We know that investing in solar panels can be a big expense and to ensure they continue to work to their full potential we believe that proofing them from birds is vital. But how much does it really cost to bird proof solar panels? Well, that can be hard to research online because the cost really depends on your set-up. But here at the Bristol Pest Controller, we want to provide you with a straight-up cost to help you understand the budget required to protect your solar panels from birds nesting.
In this mini guide, we’ll help you understand how much it costs to bird proof your solar panels and all the other factors that go into making sure you’re getting the best value and the highest quality of work at the same time. Our team have completed lots of different types of training to ensure they’re not only the best person for your job, but they will complete the job in the most efficient way, making sure your solar panels are protected and the work is completed safely.
How to find out how much it cost to bird proof your solar panels
First off, the best way to get an accurate quote to proof your solar panels is to send us a few pictures of what you have installed. We ask for these pictures to help us get an understanding of what your set-up looks like and how we can reach them to complete the solar panel proofing work for you. Here’s what you need to send us:
1. The full roof including all solar panels and space around them.
We need to see a picture of the full roof showing where your solar panels are located, including any access space around them. This is so we can see the position and the layout of the roof and how high it is. It also means that we’re able to see how we might need to work around your solar panels. As well as the equipment we’d need to get around them.
2. A picture of the property area and ground level.
This picture of the property needs to clearly show what access you have on the ground level and reaching up to the solar panels. This is so that we can confirm what type of access we’ll require to proof your solar panels. Sometimes we’ll be able to reach them with a scaffolding tower, other times we might need to bring a lift. On the rare occasion that we can’t access your roof with the equipment we have, we might need to arrange for scaffolding to be erected to allow us to bird proof your solar panels.
What else do you need to provide to find out how much it costs to bird proof solar panels?
We’ll ask you to confirm the number of solar panels you have and how these are aligned on your roof. If they’re situated in a single grid set up, for example, five solar panels by four solar panels, this could take much less time than if you had two rows of two solar panels on the top, and then two rows of three solar panels on the bottom. So that’s why we ask you to send us pictures to help get an understanding of how much bird proofing material is needed.
We’ll also ask you to confirm your full address so that we can find your property on google maps, this will allow us to get a full understanding of exactly how we’ll need to complete the job.
Sending us your contact details, including full name, email address and mobile phone number are also useful when emailing for a quote, this is so that we can get your job booked as efficiently as possible.
Once we have this information to hand, we’ll be able to work out how much it will cost to bird proof your solar panels. We’ll provide you with a full breakdown of the quote and work with you to find the best time to fit your bird proofing.
Things to consider when finding out how much it costs to bird proof solar panels
We have to take into consideration a few different factors in order to provide you with a clear, honest quotation for the work. Before we’re able to give you these details we need to consider:
- What equipment do we need to complete the job for you?
- Can we access the solar panels with our scaffolding tower? Or do we need to bring our spider lift?
- Is access limited, do we need to arrange scaffolding?
- How many people do we need to complete your job?
- What equipment & supplies are required to complete the job?
- What safety equipment do we need to ensure our team is safe?
- And lastly, what’s the weather going to be like? It’s not that we don’t like working in the rain, it’s for safety reasons. A wet roof is a slippery roof.
How much does it cost to bird proof solar panels?
Our prices start from £600 including VAT for typical properties that have easy access and a straightforward set-up of solar panels. As long as the weather is nice, we should be able to book you in within a few weeks. If you require scaffolding this is likely to cost more as we’ll need to arrange a sub-contractor to get this installed for you and it can take a bit longer to complete, this can start at around £900 including VAT. This is why it’s so important to make sure we have a good understanding of what is required so that we can give you the best quote for the work to be completed.
Ways we’re keeping our costs down.
Over the years we’ve been able to invest in top-of-the-range equipment so that we can keep the costs down for our customers. This includes things like our own scaffolding tower so that we don’t have to wait for scaffolding to be erected before we can complete the job for you, saving time and money for both you and us. Typically, we use this when we have a large even surface that we can build it upon. We also have a spider lift that is 90cm wide and small enough to fit through most garden gates, so if we’re unable to use our scaffolding tower, we’ll bring this along at no extra cost. To use this the ground doesn’t need to be level, but we need to make sure there is enough space to place the stabilising legs.
