specialist
After builders cleaning
An after builders clean costs £250 to £600 for a typical domestic renovation and £2.50 to £5 a square metre on larger jobs. It is nearly always two visits rather than one, because construction dust falls out of the air for days and a single clean finished on Friday looks undone by Monday.
What this covers
What it costs. An after builders clean costs £250 to £600 for a typical domestic renovation, £2. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- The rough clean: removing dust, debris, stickers and protective film
- The sparkle clean: the finished detail once the trades have gone
- Plaster and paint spots off glass, frames, sockets and floors
- Inside new units, drawers and appliances before anybody uses them
- Final vacuum and mop, often more than once as dust keeps settling
What is involved
The trade calls the two stages the rough clean and the sparkle clean, and the words are worth using when you book. The rough clean removes debris, protective film, stickers and the bulk of the dust while trades may still be coming and going. The sparkle clean is the finish: glass, frames, sockets, inside the units, and the floors last.
Plaster dust is the reason for the gap between them. It is fine enough to stay airborne for days and it settles on everything after every disturbance, so a single clean done before the last van has left is a clean that has to be repeated. Booking the sparkle for two or three days after the site is clear is the difference between paying once and paying twice.
Some surfaces need care rather than effort. Fresh paint marks but does not cure for weeks, new grout stains, and unsealed stone takes up anything spilled on it. A cleaner who asks what was fitted and when is asking the right question.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask whether the quote is for one visit or two, because a one-visit price and a two-visit price are not comparable and the one-visit job is usually the one that disappoints.
Ask who removes the waste. Construction debris is not domestic waste and cannot go in the wheelie bin, so either it is in the quote or it is your problem.
Tell them what was fitted and when. New paint, fresh grout and unsealed stone all need handling differently in the first few weeks.
Common questions
Why two cleans?
Plaster dust stays airborne for days and settles again after every disturbance. A single clean finished while trades are still on site looks undone within a week.
Is it the same as a deep clean?
No. A deep clean addresses accumulated household dirt. This addresses construction residue: dust, plaster, paint, adhesive, film and stickers, which come off differently and sometimes not at all.