What Is a Builders Clean? A Plain English Guide

A builders clean, explained

A builders clean is the deep clean carried out after construction or renovation work, once the trades have finished. Its job is to remove the fine dust, plaster residue, paint splashes, silicone smears and stickers that building work leaves behind, so the property is safe and presentable. On larger sites it is often called a post construction clean or after builders clean, and the terms mean the same thing.

It sits between the builder finishing and you moving back in or handing over. Construction dust is not like household dust. Plaster, cement and MDF dust is extremely fine, settles for days after work stops, and clogs ordinary vacuum cleaners. A proper builders clean uses industrial vacuums with fine dust filtration, scrapers for glass and floors, and specific products for removing plaster from tiles or adhesive from new windows.

• Removal of dust from all surfaces, including tops of door frames, skirting, sockets and light fittings
• Scraping and polishing of windows, frames and glass to remove paint, plaster and sticker residue
• Deep cleaning of new kitchens and bathrooms, including inside cupboards and appliances
• Floor treatment appropriate to the surface, whether new timber, tile, vinyl or carpet
• Clearing light debris such as offcuts and packaging, though skips and heavy waste are usually the builder's job

Builders clean versus sparkle clean

In the trade there are usually two or even three stages. A rough clean happens during the build, clearing debris so trades can work safely. The builders clean proper is the thorough clean once work is complete. A sparkle clean, sometimes called a final clean, is a lighter finishing pass done just before handover or a viewing, catching the dust that has resettled since the main clean.

For a typical home renovation, one thorough builders clean a few days after the trades leave is often enough. On new builds and larger refurbishments, developers usually book both a builders clean and a separate sparkle clean, because fine dust genuinely does keep settling for up to a week after work stops. If someone quotes you for two visits, that is the reason, not padding.

What it costs in London

Prices depend on the size of the property, how messy the trades were, and access. As a rough guide in London, a builders clean on a one or two bedroom flat typically falls somewhere between 200 and 450 pounds, and a three or four bedroom house between 400 and 900 pounds. Whole house refurbishments with heavy plaster dust throughout sit at the top of those ranges or above.

Some companies charge hourly instead, commonly 20 to 30 pounds per cleaner per hour with a minimum visit. Ask whether the quote includes equipment and materials, whether windows inside and out are covered, and whether there is congestion charge or parking added for central London jobs. A fixed quote after seeing photos or a video of the property is usually more reliable than a blind hourly estimate.

When to book, and whose job it is

Book the clean for after every trade has genuinely finished, including snagging. There is little point cleaning if a plumber is coming back to cut into a wall. Ideally allow two or three days after the last dusty work so airborne particles have settled, then clean. If decorators are returning only for touch up painting, cleaning first is usually fine.

Check your building contract before paying for it yourself. Many contracts require the builder to leave the property in a clean and tidy condition, and on new build purchases the developer normally covers the clean before completion. In practice builders often do only a rough sweep, so it is worth agreeing at the start who pays for the proper clean, or budgeting for it yourself so the finish of the work is not let down at the last step.