How to succeed in end-of-construction cleaning

End-of-construction cleaning is an integral part of the work of a construction company. The construction must be ready for use upon receipt of the work. It is therefore necessary to deliver a clean and finished site to the customer: the building professionals must then carry out the end-of-site cleaning themselves or delegate it to a subcontractor. In all cases, this task of restoration after work must be carried out with meticulousness, professionalism, and rigor.

In this article, we explain how to carry out end-of-construction cleaning in 5 steps as well as the average price of such a service!

Who is responsible for post-construction cleaning?

Who is responsible for the end-of-construction cleaning? This cleaning can take different forms, from clearing to glue detachment.

Depending on the amount of residue, debris, and dirt to be cleaned, a construction company can take care of site cleaning itself or entrust it to an external service provider:

• Cleaning carried out by the company: a company has the obligation to deliver clean finished work and therefore to restore the site to the state of commencement of the work. If the cleaning is more extensive than simply putting everything in order, then there may be additional costs for the client.
• Cleaning carried out by a subcontractor: a company may not have sufficient means for the most delicate site cleaning operations. It is then up to the project owner to hire the external service provider to carry out the end-of-construction cleaning missions, get effective results, and benefit from a completely cleaned site.

How is the restoration of a construction site carried out?

The works concerned

A construction company’s end-of-site cleaning obligation consists of restoring the site to the state it was in before the start of the work. Post-work cleaning concerns both simple and more complex tasks. We find in particular:

• window cleaning;
• cleaning of the tiling after work;
• leaching of floors and walls;
• a dusting of elements;
• disinfection of sanitary facilities and appliances;
• cleanup of tracks;
• removal of tarps and masking tape;
• scraping of glues, cement, and resins;
• clearing of rubbish, rubble, leftover materials, and shavings.

The moment of end-of-construction cleaning

When to clean a construction site? End-of-site cleaning must be carried out at the end of construction and renovation work, but only at the end!

It may seem obvious, but there is no point in starting the cleaning of the construction site if there is still work planned. The two must coincide so that the workers do not dirty the place again by mistake and do not waste time cleaning to re-soil behind.

Also, it is not advisable to wait until the last minute to get started and rather to get rid of the debris as you go. This not only facilitates the work by making space but also avoids cluttering the site (which would then become impractical).

5 steps for effective post-construction cleaning

#1. Dispose of waste

To start the end-of-construction cleaning, you must start by evacuating the waste and other debris from the premises by transporting them to the recycling center with a commercial vehicle: residues, rubble, shavings, leftovers, etc.

It is obligatory, and be aware that the illegal dumping of debris is punishable by law! It is then necessary to clear and declutter as much as possible by collecting the construction equipment, such as the various tools and the cement mixer.

It is also necessary to restore order and remove protective tarpaulins, remove masking tapes, free baseboards, electrical outlets, etc.

#2. Dust off the construction site

A construction site often brings with it a lot of dust, especially for indoor work. It settles on absolutely all surfaces, so they should be cleaned at the end of the work.

This task shouldn’t be too much of a hassle if you’ve covered the furniture (and other fixed household items, like stairs) well beforehand. The end-of-work cleaning still requires dusting everything that is floors, cupboards, doors, windows, radiators, etc.: clearly, everything that was in the open air.

It is recommended to start by removing most of the dust with an industrial vacuum cleaner, then clean the small surfaces with cloths, brushes, and household products.

#3. Scrape off glues, cement, resins, and other dirt

The site is now cleared of the first layer of residues and decluttered. End-of-site cleaning now requires tackling the bulk of the work: degreasing and removing dirt.

All traces of paints, glues, resins, cement, etc. must be removed. Be aware that customers are often helpless in the face of this type of residue and do not know how to eliminate them. It is, therefore, up to the building company to ensure that the floors, walls, and windows are clean.

Acetone can remove paint, varnish, and enamel, while a professional stain remover and descaling product will be intractable on cement, earth, or even glue. 

#4. Clean sanitary units, floors, and walls

The next step is to clean and disinfect all sanitary equipment if necessary. Once the dirt has been removed, the end-of-site cleaning continues with the washing of the walls and floors, which varies according to the type of floor:

• Cleaning the tiling after work: this requires special attention, as traces of laitance may appear on new tiling. There are specific construction site cleaners to be diluted in water, available in most DIY stores. Application with a mop or sponge removes traces of laitance.
• Cleaning a parquet floor at the end of construction: after dusting with a vacuum cleaner, a mixture of black soap and water must be mopped. If there are stains of paint, they should be sanded off.

#5. Ventilate the site at the end of the cleaning

All the products used to carry out work on the construction site generally give off a strong smell: paints, glues, and other solvent products permeate the air on the construction site.

The final stage of end-of-site cleaning, therefore, comprises purifying the air by ventilating the various rooms of the building for several hours (or at least 30 minutes). Ventilating the site in this way will greatly affect customer satisfaction and the way in which it will receive the finished work.

What is the average price for end-of-construction cleaning?

Cost factors

To evaluate the price of an end-of-site cleaning, there are different cost criteria to take into account. Indeed, there are additional price factors that can increase the final cost:

• The size of the site: the cost of cleaning per square meter of a commercial site will be lower than for residential housing (economies of scale).
• The type of service: a complete end-of-site cleaning will be more expensive than a targeted cleaning after certain works only.
• Competition: the more local providers there are, the more competition will drive prices down.
• The location and accessibility of the site: if the company loses time to access the cleaning site, it will apply an additional cost to its invoice.
• The level of cleaning requested: services such as waxing the floors will be charged extra.

The final cost

What is the cost of end-of-construction cleaning? As you have understood, it all depends on the site and the tasks to be carried out.

Specialized cleaning companies offer cleaning packages that include site refurbishment: waste removal, sweeping, stripping, etc. The price is often calculated per m2 (with an average of around €4/m2 ), but it is also possible to find prices charged per cubic meter or per hour.

Be aware that debris removal is one of the most expensive services, as it requires the rental of dumpsters. Meeting deadlines is also crucial, so keep in regular contact with the cleaning company to keep them informed of the progress of the work.

To take advantage of the best end-of-site cleaning rates, it is advisable to find your cleaning company before the start of the work. This makes it possible to budget for this service, draw up complete and precise specifications, and have no unpleasant surprises at the end.

Request quotes from service providers near you to find the company that fits your needs and budget.

End-of-site cleaning is therefore a mandatory step for any construction company: either you take care of it yourself, or you call on an outside company. The 5 steps for cleaning a construction site detailed in this article must be followed to satisfy your client and meet your professional obligations!