Rough, final, touch-up: the three phases of a post-construction clean
Post-construction cleaning isn't one job — it's three, spread across the build. Confusing them is how a site ends up re-cleaned twice and a handover slips. Here's how builders, developers and GCs in Edmonton should think about the phases, and what each one costs.
Phase 1 — Rough clean
After the major trades rough-in and before finishing work, the rough clean clears bulk debris, removes stickers and labels, and knocks down the first wave of dust so painters and finishers aren't working in a mess. It's about access, not polish.
Phase 2 — Final clean
The big one. Once finishes are in, the final clean is full HEPA extraction of fine drywall and sanding dust from every surface and cavity, plus adhesive, paint over-spray, grout haze and glass film removal. This is the clean that makes the space photograph and inspect as a finished unit.
Phase 3 — Touch-up
Between final clean and handover, trades and walk-throughs reintroduce dust and fingerprints. The touch-up is a light pass right before possession so the client walks into a genuinely finished whitebox, not a settled-dust shell.
Why HEPA, and why per square foot
Fine drywall dust is the most pervasive soil on a site — a shop vac just blows it back into the HVAC. Commercial HEPA extraction captures it instead. Because the variable is area and debris load, not bedrooms, post-construction is quoted per square foot — roughly C$0.30–0.50/sq ft in Edmonton depending on finish level and how much the trades left behind.
What's the difference between a rough and final post-construction clean?
The rough clean clears debris and dust for trades to keep working; the final clean is the full HEPA detail that makes the unit handover-ready.
How much does post-construction cleaning cost in Edmonton?
Roughly C$0.30–0.50 per square foot depending on debris load and finish level, quoted per project rather than by room.