Specialty Service
Post Construction Cleaning Portland
Your GC just called. The space needs to be move-in ready, but there's drywall dust on every surface and adhesive on the windows. The HVAC vents are packed with sawdust. A regular cleaning crew won't cut it here. You need a Portland post construction cleaning crew that's actually done it before.
Why Post-Construction Cleaning Is a Specialized Job
Construction dust is not regular dust. Drywall compound turns into ultra-fine powder that gets into places you wouldn't think to check: inside cabinets, behind outlet covers, deep in the ductwork. Paint splatters bond to new flooring. Adhesive residue from manufacturer labels won't come off with all-purpose cleaner. Grout haze films over tile that was installed yesterday. And protective window film? Leaves its own residue if you peel it off wrong.
Your regular janitorial crew isn't set up for this. Post-construction cleaning takes HEPA-filtered vacuums, detail scrapers, the right solvents for each type of residue, and a room-by-room system. Otherwise you're just pushing dust around.
The Expensive Shortcut
We've seen this go wrong enough times to be blunt about it. Skip the proper post-construction clean, or rush it with an unequipped crew, and construction dust will circulate through the HVAC system for months. It coats new furniture. Tenants complain. Filters burn out faster. People get headaches. One thorough clean now costs a fraction of what you'll spend fixing those problems later.
The 2-Phase Process: Rough Clean and Final Clean
Post-construction cleaning is not one visit. It's two phases, and they happen at different points in the construction schedule. Time them wrong and the next trade through the door undoes your clean.
Rough Clean
When: After drywall and mechanicals, before paint and flooring
This clears the site so finish trades can work in a clean environment. It also prevents drywall dust from getting sealed under paint or embedded in new flooring.
- ✓ Remove all debris, drywall scraps, packaging, and leftover materials
- ✓ Sweep and vacuum every floor surface
- ✓ Dust all horizontal surfaces, ledges, and sills
- ✓ Clean exterior glass on all windows
- ✓ Wipe down rough-installed fixtures and appliances
- ✓ Clear visible debris from HVAC openings
Final Clean
When: After all finishes are installed and every trade has left the site
This is the pass that turns a construction site into a place someone would actually want to work in. Nothing gets skipped.
- ✓ Remove all stickers, labels, manufacturer film, and protective coverings
- ✓ Detail clean every window: glass, tracks, sills, and frames
- ✓ Clean all light fixtures, switch plates, outlet covers, and thermostats
- ✓ Wipe down every baseboard, piece of trim, and door frame
- ✓ Deep clean kitchens and bathrooms including inside all cabinets
- ✓ Vacuum and mop all finished floors
- ✓ Clean every HVAC vent, return grille, and accessible duct opening
Before We Arrive: How to Get the Best Result
How good your final clean turns out depends a lot on what's done before we get there. This is what we tell every GC and project manager.
For the Best Final Clean
- ✓ All construction 100% complete: paint dry, flooring down, fixtures mounted
- ✓ All trades off-site with no return visits pending
- ✓ Construction tools, materials, and equipment removed
- ✓ Utilities on: running water, working lights, HVAC powered
- ✓ Building access arranged: badges, keys, or escort schedule confirmed
What Slows Things Down
- × Trades returning after final clean starts. Even one electrician installing a cover plate creates dust
- × Punch list items incomplete. Paint touch-ups leave overspray on cleaned surfaces
- × No running water. We can't clean without it
- × Debris still on-site. Final clean is not debris removal, that's the rough clean
- × Access delays. Waiting for badges or escorts eats into productive cleaning hours
Room-by-Room: What Gets Cleaned
Kitchens aren't the same job as open office space. Here's what gets done in each area.
Every Room
✓ Construction dust removed from ceilings, walls, and corners
✓ All light switches, outlets, and thermostats wiped clean
✓ Light fixtures cleaned and protective coverings removed
✓ Paint splatters and adhesive residue removed from surfaces
✓ Window glass, sills, tracks, and frames detail cleaned
✓ Baseboards, trim, crown molding wiped down
✓ Doors, door frames, and hardware cleaned
✓ Floors vacuumed (HEPA) and mopped
Kitchens and Break Rooms
✓ Inside and outside of all cabinets and drawers
✓ Countertops cleaned, adhesive residue removed
✓ Appliances cleaned inside and out, polished
✓ Sinks, faucets, and drains detail cleaned
✓ Backsplash cleaned, grout haze removed
✓ Stainless steel surfaces polished streak-free
Bathrooms and Restrooms
✓ Toilets, urinals, and fixtures cleaned and disinfected
✓ Showers, tubs, and tile detail cleaned, grout haze removed
✓ Mirrors polished, protective film removed
✓ Sinks, faucets, and drains detailed
✓ All hardware and accessories wiped down
✓ Inside cabinets and vanities cleaned
Who Hires Us
If you're the person who has to get a construction project to the finish line and need the space clean before anyone moves in, we already know how your day works.
General Contractors
You need a cleaning crew that shows up on time, doesn't need hand-holding, and delivers a result that passes inspection. We coordinate directly with your PM and work around your schedule, including evenings and weekends when deadlines get tight.
Property Managers
Tenant improvement projects, unit turnovers, common area renovations. You're balancing construction timelines with lease start dates. We understand that pressure and size our crew to meet your deadline, not the other way around.
Business Owners
You just spent real money renovating and you want the space to look like it. We make sure there's no trace of construction when your staff and customers walk in.
