After building work there are three cleans, not one, and confusing them is why handovers slip. The site clean keeps the works safe and legal while they are happening. The builders clean removes construction residue once the trades are finished. The sparkle clean is the final presentation clean just before handover. Each has a different scope, a different price and usually a different person paying for it.
Stage one: the site clean, during the works
Keeping circulation routes clear, removing waste to the right containers, sweeping and damping down dust, and keeping welfare facilities usable. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 the principal contractor must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase, and good order on site is part of that. This is the contractor's cost and it belongs in the build programme, not in your cleaning contract.
Stage two: the builders clean proper
Once the trades are out: removing plaster, adhesive, paint spots, silicone and protective films, cleaning inside cupboards and voids, vacuuming construction dust from every surface including above head height, washing frames, sills and glass, and cleaning the floors properly rather than sweeping them. This is heavy work and it is priced by area and condition rather than by the hour.
Stage three: the sparkle clean
The presentation clean immediately before handover or occupation, after snagging is done. Glass polished, stainless finished, floors buffed, washrooms and kitchens finished to move in standard, marks from snagging trades removed. It is short, it is the one people see, and it is wasted if it happens before the snagging list is closed.
Getting it priced honestly
Give the area in square metres, the number of storeys and whether there is a lift, the floor finishes, the number of washrooms and kitchens, the glass area, and the condition. Say whether waste removal is included, because construction waste is not general waste. Then ask when the site will genuinely be clear of trades, since a builders clean done around working trades is a builders clean done twice.
Questions people ask about builders clean
What is the difference between a builders clean and a sparkle clean?
A builders clean removes construction residue after the trades leave. A sparkle clean is the final presentation clean just before handover, after snagging.
Who pays for the builders clean?
Normally the main contractor, as part of making good before handover. Check the building contract, because a clean excluded there becomes the client's cost at the worst possible moment.
How long does a post construction clean take?
Commonly a day per floor for a small team on a finished office, longer where there is heavy residue, extensive glass or no lift.
Is construction waste removal included?
Rarely by default. Construction waste needs separate containers and transfer documentation, so agree in writing whether the cleaner removes it or the contractor does.