Post-Construction Cleaning Checklist: What It Takes to Make a New Build Livable

A new build can look finished while fine construction dust remains in cabinet corners, window tracks and along trim. Salt & Slate’s final post-construction clean works through those details after the trades have finished and cleared the space.

This checklist explains the work to include in your quote, the tasks to assign to your contractor and the preparation that helps the visit go well. It applies to homes and to the agreed areas in commercial construction projects.

Fine construction dust may settle again after even a thorough cleaning. Any follow-up visit to remove newly settled dust is not included in your original quote and will be quoted separately for your approval.

What the final clean includes

The post-construction cleaning service focuses on loose construction dust and finished surfaces. Your quote identifies the rooms, accessible areas and appliance work included in the visit.

Throughout the agreed areas

• Vacuum loose dust from accessible ledges, trim, baseboards and corners.
• Wipe doors, frames, handles, switch plates and accessible fixtures.
• Clean accessible vent and return-cover surfaces.
• Clean window frames and tracks, interior sliding glass doors and tracks, and agreed decorative glass panels.
• Vacuum floors, including accessible edges and corners, then mop appropriate hard surfaces.

Kitchens and storage

• Vacuum and wipe inside empty cabinets, drawers, closets and pantry storage.
• Wipe cabinet fronts, handles and accessible shelving.
• Clean countertops, sinks, fixtures and backsplash surfaces.
• Clean the refrigerator, oven, microwave and range hood as specified in the quote; wipe the dishwasher exterior. Dishwasher interior cleaning is a $40 add-on.
• Detail dust at toe kicks, cabinet edges and accessible tracks.

Bathrooms

• Clean counters, sinks, toilets and fixtures.
• Clean mirrors and accessible shower glass.
• Remove loose construction dust from tile surfaces, grout lines and trim.
• Wipe empty vanity interiors and cabinet fronts.
• Vacuum and mop floors and accessible edges.

Commercial spaces

For an office, retail buildout, tenant improvement or other finished facility, identify the rooms and common areas in your proposal. Commercial construction cleanup can cover accessible fixtures, interior glass doors and shower glass, cabinetry, restrooms, breakrooms and floors in that agreed scope. Share access arrangements and the expected handover date with the project details.

Not included: assign these tasks to your contractor

• × Paint splatter, paint drips and overspray removal
• × Mortar, cement, dried grout and grout haze removal
• × Dried drywall mud, joint compound and plaster splatter removal
• × Adhesive, glue and tape-residue removal
• × Excess caulk or silicone removal
• × Protective film, stickers and construction floor-protection removal
• × Contractor repairs, paint corrections and damaged-finish restoration
• × Hauling construction materials and bulk debris

Loose drywall dust can be vacuumed and wiped during the final clean. Dried drywall mud bonded to a surface is a contractor removal task. The same distinction applies to loose dust on tile versus hardened mortar, dried grout or grout haze.

Have the installer or contractor remove protective materials according to the product’s instructions. Ask them to address paint mistakes, uneven caulk lines and damaged finishes before cleaning. Share photos of anything that remains when requesting your quote.

Why an empty property can still take substantial cleaning time

Even an empty, newly built space can require substantial cleaning time. Fine dust collects inside drawers, along edges and throughout detailed finishes. Removing it can take repeated passes across many individual surfaces.

An empty cabinet contains shelves, corners, hinges and drawer channels. Window frames and tracks collect dust in small channels and corners. A completed room can have many surfaces that need individual attention even when it contains no furniture.

That labor is allocated to the included dust and surface cleaning. The excluded specialty removals remain outside the quoted scope. If a quote lists labor hours, read them as the combined working hours of the team: two cleaners working five hours provide ten cleaner-hours. The quote should identify whether the price is fixed or based on hours.

Prepare the property before the final clean

1. Finish construction, sanding, cutting, painting and installation work.
2. Have the contractor clear tools, materials, bulk debris and floor protection, and complete the excluded removal and repair tasks.
3. Empty cabinets, drawers and appliances that will be cleaned inside.
4. Confirm access, running water and electricity.
5. Share finish-care instructions and identify surfaces awaiting cure or installer approval.
6. Have HVAC filters checked and replaced as needed, and keep contractors out of cleaned areas.

You can request a quote before construction is finished. Give us the expected completion date and update us if the project changes so the final-clean appointment can be planned around a ready property.

What happens if dust settles again?

Fine particles may remain airborne and settle after a thorough clean. Later trade work, deliveries and moving activity can also introduce dust or marks into cleaned areas.

Fine construction dust may settle again after even a thorough cleaning. Any follow-up visit to remove newly settled dust is not included in your original quote and will be quoted separately for your approval.

If another visit is needed, send photos and identify the affected rooms. We can agree the new work and price before scheduling it. Once construction dust has settled and the property is in regular use, recurring cleaning can support its ongoing care.

Request and approve your cleaning scope

Send a room list, affected square footage, project details, recent photos and the expected construction completion date. Include close-ups of remaining residue and any special finishes so we can distinguish cleaning work from contractor tasks.

Your written quote should identify the property, included work, exclusions, price and settling-dust expectations. Confirm your approval before payment arrangements and scheduling. Keep a copy of the quote and your acceptance together.

For a home without construction dust, move-in cleaning may be the appropriate service. For a completed construction project, request a final-clean quote.