You just bought a brand new home in Nocatee. The builder said it was cleaned. You walked through it for your final walkthrough and it looked good. You signed the closing papers, got the keys, and showed up the next morning with a coffee, ready to move in.
Then you opened a kitchen cabinet. Sawdust. You looked at a bathroom vent. Drywall dust. You ran a finger along the top of a door frame. Construction film residue.
This is normal. This happens in every new build. The builder's "final clean" is fast, focused on showing-quality presentation, and very deliberately does not address what is hidden. Here is the complete post-construction cleaning sequence we use on new homes in Nocatee, Settlers Landing, Crosswater, Twenty Mile, and the new St. Johns developments.
Why builder cleaning is not enough
Most production builders include a 60 to 90 minute "construction clean" before the final walk-through. The crew vacuums visible debris, wipes counters, mops floors, and leaves.
Here is what that misses:
- Drywall dust in HVAC vents and returns. This is the biggest one. It blows back into the home the moment you turn on the AC.
- Sawdust in cabinet bottoms and on top of cabinet boxes.
- Caulk smears in shower corners and around tubs.
- Sticker adhesive on appliances, windows, and shower glass.
- Paint splatters on baseboards and tile grout.
- Construction film residue on door handles and switch plates.
- Dust on the inside of light fixtures.
- Polystyrene packaging fragments stuck in carpet fibers.
- Joint compound on bathroom vents and ceiling.
None of these are visible at the walk-through. All of them affect your indoor air quality the moment you start living in the home.
The three-stage post-construction clean
Real post-construction cleaning happens in three stages. Most homeowners only need stage 3, because the builder is responsible for the first two before you take possession.
Stage 1: Rough clean (during construction)
Done by the framing or drywall crew before paint. Removes debris, sweeps subfloor, hauls out trash. You will not see this stage as the buyer.
Stage 2: Light final clean (builder's "final clean")
Done a few days before closing. The crew vacuums, wipes counters, mops floors, and removes stickers from the appliances they remember. This is the "clean" the builder promised. It is real but shallow.
Stage 3: Move-in post-construction clean (your problem)
Done after closing, before you unpack. This is what removes drywall dust from vents, caulk smears from showers, paint from grout, and adhesive from everything. This is what you are paying us to do.
The complete checklist
Here is the full sequence on a typical new build in St. Johns County. Total time: 8 to 14 hours with a two- or three-person crew, depending on home size.
Pass 1: Top-down dust removal (90 to 120 minutes)
- HVAC vents and return covers (often removed and washed)
- Ceiling fans and light fixtures
- Top of crown molding
- Top of cabinets and door frames
- Crown molding and ceiling corners
- Inside of dome light fixtures
- Smoke detectors and security sensors
Pass 2: Construction residue removal (120 to 180 minutes)
- Sticker adhesive removed from all appliances
- Plastic film residue removed from windows and shower glass
- Caulk smears scraped from shower corners and tubs
- Paint splatters removed from tile, grout, baseboards, hardware
- Joint compound (drywall mud) on bathroom vents, ceiling, walls
- Polystyrene fragments from carpet fibers
- Drywall dust from inside of cabinet boxes
- Sawdust from cabinet bottoms and drawers
- Manufacturer plastic from inside the dishwasher and oven
Pass 3: Surface cleaning (60 to 90 minutes)
- All baseboards washed
- Window sills and tracks
- Window glass interior
- Door interiors and frames
- Light switches and outlet covers
- All hardware polished
- Floor edges and corners
Pass 4: Kitchen and bathroom detail (90 to 120 minutes)
- Inside cabinet shelves wiped
- Inside drawer fronts wiped
- Sink basins polished
- Faucets and fixtures polished
- Backsplash cleaned
- Shower walls and glass
- Tub including jets
- Toilet (always test-flush)
Pass 5: Floors (60 to 90 minutes)
- All carpet vacuumed thoroughly (often three passes)
- All hard floors swept and mopped
- Tile grout spot-cleaned
- Final walkthrough and spot fixes
Timeline by home size
| Home Size | Crew Size | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2,000 sqft | 2-person | 7 to 9 hours |
| 2,000 to 3,000 sqft | 2-person | 9 to 12 hours |
| 3,000 to 4,000 sqft | 3-person | 8 to 11 hours |
| 4,000 to 5,000 sqft | 3-person | 11 to 14 hours |
| 5,000+ sqft | 3-person, 2 days | 14 to 18 hours |
The Nocatee Coastal Oaks 4,500 sqft homes and the larger Saint Johns Forest builds frequently need to be split across two days. The Settlers Landing and Crosswater starter homes wrap in a single long day.
