If the builders have just left and every surface is coated in a fine grey film, you are probably wondering what a proper post-construction clean will set you back. Prices vary more than most people expect, because no two building projects leave the same mess behind. Here is an honest breakdown of typical UK costs, what pushes them up, and how to avoid paying for the wrong service.
Most companies price an after builders clean either by the hour or as a fixed job rate. Hourly rates typically sit between £18 and £30 per cleaner per hour outside London, with London rates often running £22 to £35 because of travel, parking and congestion costs. A job usually needs two or three cleaners for several hours, so hourly pricing adds up quickly on larger properties.
Fixed quotes are more common for whole-property cleans, and they give you certainty. As a rough guide for a standard level of builders' dust and debris: a one-bedroom flat tends to fall between £180 and £320, a two or three-bedroom house between £300 and £550, and a large four or five-bedroom house between £550 and £900 or more. A clean following a single-room job, such as a bathroom refit, might only cost £100 to £200. Treat these as ranges, not promises, because the state of the site matters far more than the floor area alone.
Builders' dust is the main cost driver. Plaster, brick and silica dust settles into everything, inside cupboards, on top of door frames, behind radiators, and it usually needs two or three passes because it keeps resettling for days after the trades finish. A quote for a heavily dusty full renovation will be noticeably higher than one for a tidy loft conversion where the contractors sheeted everything properly.
Other factors that move the price include paint splatter and plaster spots on glass and floors (slow, careful scraping work), the number of windows, whether rubble or offcuts still need shifting, access and parking, and how soon you need the clean done. Protective film and label removal from new windows and appliances also takes longer than people expect.
A fair question, since the price can be double that of a standard deep clean. The difference is the equipment and the time. Post-construction work needs vacuums with proper fine-dust filtration, because a domestic hoover simply blows plaster dust back into the air. Cleaners also work through the property in a set order, top to bottom, often twice, and handle delicate new surfaces such as fresh worktops, unsealed tiles and newly glazed windows that scratch easily if cleaned carelessly.
There is also a safety element. Silica dust from cutting brick, stone or concrete is a genuine respiratory hazard, so a competent company will use masks and controlled methods rather than dry-sweeping it around. That expertise is part of what you are paying for.
Photographs are your friend. A few pictures of each room, including close-ups of the dustiest areas and any paint or plaster splatter, let a company quote realistically rather than padding the price to cover unknowns. Be upfront about anything unusual, such as rubble left behind or floors still protected with sticky film.
You can also keep the bill down with a little preparation. Ask your builders to remove their own waste, as that is normally in their contract, and wait until all trades have completely finished before booking. Booking a clean while the electrician still has a second fix to do means paying twice, because the dust comes straight back. Finally, check the quote states what is included: inside cupboards, inside windows, and appliance exteriors should all be listed.
Both approaches are common. Hourly rates suit small or unpredictable jobs, while a fixed price based on photos or a site visit is usually better for whole-property cleans because you know the total before work starts.
A one-bedroom flat typically takes a team of two around three to five hours, while a full house renovation can take a full day or longer. Heavy plaster dust often needs a follow-up visit a few days later once airborne dust has resettled.
Most building contracts cover removing rubble and leaving the site 'broom clean', which means swept but not actually clean. The fine dust removal, window cleaning and detailed work needed to make a home liveable is a separate specialist job.
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