Hiring the wrong construction cleaning company can delay your project, damage surfaces, and leave you doing re-work at your own expense. This guide helps general contractors, builders, and property managers find reliable, qualified cleaning contractors and avoid costly mistakes.
What to Look For
1. Construction Cleaning Experience
General housecleaning companies and janitorial services are not equipped for post-construction work. Look specifically for companies that specialize in or have significant experience with construction cleaning. The skills, equipment, and knowledge base are fundamentally different.
Key indicators of experience:
- Years in business specifically doing construction cleaning (not just "cleaning")
- References from general contractors or builders (not just homeowners)
- Knowledge of construction terminology and building processes
- Understanding of different surface materials and appropriate cleaning products
- Ability to read and work from building plans
2. Insurance Coverage
This is non-negotiable. Post-construction cleaning involves working around expensive new surfaces, fixtures, and finishes. One mistake can cost thousands.
| Coverage Type | Minimum | Recommended | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Liability | $500,000 | $1,000,000+ | Covers damage to property, third-party injuries |
| Workers' Compensation | State minimum | Full coverage | Protects you from liability if their worker is injured on your site |
| Auto Insurance | State minimum | $500,000+ | Covers transit of equipment and crew to your site |
Always request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming your company as additionally insured. Verify the policy is current and covers the dates of your project.
3. Equipment
Professional construction cleaning requires specialized equipment that general cleaning services don't carry:
- HEPA-filter vacuums — essential for construction dust (drywall, concrete, silica)
- Industrial floor scrubbers — for large commercial spaces
- Extension poles and ladder systems — for high windows and ceilings
- Window cleaning kits — squeegees, scrapers, extension poles
- Material-specific cleaning products — granite cleaner, hardwood cleaner, tile cleaner, etc.
4. Crew Size and Scalability
Ask how many crew members they'll assign to your project and whether they can scale up for tight deadlines. A single cleaner on a 3,000 sq ft house will take 2–3 days. A crew of 4 can finish in one day.
10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- How many years have you been doing construction cleaning specifically? — Look for 3+ years minimum.
- Can you provide references from general contractors or builders? — Not homeowners — GCs have higher standards and can speak to reliability.
- What insurance coverage do you carry? Can you provide a COI? — If they hesitate, walk away.
- Do you use HEPA-filter vacuums? — If not, their cleaning process will redistribute drywall dust rather than removing it.
- What cleaning products do you use on natural stone / hardwood / quartz? — They should name specific products, not generic answers. Wrong products = permanent damage.
- How do you handle damage discovered during cleaning? — A professional company documents and reports damage; they don't try to hide it.
- What's your policy if we're not satisfied with the clean? — Look for guaranteed re-clean at no additional cost.
- How many crew members will be on my project? — Ensures appropriate staffing for your timeline.
- Can you provide a detailed written scope of work? — Vague proposals lead to disputes. Detailed scopes protect both parties.
- What's your availability / lead time? — Can they deploy when you need them, or will they delay your project?
Red Flags to Avoid
🚩 Walk Away If You See These
- No insurance or won't provide COI — this means any damage or injury becomes your liability
- Quotes over the phone without seeing the site — indicates they'll either add charges later or cut corners
- No written contract or scope of work — "we'll clean everything" is not a scope
- Significantly lower price than all other bids — usually means they're underbidding and will either ask for more money or deliver poor quality
- Uses residential cleaning equipment — household vacuums and Swiffer mops are not construction cleaning tools
- Can't name specific products for specific surfaces — means they use one product for everything, which will damage sensitive surfaces
- No references from commercial/construction clients — house cleaning experience ≠ construction cleaning experience
- Cash-only payment — indicates they may be uninsured and won't provide documentation
How to Evaluate Bids
When comparing bids from multiple cleaning contractors, don't just compare price. Compare value:
| Evaluation Criteria | Weight | What to Compare |
|---|---|---|
| Scope detail | 25% | Does the bid list specific tasks, or just "final clean"? |
| Insurance | 20% | Coverage limits, COI provided, workers' comp verified |
| Experience | 20% | Years in construction cleaning, GC references, project types |
| Price | 15% | Compare per-sq-ft rate across similar scopes |
| Guarantee | 10% | Written satisfaction guarantee, re-clean policy |
| Availability | 10% | Can they make your schedule? Rush capability? |
"The cheapest bid is rarely the best value. We've been called to re-clean more jobs than we can count where the builder hired the lowest bidder and ended up paying twice — once for the bad clean and once for us to fix it." — Dunnington General Maintenance
Building a Long-Term Relationship
The best construction cleaning comes from long-term relationships between builders and cleaning contractors. When a cleaning company knows your standards, your GCs, your preferred finishes, and your timeline expectations, every project goes smoother.
- Communicate standards early — share your specific expectations before the first project
- Provide feedback after every job — helps the cleaning company improve
- Pay on time — reliable payment keeps you at the top of their priority list
- Give advance notice — more lead time = better scheduling = better results
- Provide consistent volume — volume relationships earn better rates and priority scheduling
✅ 43 Years of Builder Partnerships
Dunnington General Maintenance has been partnering with Ohio builders and contractors since 1983. We provide references from current GC clients, full insurance coverage with COI, and a written satisfaction guarantee on every project. Call (937) 469-5099 to start the conversation.