When the builders leave, the outside of a new or remodeled home is rarely as clean as the inside. Dust sits on siding and trim, there is mortar on the brick, and paint and concrete have splashed onto the driveway and walks. This is the cleanup that makes a build look finished.
Timing is most of the job
Cleaning before the last painter or mason is done means doing it twice. Builders often split cleanup into phases: a rough clean while trades are still working, a final clean before inspection and the walkthrough, and a touch-up after the punch list. For the outside of the house, the final clean is the one that counts, so we plan it around your walkthrough or closing date.
What usually comes off
- Construction dust and film on siding, soffits and trim, washed at low pressure.
- Fresh mortar haze and light splatter on brick and stone, with the right cleaner and a gentle approach.
- Paint drips and overspray on concrete and walkways.
- Driveways, walks and patios that need a proper wash after all the traffic.
- Light jobsite debris, picked up and hauled away.
What needs more care
- New concrete. It keeps curing for weeks, and hard pressure on a young slab can mark it. Many pros wait about a month, or use a gentler method if they cannot.
- Cured concrete and mortar. Once it has fully hardened, it may not come off without risking the brick underneath, and we will say so before you pay for an attempt.
- Fresh paint and new mortar joints, which cannot take what a ten-year-old surface can.
- Large piles of lumber, drywall or demo waste. That is a dumpster job, not a cleaning job.
The honest limits
We clean exteriors and hardscape. Detailed cleaning inside a house, such as windows, floors and fixtures, is a different trade, and we would rather tell you that than take the job.
Building or remodeling? Send the walkthrough or closing date with your request and we will work backward from it.
Common questions
How soon after construction can the exterior be cleaned?
Will mortar haze come off brick and stone?
Do you clean inside a new house as well?
Related: Construction cleanup, The best time of year to pressure wash in Central Texas
Want it done right the first time? We clean, protect and finish job sites across Central Texas.