How to Start a New Construction Cleaning Business
If you are in great shape and not afraid of heights, have a cheerful attitude,an eye for detail, and are dependable, then starting a new construction cleaning business may be right for you. There is big money to be made in this industry. Read the steps below to find out how to start and operate a new construction cleaning business from home.
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Things You'll Need
- Cell phone
- Business cards
- Van or pick-up truck
- 30-foot extension ladder, installed with a leg-leveler kit for uneven terrain
- 6- to 8-foot step ladder
- 3- to 4-foot step ladder
- Small or medium shop-vac
- Regular vacuum cleaner with long hose attachment
- Window cleaning tools
- Tool belt for window tools
- Mop and mop bucket
- Broom and dustpan
- 1½-inch plastic putty knife scrapers
- Toothbrushes
- Bamboo skewer sticks (to use in tight corners)
- Soft cotton rags
- Surgical rubber gloves
- Big soft-bristle scrub brush
- Spray bottle
- 1 gallon of non-toxic cleaning solution
- Assorted cleaners for label removal
- 2 medium-sized plastic buckets
Instructions
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Get Started
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1
Fill out business license forms as required by federal, state and city offices.
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2
Get bonded and insured. Shop around.
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3
Visit the OSHA website to read safety regulations pertaining to your business.
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Generate per square foot price. Be flexible.
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Get leads from your city and county new construction permit office or visit construction sites and ask for the person in charge.
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Look in the yellow pages for construction companies in your area and leave them your business card and price information.
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Join an online prepaid legal service for help with contract and bid forms.
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Leave customers both a bid and contract. This will save you a trip.
Clean a New Construction Home
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Start by cleaning the windows both inside and out. Remove all sticker labels. Use a shop vac to vacuum window tracks, wiping errant drips off the window tracks, window frames and window sills as you go.
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Remove all drawers from furniture, then vacuum sawdust and dirt from all cupboards, drawers and spaces beneath drawers. Don't miss anything.
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Use a bucket filled with cleaning solution and wash cloths to wipe down every surface of the house. Don´t forget to get the tops of doors, the molding and trim. Rinse wash cloths and change water as needed.
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Sanitize and remove labels from showers, tubs, basins and toilets using a soft scrub brush and cleaning solution. For stubborn labels try using acetone and a plastic putty knife first. Otherwise try lacquer thinner, methyl alcohol or as a last resort, toluol. Rinse, then polish, all porcelain surfaces and chrome fixtures until sparkling. Clean mirrors last.
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Mop, then dry bathroom floors to leave a lustrous shine.
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Wipe and polish all appliances, fixtures and counter tops. Use stainless-steel-spray-cleaner on stainless surfaces. Don´t use ammonia products that leave streaks on stainless steel and marble. Read labels when in doubt.
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Vacuum all carpets, using the hose attachment along wall edges and baseboards, and wipe micro-dust off all electrical outlet covers.
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Dust chandeliers and light fixtures using a lambswool duster. Be extra careful. Use a shop vac to vacuum the insides of sconce-type lights
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Clean all thresholds.
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Save hardwood floors for last. Mop when leaving the room to avoid scuff marks. Put a few drops of lemon oil in a bucket of water and wring mop almost dry to leave a lustrous sheen every time.
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Don´t forget to sweep or vacuum the garage if included in the bid. Dust and wipe the water heater and any other dusty surface.
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Leave a little calling card as a token of your appreciation. It can be anything decorative--like a vase with a single rose or small basket of flowers or candle--and you can use it to put your business card on.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear rubber gloves. Carry a dust mask and ear plugs with you at all times as required by OSHA.
Resources
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Comments
View all 9 Comments-
Lemon Oil on hardwoods --- been in this for years -- we would get kicked off site --- Bruce's Hardwood floor cleaner --- never oil on the hardwood here where I work.
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Thomas Anthony
Dec 20, 2008
Oh Geezzz... sorry about all this mess and confusion. I thought I could post from comments, but the text didn't fit. Now partial text is posted backwards putting the beginning at the end of these posts. Sorry again. I'll do this correctly next time. -Tom -
Thomas Anthony
Dec 20, 2008
Oh Geezzz... sorry about all this mess and confusion. I thought I could post from comments, but the text didn't fit. Now partial text is posted backwards putting the beginning at the end of these posts. Sorry again. I'll do this correctly next time. -Tom
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Thomas Anthony
Dec 20, 2008
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 dont 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. Dont 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
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Thomas Anthony
Dec 20, 2008
I apologize, I'm doing this wrong :( and don't know how to correct it here. I'm just going to post a few comments until my text is done. :) 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 lett
