Graffiti removal across London
In London, graffiti turns up overnight on shop shutters, boundary walls, loading bay doors and the sides of offices and industrial units, usually where the most people will see it. Left in place, it tends to attract more.
Locus Services removes graffiti from commercial and public buildings across Greater London, from town centre high streets to the industrial estates on the edge of the city. We match the method to the surface, so the paint comes off without damaging the brick, stone, render or cladding underneath, and we can work at night or early in the morning before you open.
Graffiti removal: our work
Who is responsible for removing graffiti in London?
Each London borough sets its own rules, but on private property it is usually the owner’s job. For example:
- Sutton: homes, businesses and shops must remove graffiti from their own property. The council only removes it free of charge if it’s offensive and visible from the public highway. Otherwise it charges, and it needs a signed disclaimer first (Sutton Council).
- Bromley: the council’s contractor removes offensive graffiti that can be seen from the road. Graffiti that is hard to reach, covers a large area or is etched into the surface stays the landowner’s responsibility (Bromley Council).
- Richmond: removal is free for households and independent businesses with nine or fewer employees, but only below three metres and where it can be seen from the street. Larger businesses pay (Richmond Council).
- Wandsworth: the council offers free removal for households and businesses, once the owner gives permission (Wandsworth Council).
Councils can also serve a notice under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 giving an owner 28 days to remove graffiti, after which the council can do it and charge the owner. Graffiti on railway property is reported to Network Rail, and on bus shelters to Transport for London.
Many council services stop at graffiti that is high up, widespread, etched or out of sight of the road. That leaves businesses, landlords, managing agents, schools and housing providers to arrange removal themselves, which is where we come in.
Surfaces we clean graffiti from
Brick and stone
Older brickwork and stone are porous, so paint soaks in and harsh blasting can scar the surface. We use DOFF cleaning, which uses high-temperature, low-pressure steam, or a suitable remover, chosen after a test patch. If the building is listed or in a conservation area, check with your borough’s conservation team before any cleaning.
Render and painted walls
Render marks easily, so we test a small area first and use a remover suited to the surface.
Metal shutters, doors and cladding
Roller shutters on shops, steel doors and cladding panels on offices and industrial units, cleaned with removers that won’t strip the factory coating.
Glass, signs and street furniture
Shop windows, signs, bins and bollards, cleaned without scratching or clouding the surface.
How a graffiti removal job works
- Photos or a site survey: send us photos and we can often quote straight away. Larger areas get a free site survey.
- Test patch: on larger or delicate jobs we test the method on a small area, so you can see the result before we start.
- Removal: we remove the graffiti with the right product and method for the surface, working at height if needed.
- Before and after photos: every job is photographed before and after, for your records or your insurer.
Repeat graffiti
If the same walls are hit again and again, removing graffiti quickly is the best deterrent. We can set up regular visits for problem sites, as well as one-off cleans. For whole-building cleaning, see facade cleaning and pressure washing.
Accredited and insured
Locus is SafeContractor-accredited, Constructionline Silver and a BICSc corporate member, and our operatives hold IPAF and CSCS cards for work at height. We carry £10 million public and employers’ liability insurance, and we’re registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier (CBDU320327).