How to Start a New Construction Cleaning Business

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(15 Ratings)

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.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

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

Get Started

Step 1

Fill out business license forms as required by federal, state and city offices.
Step 2

Get bonded and insured. Shop around.
Step 3

Visit the OSHA website to read safety regulations pertaining to your business.
Step 4

Generate per square foot price. Be flexible.
Step 5

Get leads from your city and county new construction permit office or visit construction sites and ask for the person in charge.
Step 6

Look in the yellow pages for construction companies in your area and leave them your business card and price information.
Step 7

Join an online prepaid legal service for help with contract and bid forms.
Step 8

Leave customers both a bid and contract. This will save you a trip.

Clean a New Construction Home

Step 1

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.
Step 2

Remove all drawers from furniture, then vacuum sawdust and dirt from all cupboards, drawers and spaces beneath drawers. Don't miss anything.
Step 3

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.
Step 4

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.
Step 5

Mop, then dry bathroom floors to leave a lustrous shine.
Step 6

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.
Step 7

Vacuum all carpets, using the hose attachment along wall edges and baseboards, and wipe micro-dust off all electrical outlet covers.
Step 8

Dust chandeliers and light fixtures using a lambswool duster. Be extra careful. Use a shop vac to vacuum the insides of sconce-type lights
Step 9

Clean all thresholds.
Step 10

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.
Step 11

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.
Step 12

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.

Comments

FacilitySupport said

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on 12/20/2008 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

on 12/20/2008 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

on 12/20/2008 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 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

on 12/20/2008 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

on 12/20/2008 I have just come across this site and I’m not sure if the information was time sensitive. But I imagine there are other people searching for the same information and will get here the same way I did, so here goes….
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 clean