Moving
Hiring a Post-Construction Cleaning Company: What to Check Before Handover
Choosing a post-construction cleaning company comes down to a few practical checks: do they understand construction dust and residues, will they confirm the exact scope in writing, are their teams trained and insured, and will they inspect the work with you before handover? Builders usually leave a property "broom clean", not move-in ready, so the company you hire is what stands between a finished renovation and a home you can actually live in.
Why post-construction cleaning is its own job
Cleaning after building work isn't just a heavier deep clean. It deals with materials a normal clean doesn't:
- Very fine dust from cutting tiles, sanding plaster and drilling, which settles on every surface and gets into cupboards, light fittings and AC grilles
- Paint splashes and overspray on glass, frames, floors and fittings
- Grout and cement haze on new tiles
- Silicone, adhesive and sticker residue on sanitary ware, glass and appliances
- Protective films on windows, frames and appliances that need careful removal
Each needs the right method. Scraping paint off glass with the wrong tool scratches it; using acidic products to remove grout haze can damage marble and natural stone. A company that does this work regularly will know the difference. For a full breakdown of the tasks, see what post-construction cleaning involves.
What to check before you hire a post-construction cleaning company
1. Do they assess the property first?
A reliable quote needs someone to see the property, either on site or through clear photos and a description. Ask what they need from you. Be wary of a fixed price given without any idea of the size, the type of work done or the state the builders left it in.
2. Is the scope written down?
Ask for a list of what's included, room by room. Key questions: are inside cupboards included? Paint and grout removal? Interior and exterior glass? Balconies? AC grilles? Removing protective film? If it isn't in writing, assume it isn't included.
3. Are the teams trained, background-checked and insured?
Post-construction cleaning involves ladders, scrapers and working around new, expensive finishes. Ask about training and insurance, and who is responsible if something is damaged.
4. What products and tools will they use?
Ask how they'll treat your specific surfaces: marble, porcelain, wood, glass, stainless steel. If you have children or pets moving in soon, ask whether products are low-odour and non-toxic.
5. Will they bring enough people to finish on time?
Handovers are often tight. Ask how many people will come, how long they expect the job to take, and whether it will be completed in one visit.
6. What happens if something is missed?
Construction dust keeps appearing for a few days as it settles. Ask what the company does if you find areas that weren't cleaned properly.
Make sure the builders have actually finished. Book the clean after all trades are done, including snagging fixes and the final coat of paint. If a painter or electrician comes back after the clean, they'll bring the dust back with them.
The handover inspection: what to look at
Walk through the property with the cleaning team before they leave. Check:
- Glass and frames in daylight, from an angle, for paint specks, film residue and streaks
- Tiles and grout for haze, cement spots and dusty grout lines
- Inside cupboards and drawers, where dust collects and is easy to miss
- Tops of doors, frames and high shelves, by running a finger along them
- Sanitary ware and taps for silicone smears and stickers
- Light switches, sockets and AC grilles
- Sliding door and window tracks, which fill with grit and debris
- Floors at the edges and corners, not just the middle
Take photos of anything that needs another pass, and agree on it there and then. Our post-construction cleaning checklist is useful to have on your phone during the walk-through.
Post-renovation vs new-build handover
If you've renovated a home you already live in, the dust may have spread into rooms that weren't worked on, and into soft furnishings. You may need sofa, curtain or mattress cleaning on top of the main clean. If it's a new-build or an empty unit, the focus is on residues and the first full clean of every surface, and it doubles as your move-in clean. If you're also handing back a rented home at the same time, see our guide to move-out cleaning in Sharjah.
What affects the price
Post-construction cleaning is quoted for each property. The price depends on:
- the size and type of property
- how much dust and residue the work has left behind
- the amount of paint, grout and adhesive removal
- how much glass there is, and whether exterior glass can be reached safely
- extras such as AC duct cleaning or soft-furnishing cleaning
Tip Top offers post-construction cleaning, with trained, background-checked and insured teams working to written room-by-room checklists, and the work inspected before handover. We confirm the price after a free on-site or photo-based assessment, and if anything is missed, we re-clean it free.