Post-construction cleaning rates
Set post-construction cleaning rates by phase. For each phase, your price per square foot is your true cost per hour divided by how many square feet your crew cleans in an hour on that phase, then divided by (1 minus your margin). Final cleans take the longest, so they carry the highest rate.
The formula
Price per sq ft = (cost per hour / sq ft per hour) / (1 - margin)
Worked example
This example uses a true cost of $26.59 an hour (an $18.50 wage with 25% burden, 5% supplies and 10% overhead) and a 20% margin. The square feet per hour in the table are example inputs only, so replace them with what your crew actually does on each phase.
| Phase | Example sq ft per hour | Price per sq ft | Price for 10,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rough clean | 2,000 | $0.017 | $166 |
| Final clean | 800 | $0.042 | $416 |
| Touch-up clean | 2,500 | $0.013 | $133 |
What raises the price
- Heavy dust and debris, or drywall dust in vents and on ledges.
- Lots of glass, fixtures, cabinets or high ledges.
- Debris haul-off (often the general contractor's job; say who does it).
- Rush schedules, nights and weekends.
Write it up with the post-construction proposal template.
Common questions
How much do you charge for post-construction cleaning?
Price it by phase from labor hours: square feet divided by how fast your crew cleans on that phase, times your true cost per hour, plus margin. A final clean takes much longer per square foot than a rough clean, so it costs more.
Is post-construction cleaning priced per square foot?
Often, yes, but build the per square foot price from hours first. Dust level, glass, ceiling height and debris haul-off change the hours, so one flat number across every job can lose money.
What affects post-construction cleaning cost?
Square feet, how many phases, dust and debris level, number of windows and fixtures, ceiling height, whether you haul debris, and the schedule (rush and after-hours work cost more).