Rope Access vs EWP Window Cleaning: Which Is Right for Your Building?

For most buildings above three or four storeys, yes. Rope access has no machine hire cost, no traffic management plan, and rigs from the roof in under an hour, so labour time and site costs are usually lower once a building is too tall or awkward for a straightforward EWP job.

Not always. EWPs are limited by boom reach and need clear, level ground directly below the work area. Angled facades, atriums, awkward setbacks and tight street frontages are often out of reach for an EWP but straightforward for a rope access technician descending from the roof.

EWPs parked on a public footpath or road often require a traffic management plan or council permit. Rope access rigs from the rooftop and doesn't occupy the footpath or road, so it almost always avoids the permit and traffic management cost altogether.

Both are safe when performed by certified operators following the relevant Australian standards. Our rope access technicians hold current IRATA certification, rig with a main working line and an independent backup line on every drop, and work under a documented safety plan for every job.

For strata towers, office buildings and commercial high-rises, most facility managers we work with choose rope access. It avoids street disruption, doesn't need a parked machine taking up visitor or tenant parking, and is typically the more cost-effective option once a building is a handful of storeys or taller.