to show you what has been done, and unless you ask us not to, to show our work to other customers on our website and social media.

We photograph the outside of the building only. We try to avoid house numbers, vehicle registration plates and people, and we never photograph the inside of your home.

You can ask us not to photograph your property at all, and you can ask us to stop using an image at any time. Just tell us, or email lukelawrence7@puregem.co.uk. We will remove it from our website and social media within 30 days and will not use it again. Our Privacy Policy explains the legal basis for this.

14. Commercial customers

If you are a business, a landlord, a managing agent, a school, a council or another organisation, these terms apply with the following additions.

Authority. You confirm that you are authorised to instruct work at the property and that any necessary consent from the owner, tenant or managing agent has been obtained.
Site requirements. You will provide safe access, a suitable water supply and power where required, and any site induction, permit or signing-in arrangements we need. Please tell us about these in advance.
Health and safety. We will provide our risk assessments and method statements on request, and we will comply with reasonable site rules. We will not carry out work where we consider it unsafe to do so.
Insurance evidence. We can provide a certificate of public liability insurance for your records.
Payment terms. Unless agreed otherwise in writing, our invoices are payable on completion. We may agree invoice terms for larger or repeat contracts.
Liability. The limitation in section 12 applies. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of business, or business interruption.

Consumer rules do not apply. The cancellation rights in section 8.1 are consumer rights and do not apply to business contracts; sections 8.2 and 9 apply instead.

15. Complaints and disputes

We would much rather hear about a problem than have you stay unhappy. If something is not right:

Contact us by phone or email and tell us what has happened. Photographs help.
We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to resolve it within 14 days. If we need to inspect the property first, we will say so and arrange a visit.
We will confirm the outcome in writing, and where we agree to put something right, we will tell you when we will do it.
If we cannot resolve a complaint together, you may be able to use an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. We do not currently subscribe to an ADR scheme, but we will always engage with any reasonable mediation or resolution process in good faith. Consumers also have the option of taking a claim to the county court.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction over any dispute. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in your local courts, and nothing in these terms affects your right to do so.

17. General

Entire agreement. These terms, together with your quote, are the whole agreement between us. Anything discussed before the contract was made that is not written down in those documents does not form part of it, unless it was a statement you relied on when deciding to go ahead.
Changes. We may update these terms from time to time. The version that applies to your job is the one in force when the contract is formed, and the date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.
Severability. If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the rest continues to apply.
No waiver. If we do not enforce a term immediately, we can still enforce it later.
Third parties. No one other than you and us has any right to enforce these terms.

18. Contact us

If you have any question about these terms or about a job, please get in touch. You will usually be speaking to Luke.

PureGem Surface Clean

1 Granville Place, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 3EA

Telephone: 07971 167709 or 07886 610415

Email: lukelawrence7@puregem.co.uk

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:00am to 5:00pm