MaidBossPro Blog — Quotes & Pricing

Quoting Post-Construction Cleaning Jobs

Post-construction cleaning is its own trade inside the cleaning trade. Fine drywall dust gets into every vent, ledge and cabinet. Paint drips, adhesive and stickers cover new windows and fixtures. There may be debris on the floors and the contractor wants it done by Friday. Quoting these jobs well takes more questions and more caution than a standard house clean.

Why Post-Construction Is Hard to Price

Move-outs, covered in Quoting Move-In and Move-Out Cleanings Without Getting Burned, are empty homes with predictable dirt. Post-construction jobs are less predictable. Two homes of the same size can be very different jobs depending on how tidy the crew was, whether the dust was contained, and how many trades are still working.

Dust is the main issue. It settles, gets stirred up, and settles again. A home that looks clean at noon can have a fresh film by evening if the HVAC is running. Teams often need to dust surfaces more than once, top to bottom, and the job takes longer than a deep clean of the same size.

Rough Clean, Final Clean or Both

Many cleaning companies split post-construction work into stages. Be clear which stage you are quoting:

• Rough clean. After the heavy work is done but before final touches. Debris removal, sweeping and vacuuming, first pass on dust.
• Final clean. After all trades are finished. Detailed dusting of every surface, inside cabinets and drawers, windows and tracks, fixtures, sticker and residue removal, floors.
• Touch-up clean. Right before the homeowner moves in or the listing photos are taken.

Quoting each stage as its own line makes it clear what the customer is getting, and protects you from a contractor who expects a final clean for a rough-clean price.

Questions to Ask

Before you price, find out:

• Is this a new build, a full remodel or a single room?
• How many square feet are affected?
• Are all trades finished, or will people still be working while we clean?
• Is large debris already hauled away? Is there a dumpster on site?
• Are there stickers, paint or adhesive on windows, tubs and fixtures?
• Is the power and water on? Is the HVAC running?
• Who is the customer: the homeowner, the builder or a general contractor?
• What is the deadline?

A walkthrough is almost always worth it for anything bigger than a single room. Photos texted from the site are the next best thing.

Pricing Methods That Work

Post-construction is where hourly and square-foot pricing earn their place. Common approaches:

• By square feet. A rate per square foot for a final clean, with a minimum. For example, a final clean on a 2,600 sq ft remodel quoted at $780.
• Hourly with an estimate. A rate per cleaner per hour, with an estimated range of hours on the quote so the customer has a number to plan with.
• Flat after walkthrough. Once you have seen it, a flat price for the whole job.

These example numbers are not a guide to your market. Whatever method you use, add a line saying the price assumes the trades are finished and the debris is gone, and that return visits for new dust caused by later work are charged separately. The wider comparison of methods is in Square Feet, Hourly or Flat Rate: Choosing a House Cleaning Pricing Method.

Keeping the Scope on the Job

In MaidBossPro, choose Post-Construction as the cleaning type on the estimate and enter the square feet, rooms and any extras such as interior windows, inside cabinets or walls & doors. Use the entry and notes field for the site details: the lockbox or contractor contact, whether other trades will be on site, what to leave alone, and the deadline.

When the customer approves online, the approved estimate becomes the scheduled job with all of that on it. The team sees “Post-Construction · 2,600 sq ft” on their phone with the notes underneath, so they arrive with the right equipment and the right expectations.

Photos and Billing

Before-and-after photos protect you on post-construction jobs more than almost anywhere else. If a trade comes back and makes a mess after you finish, the after photos show the condition you left it in. When the job is completed, the invoice is created from the approved prices, with sales tax where it applies.

Builders and contractors who send regular work can be set up as one client with many addresses, and a client set to monthly billing gets one statement each month covering every site, with each line labeled by address. For how post-construction quotes fit with the rest of your estimating, visit the house cleaning estimate software page.