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Construction cleanup · Portland metro

Post Construction Cleaning Portland

Drywall dust on every surface, adhesive on the windows, and an occupancy date that won't move. Our Portland post construction cleaning crews run the rough clean, the final clean and the punch-out re-clean on offices, warehouses, renovations and new homes.

Post construction cleaning Portland, RKA crew detailing a commercial space after construction
  • Zero Missed cleanings Since 2020

  • 5.0 On Google

  • CSI 01 74 23 final-cleaning spec Punch-out re-clean on the original quote

  • $1M Liability per occurrence $2M aggregate, bonded

The job

Why Post-Construction Cleaning Is a Specialized Job

Drywall powder gets inside closed cabinets and into the ductwork. Paint splatter bonds to new flooring, and grout haze films over tile set the day before. Each residue needs its own solvent, scraper or HEPA vacuum, and a nightly janitorial crew usually carries none of them.

Send elsewhere

  • Lead paint, asbestos, mold beyond incidental levels, sharps: a licensed abatement contractor clears the site first
  • Cleaning inside the full duct run and the air handler: we refer you to an HVAC cleaning specialist
  • Recurring house cleaning: we don't offer it

Project types

Types of Post-Construction Projects We Handle

The phases never change. The sequence and the sign-off change with the project type.

What we clean after construction

Tap a number

At the end of a build, drywall dust sits in the ceiling grid, the vents and inside closed cabinets, and the final clean has to get it out before anyone moves in.

Room 01 / 02 · Pin 1 Per job

Ceiling grid and lights

What it looks like

The final clean starts at the ceiling. The crew HEPA-vacuums the T-bar grid and tile faces, then cleans light lenses and housings, so anything that falls lands on floors not yet done. Medical suites and commercial kitchens get a third pass on the tiles and grid, because dust keeps settling for 24 to 48 hours after the first.

Steps

  1. HEPA-vacuum grid and tile faces
  2. Clean light lenses and housings
  3. Work top down, floors last
  4. Add a third tile pass where needed

Tools

  • HEPA backpack vacuum

Full section: Ceiling grid and lights

01 / 05

Commercial Post-Construction Cleaning

A commercial final clean gets checked twice: at the owner's punch walk, and by the tenant on move-in morning.

Buildings
Office, retail, medical, restaurant and mixed-use, new builds and TIs
Phases
Rough and final on new construction; final only on most TIs
Spec
CSI MasterFormat 01 74 23, Final Cleaning

Retail TIs add storefront glass; medical suites and kitchens add a ceiling-tile pass. A one-time commercial deep cleaning the week before opening takes settled dust off an empty space.

02 / 05

Industrial Post-Construction Cleaning

Clean the roof structure of a new warehouse before the racking goes in, while a lift can reach every bay.

Buildings
Warehouses, distribution centers, plants, tilt-up shells and flex space
High dusting
Lift-certified crew; lifts or high-reach HEPA dust vacuums above 20 ft
Slab
HEPA-vacuumed, then wet-cleaned; neutral cleaner on polished or sealed concrete

Sawcutting and grinding dust settles on joists, roof deck, sprinkler pipe and high-bay fixtures, then drifts onto racking once air moves. After opening, recurring industrial cleaning keeps it clear.

03 / 05

Renovation & Tenant Improvement Cleanup

Most renovations happen in buildings that stay open, so the clean runs in phases, behind the GC's dust barrier.

Typical jobs
Suite and floor renovations, TIs, kitchen and restroom remodels
Occupied buildings
After-hours work; badges and freight elevator booked ahead
Phasing
Each phase cleaned and handed back before the next one opens

Debris leaves bagged, and the route to the freight elevator gets HEPA-vacuumed as we go. Unmasked vents are the usual reason a one-day job runs to two, as the renovation from the field shows.

04 / 05

Residential Post-Construction Cleaning for Builders

Buyers at a final walkthrough open cabinets, slide windows and run a hand along the trim.

