Published Updated 4 min read
A new commercial building isn't ready for tenants when the builders leave. Concrete dust covers every surface, the glass is marked, and the floors need more than a mop. An after-builders clean gets the building from site to handover.
This article explains what after-builders cleaning covers on a commercial site. It also walks through a real job, our clean at the Hastings Trade Center.
What an after-builders clean covers
After-builders cleaning, also called post-construction cleaning, removes what the build leaves behind. On a commercial site, that usually means:
dust and debris swept and cleared from every floor
hard floors swept and scrubbed, often with machines on large areas
windows and shopfront glass cleaned, along with frames and sills
fixtures, fittings, benches and doors wiped down
offices, kitchens and bathrooms cleaned ready for use
The builders' waste should be gone before the clean starts. If it isn't, book rubbish removal first, so the crew isn't cleaning around skips and offcuts.
The Hastings Trade Center job
Hastings Trade Center is a retail and showroom development on the Mornington Peninsula, next to the Hastings Bunnings. When we took the job, the building was almost finished.
The site was four large units with shop fittings still incomplete. They were empty warehouses, filled with concrete dust. Two units were urgent, because they had to be handed over to tenants.
At our first meeting, the builder's project manager set out the scope. We were to sweep and scrub just over 2,200 square metres and clean the shopfront glass. We also had a builders clean of the small office next to unit 4. The builder wanted it done in three working days.
How the clean ran, step by step
We planned the job around two machines, a sweeper and a scrubber. That let a small crew cover a large floor.
On day one, we gave the site's safety officer our safe work method statement, or SWMS, with copies of the crew's White Cards. The officer inducted the crew and checked both before we went on site.
Then the work ran in this order:
The crew broomed out every corner, so the sweeper could pick up all the dust and debris.
One operator swept the whole area with the sweeper.
A second operator followed with the scrubber, which did the biggest part of the job.
Two crew members worked around the warehouse with mops and buckets, cleaning the corners the machines couldn't reach.
We finished the windows on the first day. The sweeping and scrubbing took less than eight working hours.
What was hard about the site, and how the crew handled it
Concrete dust everywhere. Fine dust gets into the air as soon as you move it. Brooming the corners first meant the sweeper could pick up all the dust and debris.
A tight deadline. Two units had to be ready for tenants. So we planned the job around the machines rather than more people.
An active construction site. Construction sites have their own safety rules. Our crew wore P2 respirator masks, hard hats, hi-vis vests, earmuffs and safety boots throughout.
Corners and edges. Machines can't reach everything. Two people on mops and buckets cleaned the corners and edges the machines couldn't reach.
The whole job used six people and two machines, over three working days.
How long a builders clean takes and what affects the price
Every builders clean is different, so we don't quote from a rate card. Time and price depend on:
Site size. The floor area, the number of units and how much glass there is.
The state of the site. How much dust and debris is left, and whether the builders' waste is gone.
Access. When the crew can work, the site's induction rules and whether trades are still on site.
Finishes. New vinyl floors may need sealing, and outside paths may need washing.
We walk the site first, then give you a written scope and price.
A post-construction cleaning checklist for handover day
Use this as a final walk-through before tenants move in.
Floors swept and scrubbed, with no dust left in corners or along walls
Glass clean inside and out, with frames and sills wiped
Stickers and protective film removed from glass, fixtures and appliances
Benches, doors, handles and switches wiped
Bathrooms and kitchens clean and ready to use
Light fittings and vents free of dust
External paths and entries clear and washed
All builders' waste removed from the site
Some of these are separate services. Window cleaning covers glass we can reach from the ground. Strip and seal protects new vinyl floors. Pressure washing clears outside paths, car parks and entries.
Booking an after-builders clean
To book an after-builders clean, send us:
the site address and the type of building
the rough floor area and the number of units
your handover date
the site's induction and safety requirements
anything that needs special care, such as new floor finishes
Then we'll book a site visit, walk the site with you and send a written scope and price. The visit is free, and nothing is booked until you agree.
Handing over a commercial building soon? Request a site visit, or browse Resources for more articles for facilities teams.