Homeowners and DIYers
You love the doing your own remodel, but the cleanup is a nightmare. We step in after the dust has settled to make your space look pristine again.
Types of Post-Construction Projects We Handle
Different project types create different messes. A ground-up build has months of accumulated dust in the ductwork. A TI project has adhesive and drywall compound in a space that was occupied two weeks ago. We adjust our approach to what the project actually needs.
New Commercial Construction
Office buildings, retail, medical, restaurants, mixed-use. Full rough clean and final clean. The heaviest level of post-construction work.
Tenant Improvements
Office build-outs, retail reconfigs, suite renovations. Usually a final clean only, on a tight timeline tied to a lease start date.
Renovations and Remodels
Kitchen upgrades, bathroom remodels, flooring replacement, interior refreshes. Scope varies. Sometimes one room, sometimes an entire floor.
Multi-Family Housing
Apartment buildings, condos, mixed-use residential. Unit-by-unit cleaning with common area attention. We scale crew size to match your turnover schedule.
What Affects the Scope of a Post-Construction Clean
No two projects quote the same. These are the factors that actually move the number.
Square footage
The most obvious factor. A 3,000 sq ft office suite is a different job than a 20,000 sq ft new build. We quote based on actual area, not an estimate.
Phases needed
Rough clean only, final clean only, or both. Most new construction needs both. Many TI projects and renovations only need a final clean.
Dust and debris level
If the GC masked the vents and covered the floors during drywall, the final clean goes much faster. If nobody did that, expect us to spend a lot more time in the ductwork. Protective measures during construction directly affect your final clean bill.
Room mix
Kitchens and bathrooms take longer than open office space. A medical facility with multiple exam rooms is different from a retail shell. The type of rooms matters as much as the total square footage.
Timeline pressure
If you have a hard occupancy deadline and you're giving us 48 hours' notice, we can make it work. We just bring more people. Tight timelines don't scare us, they just change crew size.
From the Field
Every job teaches you something. Here are a few that stuck with us.
The TI project with a Monday move-in
Property manager calls us Wednesday. 12,000 sq ft TI in Beaverton, drywall dust everywhere, furniture delivery Monday morning. The GC was still on punch list items Thursday. We walked the space Friday afternoon, brought four people Saturday, and basically lived there through the weekend. Sunday night we locked up. Monday the tenant moved in. They had no idea the place was a construction zone 72 hours before.
The renovation where nobody masked the vents
Contractor tells us it's a "light final clean." 6,000 sq ft office renovation in Southeast Portland. We get there and every single HVAC register is caked with drywall dust. Nobody masked anything during demo. What was supposed to be one day turned into two because we had to pull every vent cover and clean inside each duct opening by hand. Not what we quoted for, but we weren't going to leave it. That contractor called us back for his next three projects.
The multi-unit turnover under the rain
Eight units in Tigard, all renovated at once. New flooring, paint, fixtures. Problem was it was November and Portland was doing its thing. Every unit had moisture tracking in from the entries and condensation on the windows all morning. We learned fast: start in the back rooms where it's dry, save the entries for last, don't touch windows until afternoon when the fog burns off. Took us a day longer than a summer job would have, but all eight passed walk-through first try.
Post-Construction Cleaning in Portland's Climate
Portland gets 150+ days of rain a year. If you've only done post-construction work in drier climates, some of this won't be obvious.
Moisture and Timing
Construction sites in Portland track moisture year-round. If you clean a window at 8 AM in January while it's fogged over, you get streaks. We've learned to sequence detail work around when surfaces will actually cooperate. Windows and hard surfaces get done when the condensation clears, not on a fixed schedule.
Mold Prevention
Portland's humidity means mold can establish in a new building within weeks of construction completing. During every final clean, we inspect window frames, under-sink areas, and interior corners for early moisture accumulation. Catching it at this stage prevents expensive remediation after tenants are in the space.
Entry Area Strategy
Ground-floor entries and lobbies re-soil faster than any other surface in the building because of rain tracking. We clean these areas last for that reason. And we'll tell you straight: if you don't put mats down immediately after we finish, that lobby floor won't stay clean through the first rainstorm.
Low-VOC Products
New construction spaces are already off-gassing from paint, adhesives, sealants, and flooring. We use low-VOC, green-certified cleaning products exclusively on post-construction jobs. In a sealed new building with the HVAC running, the last thing occupants need is chemical cleaner fumes layered on top of new-construction off-gassing.
Need a quote for an upcoming project? We respond within a few hours.
After the Construction Clean
Your space is clean. Keep it that way.
Floor Cleaning & Polishing
New floors need protection from day one. Strip, seal, and polish to lock in that just-installed look.
Learn more →Window Cleaning
Construction film residue doesn't come off with Windex. Professional removal and first clean for new glass.
Learn more →Ongoing Janitorial Service
The post-construction clean gets you to move-in day. Regular janitorial keeps the space looking that way.
Learn more →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a rough clean and a final clean?
When should I schedule post-construction cleaning?
How long does post-construction cleaning take?
Do you handle both commercial and residential post-construction cleaning?
Can you clean construction dust out of HVAC systems?
What should be done before the cleaning crew arrives?
How does Portland's climate affect post-construction cleaning?
Do you work around other trades still finishing on site?
Your Contractor Shouldn't Have to Follow Up Twice
Tell us the project, the square footage, and the deadline. We'll have a quote back to you within hours, not days.