General Cleaning Issues - Floorcare, car valeting, buying and selling businesses, pricing, staffing, market research, etc.
builders cleans asap!Posted by tracey (tracey), 30 December 2003
looking like may have got new contract on a large new building 13 floors including car park! does anyone have any hint's tips on this subject need all help get or if anyone can spare staff at birmingham at end of jan please let me know
tracey@cleanability.fsnet.co.uk Posted by petra (petra), 1 January 2004
Don't panic, you will sort this out no probs. prepare by geeting your staff sorted if you need more go to the job centre and explain and they may be able to help with tempory staff. and write down what you are gonna need.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
PetraPosted by tracey (tracey), 4 January 2004
thanks for the advice petra will let you know
anyone any practical advice on building cleans! Posted by petra (petra), 4 January 2004
what sort of advice do you want....
petraPosted by tracey (tracey), 5 January 2004
any do's or how deep is a actual builders clean i know basics and have done everything so far as in the homes in" how clean is your house" real pigsty's within a day. "including mice". to 105 eight bedroom student house's in 4 days on a bank holiday with 100% achivement this builders clean is a first for us and we want to get job 100% correct as all our work is important to us even 95% would be great 
Posted by petra (petra), 5 January 2004
in my opinion, your biggest pile of dirt will be dust and loads of it, the best way to lift this is vaccum everything, skirtings doors, frames,etc first. Then remove marks, plaster, paint on switchs, door knobs.making sure that if it is vinyil matt, that you don't wash it off the walls. Plastic scrapers are handy too for paint splogges. If there are no floor coverings, floor boards need mopping over. Get people to check each other work too, this helps with the little missed bits too.
Hope this helps a bit
PetraPosted by tracey (tracey), 5 January 2004
thanks petra if i can return the favor let me know
traceyPosted by shinebright (shinebright), 5 January 2004
Has anybody any experience of builders cleans?
I would like to know:
What they expect?
How early do you approach a new site?
How quickly do you expect payment?
What pricing structure do you use?
I have considered this work before but like Tracey would like to know how the trade approach this work and not be conned by the builders.Posted by petra (petra), 6 January 2004
builders clean's can be good earners, but as for pricing its diffucult, i price only once a site has been inspected by me, and it depends on how deep the dust is and how much plaster there is on skirtings, and paint splashes, and lables on sinks baths and loo's, and size of kitchen as all these are time consuming. Materials are not a lot, a good hoover that has a good filtration system ( we use dyson cylinder's for builders houses) mop,buckets, good cotton cloths. multi purpose, loo cleaner, and blade scraper and plastic scraper, scourere'sand floor gel, stainless steel polish and glass cloths. And staff that enjoy builders cleans.
The way I judge a good job done is, when finished walk off site for a fag, go back as a prospective buyer, does the bathroom look clean and new (no water marks, dust ect) Sorry flat mop for tiles (forgot that one) Kitchen cupboards tops too and inside, do they look new? by now you should like and feel clean in the building. But you as a good cleaner will find things that the builder will need to add to his snag list, so do tell them, as it makes you look more professional.
As for payment you alway give a prospective customer your terms of payment in writing, but the odd ones can take as long as 60 days.
Hope this helps.
As for approaching, can't help with that as all our builders clean's come via word of mouth as does most of our work, we get the odd call, on average 1 per month from the yellow pages or thomson, but most of them are domestic's.Posted by shinebright (shinebright), 7 January 2004
Thank you Petra, your advice is helpful and appreciated.
Can I just ask about pricing again. I generally clean windows and charge out at £20 per hour minimum. I have a friend who runs an office cleaning business and claims that he can only manage £8 per hour. What do you typically price at when you have assessed the job?Posted by SK1971 (SK1971), 7 January 2004
If you are cleaning the building over a number of days, get the foreman to sign completion forms for the areas you have cleaned. Otherwise, tradesmen, will walk through, and carry out other work in the areas you have just cleaned.Posted by petra (petra), 7 January 2004
Prices vary all over the country, we did a builders clean last year 4 bed houses inc windows for £150, but they only took 6 man hour each as the builder were clean.
PetraPosted by tracey (tracey), 9 January 2004
this is 2500 square metors per floor 9 floors they want the flooring lifting and cleaning under then cleaning again (pres clean) and two car parks and two stairways bathrooms on each floor and plant room including mile's of pipe workPosted by petra (petra), 9 January 2004
Well from what your saying, you have got to lift flooring? did I get that right, if so, we would not do this as any damage you will be liable for and not sure if insurance will cover you for this, and you are supplying a cleaning service, not building serv. The rest sounds fine to me, but useless with trying to imagine size of place as I not good with measurements, but from what your saying it big buck time.Do make sure that any contract covers your back not their's and also include payment terms in Contract.
Petra
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