Your usual house cleaner shows up with a Swiffer, a mop, and 3 bottles of all-purpose spray. That's perfect for Tuesday. It is catastrophically wrong for the day after drywall finishers leave.
Here's the real difference — and why booking the wrong crew costs you money, time, and sometimes the tile finish itself.
The short version.
| Regular clean | Post-construction | |
|---|---|---|
| Dust type | Household dust (10-30µm) | Drywall dust (0.3-5µm) |
| Vacuum | Household or shop-vac | HEPA-certified 99.97% @ 0.3µm |
| Scope | Surfaces + floors, ~2-4hrs | Top-to-bottom + walls + fixtures, 1-3 days |
| Chemicals | All-purpose + glass | Grout haze remover, stone-safe, HEPA wipes |
| Crew size | 1-2 people | 3-5 people on large jobs |
| Price | $150-$300 | $400-$3,000+ |
| Insurance | Standard GL, ~$1M | $2M+ GL, workers' comp, COI required |
The equipment gap.
- HEPA vacuums. Standard residential cleaners don't own them — they cost $800-$3,000 and need commercial-grade maintenance.
- Commercial extension poles + scaffolds. High-ceiling wipe-downs require equipment residential cleaners don't stock.
- Grout haze chemicals. Pro-grade sulfamic and enzymatic products are stored/handled under EPA rules. Not Target.
- Wastewater capture. For wet cleaning of floors or patios, Boston requires wastewater capture. Standard cleaners don't have tanks.
The knowledge gap.
- Substrate identification. Is this marble or quartzite? Porcelain or ceramic? One wrong chemical and $8,000 of tile is etched forever.
- Grout haze removal. Separate skill. Residential cleaners don't do it. Post-con cleaners do 10+ bathrooms a month.
- Scope sequencing. Ceiling first, floors last. Wet trades before dry. Most residential cleaners just start scrubbing in the kitchen.
- Re-clean discipline. Post-con crews walk every room twice. Residential cleaners budget for one pass.
When NOT to use your regular cleaner.
If any of these are true, you need a post-construction crew:
- Drywall sanding happened on-site within the last 30 days
- New tile or stone was installed in the last 60 days
- Paint, stain, or finish work happened in the last 14 days
- Windows have manufacturer stickers or protective film
- Floors have protective paper or construction tape residue
- Cabinets or appliances have plastic wrap still on them
- Dust is visible on light fixtures or ceiling fan blades
When your regular cleaner is fine.
- Cosmetic updates only — new paint, no sanding
- Small cosmetic jobs (one room, <40 sq ft of new tile)
- Minimum 30 days post-construction with occupants back in place
- Monthly maintenance cleaning of already-finished space
Bottom line.
Think of it like this: regular cleaning maintains what's already clean. Post-construction cleaning brings a space from "construction site" to "clean." They're different services, different crews, different equipment, different prices. Don't try to save money by asking one to do the other's job. The math never works out.
Just finished a big build?
Tell us your scope. We quote residential + commercial post-con same day. Start tomorrow.