Anyone who has finished a remodel in North Texas knows the moment. The contractors pack up, the last truck pulls out of the driveway, and you walk into your new kitchen to find a fine gray film over every surface. Drywall dust gets everywhere. It rides the air, settles in vents, coats the inside of cabinets you swear were closed the whole time. And this being DFW, the red dirt tracked in from the yard doesn’t help.
Post-construction cleaning is its own category, and it costs more than a regular clean for good reason. If you just built in Frisco or gutted a bathroom in Plano, here’s what you should expect to pay in 2026 and what actually moves the price.
What Post-Construction Cleaning Costs in DFW
Most companies in the Metroplex price this work one of two ways: by the square foot or by the hour. Square-foot pricing is the norm for whole-house new builds and big remodels because the mess scales with the space. Hourly makes more sense for a single room or a small add-on.
Here’s a rough picture of 2026 rates around Dallas-Fort Worth:
| Project Type | Pricing Model | Typical DFW Range |
|---|---|---|
| Single room (bath or kitchen remodel) | Flat / hourly | $200 – $450 |
| Rough clean (mid-project debris haul) | Per sq ft | $0.10 – $0.25 / sq ft |
| Final clean, 2,000 sq ft home | Per sq ft | $0.30 – $0.50 / sq ft ($600 – $1,000) |
| Final clean, 3,500 sq ft new build | Per sq ft | $0.35 – $0.55 / sq ft ($1,225 – $1,925) |
| Hourly (per cleaner) | Hourly | $40 – $65 / hr |
A full new-build clean on a good-sized home in Southlake or McKinney often lands between $800 and $1,900. That’s a wide range, so let’s look at why.
Rough Clean vs. Final Clean vs. Touch-Up
Post-construction work usually breaks into stages, and knowing the difference helps you buy only what you need.
The rough clean happens while work is still going. Crews pull out leftover materials, sweep up scraps, and knock down the worst of the dust so trades can keep moving. It’s not pretty work and it’s priced on the low end per square foot.
The final clean is the big one. This is where the home goes from construction zone to move-in ready. Cleaners wipe down every surface, get inside cabinets and drawers, clean window tracks, pull paint flecks and adhesive off floors and glass, wet-wipe baseboards, and vacuum out the HVAC registers where all that drywall dust settled. This is what most homeowners picture and it’s the bulk of the cost.
A touch-up clean comes a few days after final, once the last bit of settled dust has surfaced. Some companies fold it into the final price. Ask.
What Drives the Price Up
Two homes the same size can get quoted hundreds of dollars apart. Here’s what accounts for it:
- Amount of dust and debris. A cosmetic remodel makes far less mess than a down-to-the-studs renovation. More drywall work means more dust means more labor.
- Interior windows and glass. Construction leaves stickers, caulk smears, and overspray on glass. Big windows and lots of them add time.
- Flooring type. Tile grout haze and hardwood that needs careful, no-scratch cleaning take longer than a simple vacuum.
- Fixtures and detail. Custom cabinetry, trim, built-ins, and light fixtures all collect dust in seams and need hand-wiping.
- Stairs and height. Two-story foyers and tall ceilings mean ladders and more careful work.
If your project was mostly cosmetic, you’ll sit at the low end. A full teardown-and-rebuild pushes toward the top.
Why It Costs More Than a Regular Clean
People sometimes balk when a post-construction quote lands well above a standard visit. The gap is real and it’s earned. Construction dust is finer and more stubborn than household dust, it clings to every surface including ones you can’t see, and it comes back for days as it settles. Cleaners also deal with hazards a normal job never has: nails, screws, glass shards, adhesive, and paint. They bring heavier equipment and go slower to avoid scratching brand-new finishes. If you want the fuller breakdown of intensive cleaning, our deep cleaning cost guide covers the same logic for non-construction jobs.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
Most reputable DFW companies want to see the space before they commit to a number, either in person or through photos and video. Have your square footage ready, be honest about how heavy the work was, and mention any tricky spots like interior transom windows or a two-story entry. Ask whether the quote includes a touch-up visit, whether they clean inside cabinets and appliances, and whether interior windows are covered or extra.
If you’re weighing this against a standard move-in clean, our general house cleaning cost guide for DFW gives you the baseline to compare against.
Find a Post-Construction Cleaner Near You
Not every house cleaner takes on post-construction work – it’s specialized, and you want a company that’s done it before. The good news is plenty of DFW crews handle new builds and remodels day in and day out. You can browse our directory to find cleaners in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Southlake, Arlington, and across the Metroplex, then reach out to a few for quotes on your project. A little comparison shopping on a job this size usually pays for itself.