What to do before we arrive
A post-construction clean works best when:
- AC is running (we generate dust and need ventilation)
- All utilities are on
- The home is empty of any boxes or furniture
- The builder's punch list is fully complete
- Any final paint touch-ups are dry (24+ hours)
If your builder is still doing repairs, schedule us for after they are done. Cleaning before the punch list is finished means cleaning the same surfaces twice.
What this costs in St. Johns County
Post-construction cleaning costs more than regular move-in cleaning because there is significantly more residue removal work.
| Home Size | Post-Construction | Standard Move-In |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 sqft | $600 to $800 | $400 to $550 |
| 3,000 sqft | $850 to $1,100 | $550 to $750 |
| 4,000 sqft | $1,100 to $1,500 | $750 to $1,000 |
| 5,000 sqft | $1,500 to $2,000 | $1,000 to $1,400 |
The price gap reflects the additional 4 to 6 hours of construction residue work.
For pricing context across all our services, see the St. Johns cost guide.
When to schedule
Two windows work best.
After closing, before moving in (best)
The home is empty, you have keys, and we can take a full 10 to 14 hours uninterrupted. This is the right answer if your closing-to-move-in window is 4+ days.
Same week as closing, before furniture arrives (good)
If you close and the truck arrives within 48 hours, we can still do a full clean if we have a full day with the home empty. Get the closing done in the morning, send us in by noon, and you will have a clean home for the movers the next day.
What is not included
Post-construction cleaning is not:
- Paint touch-ups (the builder)
- Caulking repairs (the builder)
- Drywall hole patching (the builder)
- Tile or flooring repairs (the builder)
- HVAC duct cleaning (specialized vendor, see below)
- Carpet steam cleaning (separate service)
For HVAC duct cleaning, we recommend booking a specialist if the builder has not done it. New construction ducts almost always have drywall dust inside, and a HEPA vacuum on the vent covers only removes what is in the last 18 inches of the duct. A real duct cleaning service runs $300 to $600 for most St. Johns homes and is worth doing once on every new build.
Why Nocatee and the St. Johns new builds get this most
Northeast Florida is in a construction boom. New homes are going up faster in Nocatee, Settlers Landing, Crosswater, the new corridors of Saint Johns, and the World Golf Village area than in almost any other part of the state.
The pace means builder cleaning is also being done at scale. Cleaning crews have 60 minutes per home, not 6 hours. Drywall dust, caulk smears, and sticker residue are universal. Every single new build we do has the same residue patterns. It is not a quality problem with any specific builder. It is structural to how production homes are delivered.
The good news: a real post-construction clean fixes it permanently. Once you are past it, your new home is genuinely clean and ready to live in for years.
Ready to schedule your post-construction clean?
We do move-in cleaning and post-construction cleaning across Saint Johns, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, Saint Augustine, and Jacksonville. Most post-construction cleans book with 5 to 10 days notice.
For more on moving into a new home, see our move-in deep clean guide and the 50-point deep cleaning checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Does the builder really not do all of this? Correct. The builder's "final clean" is a quick presentation clean. Production builders nationally average 60 to 90 minutes of cleaning per home. Real post-construction takes 8 to 14 hours.
Will the builder reimburse me for post-construction cleaning? Almost never. It is not in the contract. The builder considers the punch-list clean as part of the home delivery.
Should I do a regular deep clean instead? A regular deep clean does not include construction residue removal (adhesive, paint splatters, caulk smears, drywall dust in vents). For a new build, a true post-construction clean is the right product.
How often after the first post-construction clean do I need a deep clean? After post-construction, a regular deep cleaning every 6 months is enough for most families. The dust and residue from construction are a one-time problem.