How do we proof your solar panels?
Protecting your solar panels from birds requires more than one person, when we attend your property, we’ll send out a minimum of two of our team to get the job done right, this is so that we can ensure we’re not only working safely at heights but also means that the team can work more efficiently to quickly install your solar panel bird proofing. Allowing us to reduce the impact of us being in your way and causing disruption to your day.
What if I already have birds nesting under my solar panels?
We know that a lot of the time we’re asked to install solar panel bird proofing solutions for people after they’ve experienced issues with birds nesting under their solar panels.
The best time to get your solar panels proofed is as soon as you’ve had them fitted, this is because we’re able to install preventative measures before there is any risk of your solar panels being damaged by nesting birds. This is also likely to save you money as there could be an additional cost associated with removing birds if they’ve already started to cause a problem. Once they’ve decided to make your solar panels their home, we’ll need to do our best to remove any birds before installing your proofing solution.
If you’ve had enough of birds using your solar panels as their nesting ground, we can help remove them before we start our proofing. If we’re unable to remove all of them we’ll instal a non-return funnel that will allow them to exit the space underneath your solar panels, but won’t allow them to return. This doesn’t happen straight away. If there is a bird staying put, they might wait a few days to feel more comfortable making their exit, probably once they no longer have access to food and water.
There may be an additional cost associated with installing this, should we need to return to remove it and fit additional bird proofing spikes in its place. But we’ll let you know about any associated costs when we send you your personalised quote.
How long does it take to proof your solar panels?
The amount of time it will take to proof your solar panels will all depend on your set-up. A straightforward set-up will take about two to three hours, anything a bit bigger or more complicated can take three to four hours. But this will all be outlined in your quote and your booking email will confirm. It’s really important for us to make sure that we have the right team in place to proof your solar panels as well as having the right amount of time to get everything set up correctly and safely to do the best job we can. This is why in the winter months we also have to really pay close attention to the weather.
How we proof your solar panels from nesting birds.
In order to protect your solar panels from pigeons and other birds’ nests beneath them we will attach a system of adjustable spikes to the edges of each of the outside of the solar panels. These spikes are adjustable to be able to fit the concaves of your roof design so that we can ensure the spikes attached are in complete contact with your roof. Stopping access for birds to find their way under your solar panels. They are also slightly raised above the top of your solar panels to stop any birds from resting on the edge. All of this is put in place to make your solar panel a very unappealing area for birds to visit.
Getting your solar panel bird proofing job booked in.
Once you’re ready to get your proofing work booked you can either call us on 0117 939 5775 or email us at: giles@bristolpests.co.uk. If you do call, we’ll probably as you to follow up with an email of some pictures to confirm the quote, but we’ll be more than happy to talk through any questions you might have.
Here are our top 5 reasons to proof your solar panels from pigeons
We know that the initial cost of installing your solar panels can be a lot, but we feel that prioritising proofing work once they’ve been installed should be a cost that is considered at the same time because it’s probably cheaper to pay for proofing than it is to replace a damaged solar panel.
Here is why we think you should invest in bird proofing for your solar panels:
- Pigeons and other birds can cause damage, with their droppings on top of them impacting the performance of your solar panels.
- Their nest can block the sunlight from getting to your panels.
- If they’re nesting below, they can interfere with your wiring, again impacting the performance.
- They are very noisy when nesting.
- They can attract other pests, like rats and mice, which could lead to further pest infestation in your home.
Giles has been proofing solar panels for almost 10 years now, with a fully qualified team by his side to ensure that safety when proofing your solar panels from birds is their number one priority.
A bit about us
We’re an award-winning Pest Control business based in Bristol and the surrounding areas. We understand that pests can be distressing, threaten businesses and even put health at risk. That’s why we pride ourselves on responding fast to deal with your issues. We have ethical and environmental solutions to removing common pests from your home and business. Everything from Rats and Mice to protecting your solar panels from pigeons.
What you’ll be getting from us is the quality expected of a large organisation but from a local family-run small business. We have the team, knowledge and technology in place to help you solve your pest problems. You can check out our Google Reviews to see how our customers rate us.