After Builders Cleaning Cost in East London

Why a normal clean is not enough

Builders' dust is not ordinary household dust. Plaster, cement and sanding dust is much finer. It goes through gaps, settles on top of doors and units, and ends up in rooms that were never part of the job.

Wiping surfaces straight away often just moves it around. That is why a proper builders' clean works from the top down, takes more passes than a regular clean, and uses equipment that copes with fine dust. It is also why the price is higher than for a standard visit.

What UK price guides say

Published UK price guides put an after builders clean in London at roughly £250 to £650. The lower end is for a smaller property or a single room, and the top end is for a bigger home or one with a lot of dust. Some cleaners charge by the hour instead, and the figures quoted for that are commonly £20 to £40 an hour.

Treat all of that as a rough guide. Most of those figures come from cleaning companies' own websites, and every job is different. You will also see much lower prices on job boards. Before you compare them, ask what is actually included, because a quick tidy and a proper builders' clean are not the same job.

At Ample Cleaners every after builders clean is quoted individually. You tell us about the property and the work that was done, and we send a fixed price with no obligation.

What changes the price

• Size: the number of rooms and floors, and whether it is one room or the whole house
• The kind of dust: fine plaster and sanding dust takes more passes than ordinary dirt, because it settles again after you wipe
• The type of work: paint, silicone, adhesive and cement splashes need careful scraping and take time, and a full refurbishment leaves far more than a new bathroom does
• Windows: cleaning them inside and out, with the frames and sills, is a big part of the job in a house with a lot of glass
• Access: stairs, a top-floor flat, and whether there is somewhere to park near the property
• Number of visits: a large extension or refurbishment often works better as two cleans, which changes the total

When to book it

Book early, but clean late. A builders' clean only works once the builders have finished and the rubbish, offcuts and skips have gone, otherwise the dust is back by the next morning. Most cleaners suggest leaving at least a day after the last job so the airborne dust can settle.

Dates get tight around handovers and move-ins, and popular slots fill up. So do not wait until the day the builders leave. Ask for a provisional date as soon as your finish date is confirmed, and move it if the work overruns.

For a single room, one visit usually does it. An extension or a full refurbishment often works better as two: a first clean once the messy trades are out, and a final clean when everything is fitted and finished.

What a proper builders' clean covers

Ask for a list of what is included when you get a quote, so you know exactly what the price covers. A proper builders' clean should include:

• Dust removed from every surface and fitting, working from the top down
• Windows cleaned inside and out, including frames and sills
• Kitchens and bathrooms degreased and cleaned
• Stickers, labels and residue removed
• Floors vacuumed and mopped

Before the cleaner arrives

1. Ask the builders to take away all rubbish, offcuts and packaging, and the skip if there is one
2. Make sure the water and electricity are on, because the clean needs both
3. Take down protective sheeting slowly, so you do not shake dust into rooms that are already finished
4. Move valuables and anything fragile out of the way
5. Tell the cleaner about delicate new surfaces such as worktops, glass and flooring, so they use the right products
6. Say where the cleaner can park, and whether permits apply on your road

Questions to ask before you book

• Is the price fixed, or by the hour? If it is hourly, is there a cap?
• What is included: windows, inside cupboards, floors, appliances?
• Is the cleaner insured? We are fully insured, and you should ask anyone you hire
• How many cleaners will come, and how long will it take?
• What happens if the builders come back and make more mess after the clean?

Doing it yourself or paying for it

For a small job, such as a repaint or a single room, you can do it yourself. Our guides to cleaning after building work and to cleaning up after decorating explain the right order and which products to avoid.

For an extension, a loft conversion or a full refurbishment, a proper clean is often worth paying for. The dust is very fine, the residue needs scraping rather than wiping, and doing it yourself can take several days. A specialist clean usually saves most of that.

A note for east London homes

Around Becontree and Dagenham, many houses are interwar, with smaller rooms and a separate kitchen. A knock-through or a rear extension is an obvious project in a house like that, and it is exactly the kind of work that sends dust through the whole property. In Hornchurch, Romford and Upminster, loft conversions and extensions on larger houses leave the same fine dust on the floors below.

In newer developments such as Barking Riverside, a builders' clean before you move in removes the dust and residue that building work leaves around windows and fittings.

Getting a fixed price

Tell us about the property, what work was done and roughly how many rooms it covers, and we will send a fixed price with no obligation. Do it as soon as you know your finish date, so you get the day you want.