Since 1993, Busy Bees has helped Auckland builders, developers, project managers, property managers and homeowners get new builds, renovations and fit-outs ready for handover. We’re a New Zealand family-owned business, fully insured, with police-checked teams. Cleans can be booked after hours, early in the morning or at weekends, so they fit your programme. We work across Auckland, including the CBD, Britomart, Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter, Parnell, Newmarket, Ponsonby, Grafton and Eden Terrace, Albany/Rosedale, Takapuna, Rosebank/Avondale, Henderson, Onehunga, Penrose, Mount Wellington, East Tāmaki, Manukau and Airport Oaks.
A builders clean is judged on detail: the paint fleck on the window, the grit in the slider track, the film left on the oven door. If you’re tackling a small job yourself, use our room-by-room post-construction cleaning checklist.
What is post-construction cleaning?
Post-construction cleaning, often called a builders clean, is the detailed clean that takes a building from “trades finished” to “ready to use”. It removes construction dust, residue, paint and plaster marks, stickers and protective film from every surface, inside cupboards and along frames and tracks. It isn’t rubbish removal: skips, offcuts and builder’s waste stay with the builder.
What are the stages of a builders clean?
Most builders cleans run in up to three stages. The rough or builders clean happens once the main trades finish and removes the bulk of dust and debris. The final or “sparkle” clean is the high-detail pass before handover. A touch-up clean then removes marks and dust left by snag-list fixes, just before keys change hands.
Smaller renovations often combine the first two. Larger builds and fit-outs usually need all three, timed to your milestones.
What is included in a post-construction clean?
A full post-construction clean covers every room from the ceiling down: walls, skirting, joinery, cupboards inside and out, windows, frames and tracks, kitchens, bathrooms, floors, light fittings, switches and vents. For houses, paths, decks and the garage floor are usually included too. The table shows what’s covered by area.
| Area | What’s cleaned |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Benchtops, splashbacks, cupboards and drawers inside and out, appliances, sink and tapware |
| Bathrooms and laundry | Showers and glass, toilets, vanities, tiles and grout, mirrors, extractor fans |
| Windows and doors | Glass inside and out, frames, sills, slider tracks, handles |
| Walls and ceilings | Dust off ceilings, cornices, walls, skirting and architraves; marks spot-cleaned |
| Floors | Vacuumed and mopped; hard floors cleaned to suit the surface |
| Fixtures | Light fittings, switches, power points, vent grilles, wardrobes and shelving |
| Outside | Paths, decks, entrances, garage floor, exterior glass |
How do you clean construction dust properly?
Construction dust comes off by vacuuming first, working from the ceiling down, then damp-wiping with microfibre so dust is captured rather than pushed around. Ventilate between passes. Dry sweeping and compressed air only lift fine dust back into the air, and WorkSafe New Zealand says they aren’t appropriate for silica dust.
HEPA vacuuming suits construction dust: do ceilings, ledges, skirting and tracks first, then floors last. Vent grilles are vacuumed and wiped; ask your HVAC installer whether filters need changing after the build. Fine dust keeps drifting down, so the final clean includes a second dusting.
Concrete, brick, stone and fibre cement contain silica, and cutting them creates respirable crystalline silica dust. WorkSafe’s guidance is to clean it up with an H-class HEPA vacuum, never a household vacuum cleaner.
How do you remove paint, silicone and plaster from glass without scratching?
Paint flecks, silicone smears and plaster splashes come off with the gentlest method that works: soften with water or a surface-safe cleaner, lift with a plastic tool or non-scratch pad, and test a small area first. Glass manufacturers’ cleaning guides warn against razor blades and metal scrapers, especially on toughened glass, because grit dragged under a blade scratches it permanently.
Anything that won’t shift safely is flagged for your builder or glazier. For high or large glass, our window cleaning team cleans inside and out up to 6 metres, including frames and tracks.
When should protective film come off?
Protective film on windows, joinery, appliances and benchtops normally comes off at the final clean, so it protects surfaces while trades are still working. Check with your builder or supplier first: some films are meant to stay on until a particular trade has finished. We wipe dust off the edges before peeling, then clean the adhesive line underneath.
Renovations, new builds and commercial fit-outs: what’s different?
A renovation clean protects a lived-in home: dust travels into rooms nobody worked on, so those need cleaning too. A new build is empty, larger and dustier, and usually staged. A commercial fit-out runs to a programme, often after hours, with site inductions and access rules to follow.
After a renovation, carpets often need more than a vacuum, and carpet cleaning by hot water extraction lifts fine dust out of the pile. Once a fit-out opens, our commercial cleaning services can take over the regular clean. New vinyl, tile and concrete floors can be scrubbed and finished by our hard floor care team.
Asbestos and silica: where does a cleaner stop?
Cleaners must not disturb or clean up suspected asbestos. WorkSafe says homes built before 1 January 2000 may contain asbestos, in places such as textured ceilings, wall linings, vinyl flooring and old cladding. If renovation work may have disturbed it, stop, keep people out and contact a reputable asbestos contractor. Removalists and assessors may need a WorkSafe licence.
You can check a licence on WorkSafe’s licence holder register. After removal, an independent assessor confirms in writing when the area is safe to re-enter. We clean after that clearance, not before.
Engineered stone benchtops need care too. WorkSafe notes engineered stone can be more than 90% silica, and it expects workers who clean areas where engineered stone was cut or installed to wear respiratory protection, with wet wiping and H-class vacuums instead of sweeping.
What does handover-ready mean?
Handover-ready means the building can be inspected and used the day it’s handed over: no dust on any surface, streak-free glass, cupboards clean inside, floors finished, film and stickers gone, and nothing on the snag list caused by cleaning. We do a quality check against the scope and fix anything missed before handover.
How is post-construction cleaning priced?
Post-construction cleaning is usually quoted as a fixed price for the agreed scope. Some cleaners price per square metre or by the hour, but a fixed quote is easier to budget against. The price depends on floor area and levels, how much dust and residue there is, the number of stages, glass and access, timing such as nights or weekends, and add-ons like carpet extraction.
We can quote from plans and photos or a site visit, with no obligation. We confirm the scope when we quote. For a fixed quote, get a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a builders clean and a sparkle clean?
A builders clean is the first, heavier clean once the main trades finish. It removes bulk dust, debris and residue so the site is safe and workable. A sparkle clean is the final, high-detail pass before handover: streak-free glass, dust-free edges, polished fittings and floors finished to suit the surface. Many projects add a short touch-up after late trades.
Can you work nights or weekends to meet a handover date?
Yes. Builders cleans can be booked after hours, early in the morning or at weekends to meet a handover date. After-hours cleaning suits commercial fit-outs and occupied buildings, and it lets us work around trades that are still on site during the day. Our office and phone hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Do you remove paint and adhesive from windows?
Yes, where it’s safe for the surface. We soften paint flecks, silicone smears and label adhesive and lift them with non-scratch tools, testing a small area first. We don’t use razor blades on new glass, because construction grit dragged under a blade can scratch it. Anything that won’t come off safely is flagged for your builder or glazier.
Do you take away construction waste?
No. Large debris, offcuts, skip bins and builder’s waste stay with your builder or contractor. Our work is dust, residue and detailing. We’ll coordinate with your builder or contractor so the site is clear before the clean starts and everything is ready on time.
Are your cleaners insured and police-checked?
Yes. Busy Bees is fully insured and our cleaners are police-checked. On construction sites we follow your site induction, access and safety requirements, so we can work alongside your trades without holding up the programme. Tell us about any site rules when you book, and we’ll plan the clean around them.