Three cleans, and what the builder is checking at each
Builders rarely think of construction cleaning as one job. Each visit lands at a different point in the build and the builder is looking for something different each time, so it helps to quote them as separate lines and to know which one you're being asked for.
| Clean | When it happens | What the builder is checking |
|---|---|---|
| Rough clean | After plastering and fit-out, before painting and floor coverings | That the next trade can start without complaining about dust and offcuts |
| Final or sparkle clean | In the days before the practical completion inspection | That the owner walks into a home that looks finished, with no film, labels or paint spots left |
| Touch-up clean | After trades return to fix the defects list | That repairs haven't left fresh dust and marks on work that was already clean |
The touch-up clean is the one most cleaners forget to offer, and it matters because of how handover works. The QBCC describes the practical completion inspection as a walk-through where defects are written on a list that both sides usually sign, and scratched surfaces, paint touch-ups and missing fittings are typical items. In Queensland the builder must also fix defects noticed at handover or within 12 months of the work being finished, so trades come back after you've left. A builder who knows you'll return and clean behind them doesn't have to apologise to the owner for the dust a painter left on the benchtop.
Pricing against a handover date that moves
Handover dates slip because every trade before you can slip, and the final clean is the one job that can't be moved to after the inspection. The QBCC says builders generally tell owners two to three weeks ahead and give at least five days' written notice, which means your booking is often confirmed only a week out. Builders value a cleaner who says plainly how much notice they need and what they can do at short notice, more than one who is cheapest but booked solid.
Quote per home or per unit with a clear list of what's included (glass inside and out, frames and tracks, inside cupboards, fixtures, tiles, floors, film and sticker removal) and a separate price for anything that varies, such as heavy paint removal or a return visit. Ask whether the builder wants the touch-up clean included in the final price, because some prefer one figure per home and others want to see it as its own line. If the site isn't ready when you arrive, because a trade is still working in the kitchen, agree in advance how a wasted trip is charged.
Construction dust is the hazard
Most of what you clean up on a building site came from cutting or sanding concrete, brick, tiles, grout, mortar, fibre-cement or plasterboard, and many of those materials contain crystalline silica. Safe Work Australia's model code on respirable crystalline silica, published in November 2025, names cleaners among the people who can be exposed after other trades have finished, and it lists clean-up activities such as sweeping or vacuuming dust containing silica among the tasks that create exposure. The code says housekeeping should not use compressed air, dry sweeping or general-purpose vacuums, and should use low-pressure water, wet sweeping or an M- or H-class industrial vacuum instead, with dust bags and filters changed as the manufacturer instructs.
In practice that changes what you bring. A household vacuum with a good filter isn't the right tool, and a leaf blower to clear a garage floor is exactly what the code warns against. Keep dusty PPE in sealed bags until it can be cleaned, and if your crew wears masks for the rough clean, the code expects them to be fit tested and clean shaven where the mask seals. A model code has legal effect only once your state adopts it, so check your regulator's version, but a builder's safety officer who sees a crew dry sweeping a slab will remember it. Telling a builder up front that you clean with an H-class vacuum and wet methods is a simple way to stand out.
On site, the builder is in charge
A residential building site is a workplace controlled by the principal contractor, and Safe Work Australia says each project has only one at a time. That's usually the builder, so their rules on sign-in, PPE, hours and where you park are the ones that apply. Every cleaner needs a white card, which comes from completing the course Prepare to work safely in the construction industry and is recognised in every state. In NSW, SafeWork says a card becomes void if the holder hasn't done construction work for two years or more, so check casual staff who haven't been on a site for a while.
Each site also runs its own induction, so allow time for it on the first visit and don't send a new cleaner who hasn't done it. The builders page covers the paperwork builders ask every supplier for, and if you're worried about being paid on time, the electricians and builders page explains the security of payment rules that apply to subcontractors. The cleaners page covers the other buyers worth writing to. If you'd rather not send the first emails to builders yourself, Curlew writes to builders near you in your business name.
A first email you could send
Hi Daniel, I run a small construction cleaning business in Ipswich and most of our work is final cleans for local builders. We price per home, can usually turn around a final clean on a few days’ notice, and come back for a touch-up after the defects are done. Everyone on the crew has a white card, and we clean with H-class vacuums and wet methods rather than sweeping the dust around. If one of your homes is coming up to handover, would a trial final clean on that one be worth trying? Tara If this isn’t for you, just let me know and I’ll leave it there.
An example only. The business is made up.