Builds
Single-family homes, spec homes, townhomes, condos and apartment buildings
Phases
Rough after drywall, final after finishes, touch-up before the buyer walkthrough
Multifamily
Unit by unit, with corridors, stairs and amenity rooms on their own line

We time the touch-up for the buyer walkthrough, after the punch list. After lease-up, a unit turning between residents is an apartment turnover cleaning job.

05 / 05

Cleaning After a Home Remodel or Addition

After a kitchen remodel, a new bathroom or an addition, the dust is in rooms the contractor never worked in.

Typical jobs
Kitchen and bathroom remodels, additions, new flooring
Scope
Final clean of the work area, plus dust removal in the rooms it reached
Book after
The contractor's last visit, with debris hauled and water and power on

The work area gets the same final-clean list we use for builders. Call or text (971) 600-0752 with the rooms involved and the date you want the house back.

Phases

The 2-Phase Process: Rough Clean and Final Clean

Rough and final are the two phases every spec names. Book one too early and the next trade through the door undoes it.

  1. Phase 1

    Rough Clean

    After drywall and mechanicals, before paint and flooring

    • Debris, drywall scrap and packaging bagged and removed
    • Floors swept and HEPA-vacuumed
    • Horizontal surfaces, ledges and sills dusted
    • Exterior window glass cleaned
    • Rough-installed fixtures wiped; HVAC openings cleared of debris
  2. Phase 2

    Final Clean

    After all finishes are installed and every trade has left the site

    • Stickers, labels, protective film, paint splatter and adhesive removed
    • Windows detailed: glass, tracks, sills and frames
    • Light fixtures, switch plates, outlet covers and thermostats cleaned
    • Walls, baseboards, trim, doors and frames wiped
    • Kitchens and restrooms detailed, inside every cabinet
    • Finished floors HEPA-vacuumed and mopped
    • Every HVAC vent, return grille and accessible duct opening cleaned

Between phases

What actually happens between rough and final: the touch-up phase

Large commercial projects add two passes to rough and final. Both belong in the budget from the start.

  • Touch-up cleans (between trades)

    A 60 to 90 minute pass after paint and before flooring. Floor and tile crews start on a swept substrate, and the final clean doesn't double in scope.

  • Punch-out re-clean

    Trades returning for punch-list items leave dust behind. Most projects need a 2 to 4 hour re-clean before the tenant inspection, priced on the original quote.

  • OSHA-compliant debris handling

    Debris goes out bagged under the GC's site safety plan and OSHA 29 CFR 1926.25. Concrete and joint-compound dust can carry silica, and 29 CFR 1926.1153 bars dry sweeping where HEPA vacuuming works, so we use backpack HEPA vacuums.

Final-clean list

Room-by-Room: What Gets Cleaned

The Phase 2 list covers every room, cabinets included. Kitchens and restrooms take the longest and add these.

Kitchens and Break Rooms

  • Appliances cleaned inside and out
  • Sinks, faucets and drains detailed
  • Backsplash grout haze removed

Bathrooms and Restrooms

  • Toilets, urinals and fixtures cleaned and disinfected
  • Showers, tubs and tile detailed, grout haze removed
  • Mirror film removed, mirrors polished
  • Inside cabinets and vanities cleaned
  • Hardware and accessories wiped down

Site prep

Before We Arrive: How to Get the Best Result

The final clean goes fastest when the site looks like this.

Ready for the final clean

  • Construction finished: paint dry, flooring down, fixtures mounted
  • Every trade off site, punch list closed
  • Tools, materials and debris removed (debris is the rough clean's job)
  • Running water, working lights and HVAC on
  • Badges, keys or escort schedule confirmed

Scope

What Affects the Scope of a Post-Construction Clean

Besides the phases you need and the dust the trades left, three factors move the quote.

  1. Square footage

    We quote measured area. A 3,000 sq ft office suite and a 20,000 sq ft new build are different jobs.

  2. Room mix

    Kitchens, restrooms and exam rooms take longer per square foot than open office space.

