Construction cleaning: compare quotes and prices

Which stage of cleaning do you need?

Companies do not always use the same terms. What matters is whether more tradespeople need to work in the area or whether it must be ready for occupation. Even on a new build, you may only need an interim clean at the present stage.

Floor area does not describe the whole job

Give the area that actually needs cleaning. A renovated kitchen in a large house is a different job from cleaning the whole property. For a windows-only assignment, the floor area tells the cleaner very little.

Glass, frames, rebates, doors, fitted units and sanitary fittings can involve considerable manual work. Establish which sides are accessible and whether the cellar, balcony or stairs are included. Protective film, adhesive and mortar splashes are not ordinary dirt.

An initial protective treatment or sealing of a new floor is a separate operation and should be listed separately from cleaning. The same applies to equipment needed to reach awkward glazing.

A specific enquiry might read: “After renovating the kitchen and bathroom, we would like our entire empty flat of about 90 m² cleaned, as building dust has settled in the other rooms too. The floors are parquet and tiles. Please also include six windows on both sides, with frames and rebates, and the empty kitchen cupboards inside and out. The balcony and cellar are excluded. The tradespeople will remove the rubble beforehand. We would like to set the cleaning date once completion of the building work is confirmed.”

How much does construction cleaning cost?

One published price list for Basel and Basel-Landschaft gives CHF 55–68 per person per hour. A second, for the Simmental and Saanenland, lists construction cleaning at CHF 80 per hour without specifying team size in that price entry. Both exclude VAT; checked in October 2026. These are individual provider examples, not a nationwide price range or Quoti rates.

The second example has a minimum charge of one hour plus job and mileage fees. For an hourly quote, establish the number of workers, which time is chargeable and whether the rate applies per person or to the team. Travel, equipment and disposal should also be clearly allocated.

A price per square metre is only comparable with a defined scope: does it refer to floor area, the surface actually treated or the glass? Does it include windows, residues and repeat passes? Rough and final cleaning are different services.

Illustrative calculation: two people work for six hours each. At an assumed CHF 65 per worker-hour, labour alone costs CHF 780 excluding VAT. This is a fictional calculation, not a time allowance for a particular property size. Any agreed additional charges must be added.

Choose treatment to suit new surfaces

Dust on parquet requires a different approach from cement haze on suitable tiles. An acidic cement remover is not automatically safe for marble or other sensitive stone. Provide any available material and care information; the company needs to match its process to the surface and residue.

Scrapers or dragged particles can scratch glass. Stuck-on splashes should therefore not simply be scraped off. Cleaning cannot repair existing scratches or other damage. Record visibly affected areas together before work starts.

Avoid paying for the same cleaning twice

Final cleaning fits best after dust-generating work and before moving in or using the space. Later sanding or drilling can make another visit necessary. Confirm the expected condition at the start with the site manager or tradespeople.

For partial handovers, a simple schedule helps: which rooms will be cleaned when, and which already-clean areas will tradespeople still need to pass through? Also establish which protective coverings will remain until work ends and who will remove them afterwards. Any necessary final visit can then be planned from the outset.

1. Release the areas. Identify finished rooms and places where work is continuing. Plan partial handovers separately.
2. Arrange access. Agree keys, usable water and power, deliveries and clear working areas.
3. Confirm the date. Report construction delays early and agree how late rescheduling or extra visits will be handled.
4. Check the result together. Allow time before moving in to inspect the clean, rather than scheduling furniture delivery at the same time.

Collecting waste is not the same as disposing of it

Collecting film and packaging, taking them to an existing on-site skip and arranging off-site disposal are different services. Establish who provides containers and pays transport and disposal charges.

Discuss large quantities of rubble, leftover building materials and unusual waste before accepting a quote. Suspected hazardous substances need specialist assessment before being included in an ordinary cleaning assignment.

What should the quote specify?

Compare the same areas and starting condition. A low base price is less useful if windows or a second clean are added later.

Check the agreed work room by room. Depending on the scope, this can include dust-free window rebates, door frames and skirting boards, clean cupboard interiors, removal of the agreed building residues from sanitary fittings, and floors and glazing without remaining cleaning residue. Record outstanding points with the room and exact location, and agree who will resolve them and by when. For persistent marks, ask the company to distinguish between residue and a damaged surface.

• Tasks and exclusions. Define rooms, glazing, residues, film, waste and special floor treatment separately.
• Price and extra work. Record VAT, travel, equipment, disposal and how additional hours are approved.
• Inspection and re-cleaning. Check what any offered handover guarantee covers and when faults will be put right. Dirt caused by later building work needs a separate agreement.
• Distinguish damage. Checking the cleaning does not replace a technical inspection of the building. Record cleanliness, remaining residue and existing damage separately.