A builders clean is the deep clean that takes a site from "construction finished" to "ready to hand over". It’s a different job from regular commercial cleaning, heavier, dustier, and far more detailed.
The three stages
Most builds need more than one clean, at different points.
1. Rough clean
Once the major trades are out but before final fit-off. The goal is to make the site workable for the finishing trades.
- Bulk debris and offcuts removed
- Floors swept and vacuumed
- Surfaces roughly cleared of dust
- Bathrooms and kitchens made usable
2. Sparkle clean
After final fit-off, before handover. This is the main event, and what most people mean by "builders clean".
- All construction dust removed from every surface
- Paint, silicone and adhesive residue removed from glass and fixtures
- Windows cleaned inside and out, tracks vacuumed
- Kitchens and bathrooms detailed inside and out
- Floors finished to their intended appearance
3. Final detail
Immediately before the client walks through, often the same morning.
- Fingerprints and marks from the last trades removed
- Fresh dust settled since the sparkle clean
- Glass re-checked
- Floors re-buffed
Why construction dust is different
Regular cleaning assumes ordinary soiling. Construction dust is fine, abrasive gypsum and silica that settles on every horizontal surface, gets into every track and channel, and re-settles for days after you think you’ve removed it.
Practical consequences:
- It needs vacuuming before wiping. Wiping construction dust just spreads it and can scratch finishes.
- It needs HEPA filtration. A standard vacuum blows fine dust straight back into the air.
- It settles repeatedly. One clean is rarely enough, which is why staged cleans exist.
- It gets everywhere. Tops of doors, inside cupboards, window tracks, light fittings, extractor grilles.
What a builders clean covers
Dust removal
Every horizontal surface, including tops of doors, door frames, skirtings, architraves, window reveals, sills, ledges, exposed beams, light fittings, vents, extractor grilles, and the tops of cabinetry.
Residue removal
Paint specks, silicone smears, adhesive, sticker residue and plaster splatter from glass, tiles, fixtures, tapware, sanitaryware and joinery. This is the slowest part and the most commonly under-quoted.
Windows
Inside and out where accessible, plus frames, tracks and sills. Tracks need vacuuming before wiping.
Kitchens and bathrooms
Inside cupboards and drawers, inside appliances, under sinks, behind toilet pans, all tapware descaled and polished.
Floors
Protection removed, then vacuumed, then mopped or buffed to the intended finish. Grout hazing removed from tiled areas.
Final
Switch plates, outlets, handles, hinges, tracks and channels.
What it costs
Priced per site, not per hour, because condition varies enormously.
| Basis | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Per m² | $8 – $20 |
| Per hour (where hourly) | $45 – $70 |
The drivers are floor area, how much residue the trades left, window count, and how many stages you need. A site left tidy by the trades can be half the cost of one left rough.
Getting it right for handover
Book it against the handover date, backwards. Tell the cleaner the handover date, not the date you want them to start. They’ll tell you when they need to be in.
Confirm the trades are actually finished. A builders clean followed by a returning trade is a builders clean you pay for twice.
Confirm power and water are on. More builds fail this than you’d expect.
Confirm floor protection is coming up. If it’s staying down for another trade, the floor finish has to wait.
Get a photo record. A builders clean is the last step before someone inspects the site critically. Photographic evidence of the finished condition belongs in your handover pack, it’s the difference between a defect discussion and a dispute.
The common failure
Handover slips because the clean wasn’t up to standard, and the reason is nearly always the same: it was booked as a one-stage job on a site that needed two, or it was quoted off a floor plan by someone who never saw how much residue was left.
Get the site walked before the quote. On a builders clean the condition is the price.