  3. Timeline pressure

    With a hard occupancy deadline and 48 hours' notice, we add people to the crew.

Timing and air

Post-Construction Cleaning in Portland Buildings: Timing, Air and Finishes

Three habits keep a final clean looking finished after we leave.

Moisture checks at the final clean

We check window frames, under sinks and corners for water left from the build and send the GC a photo.

Entries last

Every trade walks through the lobby until the last day, so we clean entries last. Put walk-off mats down the day we finish.

Low-VOC products

New finishes are still off-gassing, so we use low-VOC products, and Green Seal or EPA Safer Choice on request.

Cities

Post-construction cleaning across Portland metro

We do post-construction cleaning across the Portland metro and into Southwest Washington. The cities below get the most work, and we also cover Tualatin, Wilsonville, Oregon City and Milwaukie. The crew and the equipment are the same in every city. Access rules and building stock change.

Post-construction cleaning in Portland

TIs downtown, in the Pearl, Lloyd, Central Eastside and South Waterfront, mostly 3,000 to 15,000 sq ft and final clean only. Warehouse conversions mix old plaster dust with new drywall.

Post-construction cleaning in Beaverton

New housing at South Cooper Mountain and steady TI work along the Sunset corridor and Murray Scholls, usually with heavy drywall dust and extra vent passes.

Post-construction cleaning in Lake Oswego

Small, high-finish TIs, typically under 8,000 sq ft, for law firms, wealth managers and medical practices. Plan two final-clean passes when the project has natural stone or imported finishes.

Post-construction cleaning in Tigard

Projects of 5,000 to 25,000 sq ft in the Tigard Triangle and along 99W, usually rough and final. In the Triangle the shell next door is often still under construction, so the bid includes a re-clean window. Dealership and storefront jobs on 99W mean Mylar on the glass and overspray on aluminum trim. King City, Durham and Bridgeport Village work falls in the same bid pool.

Post-construction cleaning in Hillsboro

Tech and medical-device tenants around Tanasbourne and Orenco, some next to cleanroom space. We add HVAC dust passes and low-lint microfiber, and keep a dated cleaning log for the tenant's records.

Post-construction cleaning in Vancouver, WA

Washington L&I rules instead of Oregon OSHA, on jobs near the Vancouver Waterfront, along I-205 and in Salmon Creek. GCs here usually want one final clean in a 48 to 72 hour window before move-in.

Post-construction cleaning in Gresham

Small offices, retail on Powell and older industrial renovations along I-84, mostly under 5,000 sq ft and final clean only. Gresham is 25 to 35 minutes from Portland, so we cluster jobs there.

Post-construction cleaning in Happy Valley

New retail, restaurants and small offices of 2,000 to 8,000 sq ft along Sunnyside Road and near Clackamas Town Center. Trades track in clay subsoil, so entries get extra floor care.

Field notes

From the Field

  1. The TI project with a Monday move-in

    In Beaverton the GC was still on punch items Thursday, with furniture arriving Monday. We worked the weekend, and the tenant moved into a space that had been a construction zone 72 hours earlier.

  2. The renovation where nobody masked the vents

    A "light final clean" on 6,000 sq ft in Southeast Portland had every register caked with dust. Cleaning each vent turned one day into two. It wasn't in the quote. We finished it anyway, and the contractor has hired us since.

  3. The apartment renovation with one walkthrough date

    Several Tigard apartment units shared one walkthrough date. We did back rooms first, entries last and windows in the afternoon, and every unit passed the first time.

Questions

Post-Construction Cleaning Questions

What is the difference between a rough clean and a final clean?

A rough clean happens after drywall and mechanical rough-ins, before paint and flooring, so finish trades work on a clean site. A final clean is the detail pass before occupancy, from windows and cabinets to HVAC vents and floors. Most commercial projects need both; some renovations need only the final.

When should I schedule post-construction cleaning?

