Builders Clean Cost Calculator
Estimate the cost of a post-construction builders clean in Australia.
Your builders clean details
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
Ways to save
- Have the trades cart off their own large rubbish before the cleaner arrives, paying a cleaner $40–$65 an hour to remove construction waste is the most expensive way to get rid of it.
- If you're chasing a December settlement, book the builders clean window early; the November–December handover crunch tightens availability and pushes rates up.
How we estimate this
A builders clean is really three different jobs, and the price depends on which you're buying. As a rule of thumb it works out around $6–$12 per square metre for residential work, or $350–$1,800+ per project. Broken down by phase, a rough clean (debris and gross dust removal during the build) runs roughly $2.50–$4.00/m²; the detailed clean, glass, fixtures, paint and silicone removal, polishing, is where most of the cost sits at about $4.50–$7.50/m²; and a final touch-up before handover is cheap at $0.25–$0.60/m².
Pricing reviewed: October 2026.
Builders clean prices by city
Costs vary by city. See the local breakdown for your capital.
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Pricing reviewed October 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
Understanding builders clean costs in Australia
A builders clean is really three different jobs, and the price depends on which you're buying. As a rule of thumb it works out around $6–$12 per square metre for residential work, or $350–$1,800+ per project. Broken down by phase, a rough clean (debris and gross dust removal during the build) runs roughly $2.50–$4.00/m²; the detailed clean, glass, fixtures, paint and silicone removal, polishing, is where most of the cost sits at about $4.50–$7.50/m²; and a final touch-up before handover is cheap at $0.25–$0.60/m².
The materials and finish drive the labour. Natural stone, raw timber and large expanses of glazing all slow the job down, and paint, render, silicone, sticker or grout-haze overspray turns a tidy per-square-metre rate into an on-site re-quote or an hourly rollover at $40–$65 per cleaner. A cheap quote is very often a rough clean only, confirm in writing which phase you're paying for.
Timing matters more than people expect. End-of-financial-year and the pre-Christmas handover rush stretch every cleaner thin, so a project settling in December should lock in its clean weeks ahead. And get your builder to clear the big rubbish first: a cleaner's hourly rate is the dearest possible way to dispose of offcuts and packaging.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a builders clean cost?
Roughly $6–$12 per square metre for residential work, or $350–$1,800+ per project in 2026. A rough clean is cheapest; the detailed clean (glass, fixtures, overspray removal) is the bulk of the cost.
What's the difference between a rough and a final builders clean?
A rough clean removes debris and gross dust during the build. The final or detail clean removes construction dust, paint and silicone overspray, stickers and residue, and polishes everything ready for handover, it's the more labour-intensive of the two.
Why did my builders clean quote jump on the day?
Per-square-metre rates assume normal debris. Heavy paint or render overspray, grout haze or silicone smears trigger extra labour, so the cleaner re-quotes or rolls over to an hourly rate. Disclose the site condition upfront to avoid surprises.
Are you a cleaning business?
Everyone on this page is working out what builders clean costs because they are ready to hire. Put your business right beneath the calculator, in your state, so you are who they find. From $50/mo.