I owned a small cleaning residential and commercial and I would like to get into new construction cleaning, since cleaning residential homes is not working out that well. Please if someone has a construction cleaning services help me by sharing a little bit of information on how you started and how can I do the same . I need to know step by step procedures of doing the bids for a job? any ideas such as footage, do you charge extra for windows, garage? . what is included in the Rough Clean, Final Cleaning.

What's the best way to advertise for the new construction clean up?
do you have any flyers that you used and worked for you when you started that can give me ideas for my business? please help I do not want to give up on my business, I LOVE what I do and I would like for my business to be able to grow one day.


any help/suggestion/ideas will be GREATLY APRECIATED

I used to do this up until about 8 or 9 years ago and I'll tell you upfront, it's hard work. With the decline in new builds, it might not be easy to get work. Print up your business cards and go to the offices of the construction companies who are building in your area. Ask to bid on cleaning. They set the price, you don't have to, they may negotiate with you later after you are established and they like you. See them regularly. Maybe take them some donuts when you go. Also, go to the construction site and ask to see the superintendent. If he is having trouble with his current cleaner, he may get the company to take you on. Make sure you are properly licensed and get a million dollars worth of liability coverage. No one will let you work for them if you are not insured. Their biggest issue with their current cleaning company will be that they don't come when they are scheduled so you must emphasize you are on time and reliable. You are thourough, they will never find something you didn't do properly.
I tried to contract out my windows when I could, they are the most time consuming and most labor. I also contracted some of the sweeps out to teenagers. This is how most builders run it: 1st there may be a sweep at electrical inspection. This is to clean up a lot of sawdust and construction debris so the inspector has an easier time inspecting the house. They will pay you $25-35 for this (prices from pre 2000)Then a carpet sweep which is getting the house cleaned for carpet installation. Another $25-35. I swept the basement and garage at this point also, or contracted that out to laborers or teenagers, paying 10 for one or 20 for both. The rough clean will probably be paid at so many cents per square foot. Get the house plans from the sales office so you know how much to bill them for that. At that point I did my windows if I could, you get the carpets dirty if it's already installed. After the carpet is installed they will schedule you for the rough clean. Basically you clean the entire house, final clean should be a touch up really. You need to shop vac the furnace vents, some builders want you to wipe out the drywall but they will cut your hands up so I refused to do that. You clean the bathrooms, the kitchen and vacuum. Clean the floors on your way out. Make sure you clean the tops of the cabinets and all the shelves. I used to vacuum them with the shop vac, then wipe out with mineral oil because it doesn't leave a residue. If you clean with water and cleaning liquid and a cloth or sponge, there will be dusty residue there after it dries. I cleaned nearly everything with laquer thinner, it is the thing to get off most construction grime. It is dangerous to your health so use it carefully. It cleans the window frames really well, there are usually black marks on them that won't come off. Also good in the tub and shower floors. WD-40 is a good way to get black marks off of linoleum floors. I liked Armstrong vinyl floor cleaner to polish the floors, a wood floor cleaner for hardwood and loved all of the Cabinet Magic, Countertop Magic, Stainless Steel Magic products. they are super, I got them at hardware stores like Lowe's, Ace, etc. You should not be responsible for cleaning the exterior of the house but they like the garage, basement and driveway washed out. You should charge extra if you have to come back because you cleaned when you were scheduled and another contractor came into work in the house and messed it up.
you have to have all of your billing in by certain days that they set up monthly, have it turned in by then or you won't get paid til the next period and that hurts. I hope this helps, I'm kind of remembering bits and pieces since it's been a while. Good luck.

Working with construction companies can be quite profitable when set up correctly. It should start with a business letter from a janitorial service or commercial cleaning company to the main office of the general contractor. An introductory letter requesting to have your company placed on their ?bidders list?, along with a copy of your insurance and business licenses, construction industry references with phone numbers and some documentation of your abilities seems to go a long way. But that?s only the first step of many. A flyer or brochure will easily address your abilities. Construction site cleaning opportunities happen quickly and will go to the post construction cleaning company with all the paperwork completed and in place.

On your first trip to the construction you will need to shake the hand of the Site Superintendant or Project Manager. The key to working with construction contractors consistently is the contractors perception that you are familiar with their requirements and that you can accomplish them on a strict time schedule and in an uneventful manner. It would be smart to establish a new d.b.a. with a construction related name (i.e. Sparkle Cleaning d.b.a. Site Cleaning Support). Go to Home Depot and get a white hard hat ($10.00?) and a reflective safety vest ($10.00?). Go to an ad specialties store, get a work shirt and have them embroider your company name on it. Have them letter the hard hat and the vest with the same name also. Office Depot makes quick ?no frills? business cards for about $10.00 for a hundred. Have some conservative basic cards made. Jeans and work boots are a must. On a construction site, the person from Site Cleaning Support with the uniform, hard hat and safety vest will quickly get an invitation to bid. The person from Sparkle Cleaning, with the ?pink flowers and bubbles? business card, will either get punched in the nose or receive the kind of attention they don?t want! When you visit the site for the first time, look for the construction office trailer. Identify yourself as a contractor and ask for the Superintendant or Project Manager. Don?t try to sell anyone else, this is very important. Only speak with the Super, PM or their administrative staff in the office trailer. Contractors disrupting the flow of work on a site are a problem, will be asked to leave the site and will not be asked to bid. Your first statement to the PM should be: ?Hi, I?m a cleaning contractor and I?m interested in competing for work on this project.? Shortly after that you should say: ?I know you?re very busy and I won?t take up your time right now, but I do want to be considered when the time is right. What?s your turn over date?? and then ?Our paperwork is already of file at your office and so I don?t pester you, what would be a good approximate date to stop back?? Shake their hand, leave a card and maybe a flyer and then get off their site. Your professionalism is truly appreciated by them. Good luck with your new venture!

You can find a detailed scope of work at:
http://www.acleaningbid.com/index_files/construction_clean_up.htm

Have you considered going after the rental unit market, you could contact realestate companies who manage the properties (other sources are attorney's and banks). This may also get you access to builders who use the same realestate companies.

Lastly talk with folks in your local government, they have offices that need cleaning as well.

The good thing about some of this commercial or government office cleaning is they may let you advertise you business to employees so you could pick up extra residential work.

Ralph Castano
Castano Accounting and Financial Services, LLC