Book the rough clean once drywall is hung, taped and mudded, before the painters arrive. Book the final clean after every finish is installed and every trade is off site. We can usually start within 48 hours of notification.

How long does post-construction cleaning take?

A final clean on a standard 5,000 square foot office TI takes a crew of 2-3 people a full day. A 15,000 square foot new build with heavy drywall dust may take 2-3 days. A site where the GC masked vents and covered floors during drywall cleans up in half the time.

Do you handle both commercial and residential post-construction cleaning?

Yes. Most of our work is commercial: offices, retail, medical, restaurants, tenant improvements and new industrial buildings. We also clean new homes, townhomes and apartment buildings for builders and GCs, and homes after a remodel once the contractor is finished.

Can you clean construction dust out of HVAC systems?

Every final clean covers HVAC vents, returns, grilles and accessible duct openings, where leftover dust would recirculate for months. The full duct run and the air handler need an HVAC cleaning specialist with truck-mounted equipment, and we can refer you to one in Portland.

What should be done before the cleaning crew arrives?

All construction should be 100% complete: paint dry, flooring down, fixtures mounted and no trades coming back. Clear out tools and materials, turn on water, lights and HVAC, and arrange badges or escorts in advance.

How does Portland's climate affect post-construction cleaning?

Mostly through timing. Cold glass fogs and streaks, so on a cool morning the crew starts with floors and cabinets and saves the windows for later in the day. In late summer and early fall, while the air is warm and dry, floor finish and sealer dry faster between coats.

Do you work around other trades still finishing on site?

We'd rather not, because a returning electrician or painter puts dust and overspray on surfaces we've already detailed. When a hard occupancy deadline forces it, we clean completed areas first and circle back as trades finish, in an order we work out with the GC's superintendent.

Do you handle post-construction cleaning in Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, and Vancouver, WA?

Yes, all of them, plus Gresham, Happy Valley, Tualatin, Wilsonville, Oregon City and Milwaukie. Vancouver, WA work falls under Washington L&I rather than Oregon OSHA. The city notes above cover the local construction context.

What's the difference between a rough clean and what other cleaners call a 'construction clean'?

A rough clean is a defined phase between drywall and paint that leaves a HEPA-vacuumed substrate for the finish trades. 'Construction clean' usually means one sweep after the job, with no defined scope. GCs working from a CSI MasterFormat 01 74 23 spec need each phase scoped as a separate deliverable.

Do you carry the insurance and bonding required to work on commercial construction sites?

Yes. General liability is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, we're bonded, and the COI names your project, GC entity and property owner as additional insured. Send any higher-limit or bond requirement with the RFQ to [email protected] and we'll confirm before we bid.

How do you handle dust falling from suspended ceiling tiles after the final clean?

Dust falls from suspended ceiling tiles for 24 to 48 hours after the initial clean, especially in kitchens and medical spaces. On those jobs we HEPA-vacuum the tiles and grid, then damp-wipe the surfaces below 24 to 48 hours later, as a return visit on the original quote.

Can you do post-construction cleaning on weekends or overnight to meet a Monday occupancy deadline?

Yes. A 12,000 square foot TI with a Monday move-in typically gets a 4-person crew from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. Planned weekend and overnight work booked at least 5 business days out runs at standard rates; less than 48 hours' notice may carry a rush charge.

What does post-construction cleaning cost in Portland?

We quote per square foot or as a lump sum after a walkthrough. Our published hourly range for specialty work, post-construction included, is $55–$90 an hour. Most GCs prefer Pre-Final and Final as separate line items, with the punch-out re-clean as a planned line.

Will you coordinate directly with our GC, or do we need to be the middleman?

We work directly with the GC's project manager or superintendent and follow the site safety plan. The day before mobilization we email crew names, the arrival window and the COI. After the final clean, the PM gets a punch-out checklist with photos.

Next step

Send the Square Footage and the Occupancy Date

Tell us the project type, the square footage, the phases you need and the ready date. We'll send a quote back within hours.