Services
Post-Construction Cleaning for Commercial Space
Commercial post-construction cleaning is bid in three phases: a rough clean during construction for debris and broom-clean condition, a final detail clean after punch list covering every surface, fixture, glass pane and floor finish, and a touch-up clean immediately before occupancy once furniture is installed. Combined, it typically runs $0.25–$0.60+ per square foot.
Almost every page you will find about post-construction cleaning cost quotes a figure around $588. That number comes from residential and small-job data, and if you are cleaning a 15,000 square foot office build-out it is worse than useless — it will make every legitimate bid look like a rip-off.
Commercial post-construction is a different activity, and understanding the three-phase model is the difference between a proposal that makes sense and one that surprises you twice.
Phase One: Rough Clean
Runs during construction, usually after drywall and before finishes. Bulk debris removal, gross dust knock-down, broom-clean condition on floors, cleaning of surfaces the next trade needs access to. It is not a finish operation — it exists so the trades that follow can work and so the dust load at final clean is manageable. Skipping it makes the final clean cost more than the saving.
Phase Two: Final Detail Clean
After the punch list. This is the heavy phase and where most of the cost sits. Every surface, inside and outside every cabinet and drawer, all glass on both sides including frames and tracks, light fixtures, vents and diffusers, all fixtures and hardware, adhesive and label removal, paint and joint-compound spot removal, and the initial floor finish — which for new VCT means the first coats of sealer and finish, not just a mop.
Phase Three: Touch-Up
Immediately before occupancy, after furniture install and after punch-list corrections have been made. Furniture delivery reintroduces dust and cardboard debris; punch-list patching reintroduces drywall dust. A build-out that was spotless on Thursday is not spotless on Monday if the furniture went in on Friday. This phase is small, cheap and the one most often cut — and it is the one the tenant actually sees.
New York Logistics Drive the Price More Than Square Footage
On a Manhattan build-out, the constraint is rarely the cleaning. It is the freight elevator window, the loading-dock reservation, whether debris can leave the building at all during business hours, and whether the cleanup runs alongside permitted construction outside 7am–6pm, in which case a Department of Buildings After Hours Variance may apply to the construction activity. Silica dust from concrete and drywall cutting brings its own OSHA exposure-control obligations. These are the things that move a post-construction number, and a contractor who has not asked about them has not priced your job.
What Is Included
- Phase 1 rough clean: bulk debris removal, gross dust knock-down, broom-clean floors
- Phase 2 final detail: all surfaces, cabinet and drawer interiors, fixtures, hardware
- All glass both sides including frames, tracks, mullions and entry doors
- Adhesive, label, sticker and protective-film removal
- Paint, joint compound and construction-residue spot removal
- Light fixtures, diffusers, vents and grille faces
- Initial floor treatment: sealer and finish coats on new VCT, first-clean on LVT and polished concrete
- Restroom and pantry commissioning clean
- Phase 3 touch-up after furniture install and punch-list corrections
- Debris staged to the building's designated point within permitted windows
What Is Not Included Unless You Ask for It
This list exists on purpose. Almost every dispute between an office and its cleaning company traces back to something one party assumed was in scope and the other did not.
- Construction and demolition debris hauling off site (licensed C&D carter)
- Removal of contractor materials, tools or unused stock
- Duct interior cleaning (specialist HVAC contractor)
- Exterior facade, window exteriors above ground level, suspended-scaffold work
- Asbestos, lead and silica abatement — licensed remediation only
- Punch-list repairs, touch-up painting or trade rework
Get This Scoped and Priced
Tell us the space and we will send back a written scope exhibit, a fixed price, and the exclusions — in one document, usually within two business days.
Post-Construction Cleaning — Get a Price
Written scope and fixed price, usually within two business days.
We reply to every request. If your building needs a Certificate of Insurance or vendor registration, we handle that paperwork before the first night.
Post-Construction Cleaning: Frequently Asked Questions
What does post-construction cleaning cost for a commercial office?
$0.25–$0.60+ per square foot across all three phases, with the final detail clean carrying most of it at $0.30–$0.60 per square foot alone. A 5,000 sq ft build-out is typically $2,600–$5,400 all in. The variables that matter are finish complexity, glass quantity, and building access.
Do we need all three phases?
Nearly always yes, and skipping phase one is a false economy — the dust load at final clean rises sharply and so does the price. Skipping phase three is the more tempting cut and the more visible mistake, because that is the condition the tenant walks into.
Who schedules this — us or the general contractor?
Either. We work directly for general contractors, for landlords and for tenants. If you are the tenant and the GC is handling it, make sure the touch-up phase is explicitly in their contract and scheduled after furniture install, not before.
How long does it take?
Rough clean is usually one to two nights. Final detail on a 5,000 sq ft build-out is typically two to four nights with a crew of four. Touch-up is a single visit. On a Manhattan job the schedule is normally set by freight-elevator availability, not by the cleaning.
Ready for a Cleaning Contract You Can Actually Read?
Send us your square footage and how many nights you need. You get a written scope, a fixed monthly price, and the SLA in the same document — usually within two business days.