HOW TO HIRE · CLEANING

How to hire an after-builders cleaner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to after-builders cleaning. Builders' waste is theirs to remove, and a cleaner taking waste needs registration.

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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an after-builders cleaner in five steps

  1. Who removes the rubble?The builder's waste is the builder's; agree who clears it.
  2. Waste carrier numberFor anyone taking waste.
  3. Tell them what is newFresh paint, unsealed stone, new floors.
  4. Water and power onFor the clean.
  5. Plan a second visitA lighter clean before moving back in.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses after-builders cleaners in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so an after-builders clean can be offered by anyone; trader status, insurance and references carry the weight. No register requires it, but public liability insurance is what pays if an after-builders clean damages a floor, a fabric or a fitting. Reasonable care and skill is the legal standard for an after-builders clean under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Ask for a business name, an invoice for the after-builders clean and the name of the insurer. Before the after-builders clean, ask the cleaner for the insurer and the cover level.

Builders' waste is the builder's

Under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and its duty of care code for England and Wales, waste a tradesperson produces on your property is theirs to dispose of lawfully, and the cost belongs in their price; anything you add to their skip falls under your own duty.

Check whether the builder or the after-builders cleaner is clearing the rubble, and that it is in someone's price. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration if rubbish goes

A business that takes waste away needs waste carrier registration — the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the NIEA — and in England and Wales section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 makes you hand household waste only to an authorised person. That applies to bags left over from an after-builders clean.

If the after-builders clean includes taking rubbish, ask for the waste carrier number and search the public register. environment.data.gov.uk →

Cleaning chemicals and COSHH

HSE applies the COSHH rules to self-employed people carrying hazardous products onto someone else's premises. For an after-builders clean, that means knowing what each degreaser, descaler or biocide is and how to use it safely.

Ask which products the after-builders clean uses, and whether they are safe on your surfaces. hse.gov.uk →

VAT

A post-build clean is standard-rated, so the VAT on it is 20%. A cleaning firm whose taxable turnover runs above £90,000 a year must be registered, charge that 20% on the whole visit and print it separately from the price.

Ask for the firm's VAT number before the clean and check that the invoice shows the 20% apart from the cleaning charge. gov.uk →

“Does the after-builders clean include removing rubble?”

A good answer: A clear yes with a carrier number, or no.

“How many cleaning passes will the dust need?”

A good answer: More than one for plaster dust, planned.

“How will the cleaner treat new paint and unsealed stone?”

A good answer: Gentle products, tested first.

“Will you remove paint spots from glass?”

A good answer: Yes, carefully, without scratching.

“Are you insured for damage to new finishes?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

“How many cleaners for the after-builders cleaning?”

A good answer: A team size and time.

Getting the quote right

  • Scope by room
  • Dust passes and window cleaning
  • Waste removal and carrier number
  • Team and hours
  • Who actually attends for the dust passes, how many, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% set out under the room-by-room total

Walk away if

  • Takes rubble with no waste carrier number
  • Scrapes paint off glass with a blade without care
  • One pass for plaster dust
  • No insurance
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£300
HIGH
£550

What an after-builders cleaner costs: £150–£550 per visit

After-builders cleans are priced per visit by size and dust; waste removal is extra. After Builders Cleaning price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

After-builders cleaners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ClearDebris removed by whoever is responsible.
  2. DustTop down, several passes.
  3. Glass and framesPaint spots and stickers removed.
  4. Kitchens and bathroomsResidue and film cleaned off.
  5. FloorsVacuumed and washed.

Plaster dust
Fine dust that settles everywhere after building work.
Protective film
Plastic film on new fittings.
Waste carrier
Registered to take away waste.
Duty of care
The legal duty to hand waste only to authorised people.
Skip
A container for builders' waste.
Sparkle clean
A light final clean before moving in.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check ledges and socketsFor leftover dust.
Keep the waste receiptCarrier name and number.
Book the final sparkleBefore moving back.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy are tied to a booking, so yours about the after-builders clean carries weight. If something is not right, the make-it-right step gives the after-builders cleaner the first chance to fix it before it is published.

STEP 1Tell the after-builders cleaner, in writingStart with an email to the after-builders cleaner: the problem, photos and what would put it right. A trader's after-builders clean is covered by section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the remedies — doing it again, or a price reduction — follow from sections 55 and 56.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepIf you rate the after-builders clean under four stars, Locufy asks whether to send the problem to the after-builders cleaner first, and we follow it through before your review goes up.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesTrading Standards is reached through a helpline, not directly: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland can log a complaint about the after-builders cleaner and pass it on.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedA claim against the after-builders cleaner that will not settle can go to court without a lawyer — the small claims track for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure for up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court for up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an after-builders cleaner: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

Waste the builder produced is theirs to dispose of lawfully; agree it before the clean.

Only with waste carrier registration.

£150–£550 per visit, with about £300 for a three-bed home. What pushes it up or down is in the after builders cleaning price guide; search above by town for cleaners in your area.

Most of a day, often with two or three cleaners.

Plaster dust usually needs more than one pass.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in cleaning

How to hire: Deep CleaningHow to hire: One-Off CleaningHow to hire: End of Tenancy CleaningHow to hire: Carpet CleaningHow to hire: Window CleaningHow to hire: Move-in / Move-out CleaningHow to hire: Office CleaningHow to hire: Pressure WashingAll 701 hiring guides →

After-builders cleaners near you

After-builders cleaners in LondonAfter-builders cleaners in ManchesterAfter-builders cleaners in BirminghamAfter-builders cleaners in GlasgowAfter-builders cleaners in BelfastAll after-builders cleaners on Locufy →Do it yourself: cleaning up after building work →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — Waste duty of care code of practice (England and Wales)
  2. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — duty of care
  3. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  4. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  5. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register