Builders clean cost in Australia
The published per square metre rate, the detail items charged separately, and a worked example showing why the second group usually decides the total.
After construction cleaning in Australia is published at $6 to $12 per square metre, or $350 to $1,800 and up per project. That is the headline rate and it is the number quotes lead with.
It is also only part of the job. The detail work that determines whether a handover inspection passes is priced per item, not per square metre, and that is where quotes diverge.
Source: Everyday Clean, After Construction Cleaning Cost Guide Australia
The per square metre rate
| Item | Published rate |
|---|---|
| After construction cleaning, overall | $6 to $12 per sqm |
| Typical project total | $350 to $1,800 or more |
| Floor deep cleaning | $1 to $2 per sqm |
| Exterior window cleaning | $6 to $10 per sqm |
| Pressure washing | $4 to $7 per sqm |
Source: Everyday Clean, After Construction Cleaning Cost Guide Australia
The items priced per unit
| Item | Published cost | Why it costs what it does |
|---|---|---|
| Window and track detailing | $40 to $120 per window | Paint, dust and silicone require scraping and precision work |
| Adhesive and silicone removal | $80 to $150 per bathroom | Often embedded in tiles and joints, requiring manual tools |
| Grout haze removal | $100 to $200 per bathroom | Needs chemical neutralisers and repetitive polishing |
| High-finish surface detailing | $30 to $200 extra | Materials require non-abrasive, specialised products |
| Debris bagging and removal | $150 to $900 | Weight and disposal fees increase the cost |
| Rubbish removal | $150 to $900 | Depends on load |
| Carpet steam cleaning | $40 to $80 per room |
Source: Everyday Clean, After Construction Cleaning Cost Guide Australia
A worked example
Take a 200 square metre new build with fifteen windows and three bathrooms. This is our own arithmetic on the published rates above.
| Component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Area rate at $6 to $12 per sqm | $1,200 | $2,400 |
| Window and track detailing, 15 windows | $600 | $1,800 |
| Grout haze, 3 bathrooms | $300 | $600 |
| Adhesive and silicone, 3 bathrooms | $240 | $450 |
| Debris and rubbish removal | $150 | $900 |
| Indicative total | $2,490 | $6,150 |
Our derivation from the published rates. The area rate is between a third and a half of the total, which is why quoting on it alone is misleading.
Source: Derived from rates published in Everyday Clean, After Construction Cleaning Cost Guide Australia
The question that makes quotes comparable
Ask each cleaner to state, in writing, whether window tracks, grout haze, adhesive and silicone removal, and rubbish removal are inside the square metre rate or charged on top.
That single question resolves most of the difference between quotes, and it is worth asking before you compare the headline rates at all. A quote at the bottom of the published range with every detail item excluded is more expensive than a quote at the top of it with everything included.