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- June 11, 2020
This project was completed in late 2019 and consisted of a multi-level residential custom home, built by Hocking Construction.
This custom home saw our window cleaning team begin on the high external glazing accessed from ladders and extension poles.
The next stage of the clean involved window cleaning the internal windows, window frames and door tracks. This process is done prior to builders cleaning as it enables our window cleaners to get ahead and start to clean up the mess that is a building site.
Finally the builders cleaning team can come in and start cleaning the bathrooms, wet areas, kitchens, bedrooms and everything else. We usually work in a logical fashion from top to bottom, back to front so that we leave our the front door leaving nothing but a beautiful fragrance behind.
Often we are asked… What is a builders clean?
Once upon a time you as the builder would have time to clean your own site ready for handover. That is no longer the case. This emerging niche was born around the idea of saving the builder time and energy.
But what does it actually mean?
A builder’s clean is the process of removing all traces of the building process to allow the client to move into their new building, be it their dream home or new workspace. So, is there a difference between a builder’s clean and a construction clean and is a final clean the same as a speckle clean? These are great questions as many people use the above terms interchangeably. The most common terms are as follows:
- Builders Clean: This is the big initial clean which includes joinery, floors, tiles, carpet, skirtings, fittings and fixtures. This also often includes window cleaning and for the purpose of this article let’s assume that window cleaning an inclusion.
- Final Clean: This is the quick clean and includes benchtops, a quick dust, checking the joinery for any defects and re-cleaning the floors.
The builders cleaning process is similar for residential and commercial sites but there’s some exceptions to the rule. Residential builders require a builder’s clean a week before handover and a final clean the day before handover. For commercial builders the time frame increases depending on the project size but often the builders clean will be done two or more weeks from handover and the final clean in the days leading up to handover.
Why delay a week?
There is a delay between the builders clean and final clean to give the project managers time to conduct architectural inspection, fire inspection, defect rectifications and other project finalization checks.
Is there a cheaper alternative?
Often budgets or timeframes constrict this process and compress the process into a single clean. This clean is called a builders and final in one, or simply put a builders clean. As the builders clean is a 100% clean there won’t be anything purposely left for a final clean so there is no need to worry about nasty surprises. Now some of the commercial readers are thinking, we do an 80% and 20% split for builders and final clean. This is not actually the case as leaving 20% of the work would be not touching any floors until the final clean. This would not pass any project finalization checks so the cleaners just to a 100% first and re-clean anything that requires it.
Are there different standards and how do I know who to use?
Cleaning companies are just like any sub-contractor and being an unregulated industry, the cleanliness standards vary greatly between companies. It is best to select a cleaning company that offers builders cleaning as their core service. This means they are equipped with the right skills and chemicals to handle any builders mess. Those companies that offer builders cleaning as a secondary offering often get overwhelmed by the severity of a builders clean and their domestic equipment is not suitable for the intense workload.
What are the red flags?
There is increasing speculation around sham contracting in the cleaning industry so when contacting a cleaning company it is best to ensure that their team are employed staff. A good way to check would be to request a RTWSA currency certificate.
What to do next?
Do your research before contacting a cleaner. A good web presence, social media proof and a friendly attitude are all positive signs you’re looking at a high-quality sub-contractor. A good way to check the level of works the company has done is to request a public liability certificate of currency. Those capable of handling high quality projects will have a minimum of $10 million and those capable of handling large commercial projects will have $20 million.