Post-Construction Cleaning: What It Covers and Why You Need It
Post-construction cleaning removes construction dust and debris from a finished space. It takes multiple passes because drywall dust settles, gets stirred up, and settles again.
A regular clean will not handle it. One pass across a dusty room moves the dust rather than removing it.
Book it after a remodel, an addition, or new construction. Any job that opened a wall counts.
Why drywall dust is different
Drywall dust is gypsum ground to a powder finer than household dust. It floats for hours after any disturbance.
Wipe a surface once and you push airborne particles into the air. They land on everything you already cleaned. That is why the job needs several passes with settling time between them.
The dust also travels. A kitchen remodel puts dust in bedroom closets two doors away, through vents and gaps.
The three stages
Contractors use these terms. Ask which one your quote covers.
Rough clean. After framing, wiring, and drywall. Debris removal, nails, scrap, and a first sweep. The space is not finished yet.
Light clean. Mid-project, after major installs. Floors and surfaces cleared so trades can keep working.
Final clean. Before handover or move-in. Every surface, every fixture, every window. Homeowners mean this one.
What a final post-construction clean covers
Throughout
- Ceilings and corners vacuumed for dust and cobwebs
- Walls wiped from top to bottom
- Baseboards, crown molding, and trim
- Door frames, doors, and door tops
- Light fixtures, bulbs, and ceiling fans
- Switch plates and outlet covers
- Vent covers and air returns
- Window glass, frames, sills, and tracks
- Floors vacuumed with a HEPA filter, then mopped, then mopped again
Kitchen
- Inside every cabinet and drawer
- Cabinet fronts and toe kicks
- Countertops, including seams and edges
- Sink, faucet, and drain
- Appliance exteriors and interiors
- Behind and under appliances
- Backsplash and grout haze
Bathrooms
- Inside vanities and medicine cabinets
- Tub, shower, and glass
- Grout haze removed from tile
- Toilets, including base and behind
- Mirrors, chrome, and fixtures
- Exhaust fan covers
Finishing items
- Stickers and labels removed from windows, appliances, and fixtures
- Paint overspray and caulk removed from glass and floors
- Adhesive residue removed from surfaces
- Construction debris hauled from the property
- HVAC filters replaced
The HVAC filter step people skip
Running the system during construction pulls dust into the ductwork and the filter. A clogged filter then blows fine dust back into a clean home.
Replace every filter after the final clean. Change it again a month later.
If the system ran with vents open during heavy work, get the ducts inspected. Duct cleaning is a separate specialty.
Why a regular clean will not do it
Three reasons.
Hours. A 2,000 square foot remodel takes 12 to 20 hours of labor. A regular clean is two to three.
Equipment. Standard vacuums push fine dust back into the air. This work needs HEPA filtration.
Sequence. The job runs top to bottom with settling time between passes. A single-pass clean cannot follow that order.
Book a regular clean on a post-construction space and you pay twice.
Timing
Schedule the final clean after every trade is finished. One more visit from a painter or an electrician undoes the work.
Leave two to three days between the last trade and the clean. Dust needs time to settle.
Move furniture in after the clean, not before.
What it costs
Post-construction cleaning is quoted per job. Square footage, the scope of work, and how much dust is present set the number.
Call (949) 850-4333 and describe the project. Square footage, which rooms, what type of work, and whether the space is empty.
Every job is covered by liability insurance, and cleaners are background-checked.
We serve 37 Orange County cities. Request a quote.
