After builders cleaning questions, answered
Cost, what's included, timing, dust and doing it yourself, in one place.
Free and no obligation. Your plan goes to one company, not a list.
- €350–€700builders clean, three-bed
- €500–€750three-stage clean
- 6–10 hrsfor a house
- 26counties
Plan your after builders clean
A few quick taps: the clean your job needs, what it costs and how long it takes. Contact details come last, and only if you want a fixed price.
One builders clean of a three-bed house, after a new build: €350 to €700.
How the estimate is worked out
The ranges are what Irish cleaning companies charge for the same clean: the lowest to the highest figure for a home of that size, or per m² for a commercial unit. A smaller home's three-stage clean is its builders clean plus a sparkle clean. Use it to plan with: the company fixes the price after seeing the job or photos of it.
Which clean does your job need?
Each clean has its own page: what it covers, what it costs and when to book it. Commercial units: commercial builders cleaning.
New build cleaningFrom building site to move-in day, usually in three stages.
Cleaning after a renovationThe whole house, including the rooms nobody worked in.
Cleaning after an extensionThe new part, its glazing and the rooms beside it.
After a kitchen or bathroom jobA room or two: inside every unit, splashes off tiles and fittings.
The three-stage cleanRough clean, builders clean and a sparkle clean before you move in.
The sparkle cleanThe last, lighter clean for the dust that settles after.Every question
How much does an after builders clean cost?
An after builders clean costs €150 to €400 for an apartment, €350 to €700 for a three-bed house and €350 to €1,200 for four bedrooms or more. The full three-stage clean of a new build (rough, builders and sparkle) runs €500 to €750 for a three-bed house. A room or two after a kitchen or bathroom job is €200 to €350, and a commercial unit €2 to €5 per m².
What does an after builders clean include?
A builders clean removes the fine dust and the marks the trades leave: dust off every surface from the ceiling down, windows, frames and sills inside, paint and plaster splashes lifted from glass, tiles and fittings, labels and protective film off the kitchen, bathrooms and windows, inside every press and drawer, and the floors vacuumed and washed to suit their finish.
When should I book an after builders clean?
Book it for once the last trade has left and the snag list is done, not before: every trade that comes back brings dust with it. On a new build, the rough clean goes in as the trades finish, the builders clean after the snags, and the sparkle clean a day or two before you move in.
How long does it take?
A team usually takes 6 to 10 hours on a house, once every trade has finished. A room or two takes a few hours, and an extension with the rooms beside it most of a day.
What is a three-stage clean?
A three-stage clean is three visits: a rough clean as the trades finish, to clear rubble, offcuts and the worst of the dust; the builders clean, top to bottom, once they've gone; and a sparkle clean just before you move in, for the dust that settles in the days after.
What is a sparkle clean?
The last, lighter clean before you move in: €100 to €250 added to a builders clean.
Is builders' dust dangerous?
Builders' dust is finer than house dust. Dust from concrete, blocks, brick, tile and stone contains silica, which harms the lungs, and plaster dust clogs a household vacuum in minutes. It is cleared with an industrial M-class vacuum, never by dry sweeping or blowing, from the top down, finishing with damp cloths.
Can I do it myself?
You can, but builders' dust is fine and gets into everything. Hire an industrial vacuum with an M-class filter rather than using a household one, work from the top down, dry before wet, and allow a couple of days for a house. A cleaning company brings the vacuums, blades and the right cleaner for each surface.
Is rubbish removal included?
Usually not. Rubble, offcuts and packaging are the builder's job or a skip's.
What happens after I send my plan?
A single vetted cleaning company for your area receives it with our estimate and rings to see the job or photos and fix the price. The price is yours to accept or turn down.
Every guide and county page
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Get the dust out before you move in
Pick the job, the home and the clean to see the price and how long it takes. When you want a fixed price, your plan goes to a single vetted cleaning company for your area.