Pricing a post-renovation clean is where most solo cleaners and small teams start bleeding margin without even realizing it. On photos, everything looks manageable and the square footage sounds standard. But then you arrive on site and find that notorious white film sitting on every socket, the top edges of doors, inside radiators, and in every sliding track. Worse, you’ll still be feeling that dust in your nose the next day. That’s why I’ve stopped quoting these jobs like a standard deep clean. The real cost isn't in the mess you see at first glance—it's in the repeat passes, the delicate surfaces, and keeping the scope under control.
Why post renovation cleaning is hard to quote from photos or square meters
Clients in Prague often send three quick phone photos and a short message: 72 square meters, after painting, please send a price. This is exactly how underpriced jobs begin. Floor area tells you something, but it’s nowhere near the full story. It doesn’t tell you if that white dust is just on open surfaces or if it’s packed into radiator fins, blind slats, cabinet interiors, and the grooves of new window frames. A mobile photo almost never captures the fine, powdery film that lifts into the air the moment you wipe it, only to settle right back down.
There’s also a massive difference between work after simple painting, work after drilling and installations, and a full-scale renovation cleanup. After painting, your main enemies are paint splashes, switches, and a light film on horizontal surfaces. After drilling or furniture fitting, you’re dealing with sawdust, adhesive traces, and much more detail work. After a full renovation, everything hits you at once: gypsum dust, silicone haze, grout residue, packaging, and the half-finished chaos tradespeople leave behind when they claim they’ve done a "pre-clean."
This is where quoting by square meter alone gets dangerous. A 2-bedroom flat in Vršovice can be a quick job if it was only repainted and the client already cleared the debris. That same flat after a kitchen fitting, wall sanding, and bathroom finishing can easily eat an entire day for a two-person crew. The size isn’t the main story here—the risk points are.
Before I send a quote, I always make sure to get answers to these specific questions:
- What exactly happened on site? Painting only, or sanding, drilling, tiling, and kitchen installation?
- Are all trades finished, or is someone still coming back to finish "small details" tomorrow?
- Has the bulky waste and construction debris already been removed?
- How many windows, radiators, fitted wardrobes, blinds, and light fixtures are we talking about?
- Are there delicate new surfaces like matte cabinets, black fixtures, veneer, or natural stone?
- Does the client expect windows, balconies, cellars, or waste removal as part of the price?
If you aren't asking these, you aren't quoting—you’re just guessing.
What must be included in the price so the job does not turn into a loss
The biggest margin killer in this business isn’t heavy dirt. It’s repeat cleaning. Fine dust cleaning is expensive because you can clean a zone perfectly, move on, and then look back ten minutes later to see a fresh film settling on the surface you just finished. If your quote assumes one wipe and you're done, you’re setting yourself up for a very long day for very little money.
Consumables and equipment wear-and-tear matter more here than most people admit. Vacuum bags, filters, high-quality microfiber cloths, specialized glass products, gentle cleaners for sensitive surfaces, and a lot of laundry after the job. On post-renovation work, supplies disappear twice as fast as on regular domestic cleans. If your vacuum loses suction halfway through a dusty flat in Holešovice because the filter is clogged, your quote needs to have already covered that reality.
Then there is what I call "control time." Newer providers forget this almost every time. The last 30 to 60 minutes of the job shouldn't be about active cleaning, they are for the second inspection pass. You check the corners, the top edges of doors, the socket plates, skirting boards, and light fittings. These are the exact spots a client will touch first to see if you actually did a good job. If you want a tighter exit routine, our guide on how to prevent complaints after a cleaning job is a useful companion.
I’ve found it best to structure the quote in four distinct blocks:
- Core labor time based on the actual condition and crew size.
- Consumables and the heavy filter load.
- Protection for delicate surfaces and the time needed for detail cleaning.
- A reserve for a second inspection pass or a short follow-up visit.
Once you name these items clearly, the post construction cleaning cost stops looking like a random number and starts looking like a professional service. The client sees exactly what they’re paying for, and you have much less pressure to justify your price.
How to estimate time based on the flat's condition and surface types
When you’re pricing a post-renovation clean, count more than just rooms. Count the contact surfaces and the dust traps. A 75 m² flat after a simple paint job is relatively straightforward. The same 75 m² in a new build after kitchen installation and custom joinery is a completely different world.
Floors are the foundation, but they rarely decide how long the job will take. The real time is lost in the details: door frames, sockets, switches, radiator ribs, vents, lamp shades, and those tiny tracks in sliding doors. If a flat has a lot of intricate trim and details, the time required grows much faster than the square footage.
Delicate surfaces deserve a category of their own in your head—and in your price. After a kitchen installation, the high-risk items are usually matte fronts, stainless steel without its protective film, induction cooktops, and stone worktops. After joinery work, you have to be careful with veneers and lacquered MDF edges that can’t handle aggressive chemicals or rough cloths. This is where many after renovation cleaning price discussions go wrong. The client thinks cleaning is just cleaning, but you know that one wrong move on an expensive cabinet can wipe out your entire profit for the day.
I always plan for a second visit when at least two of these things are true:
- The trades finished only 24 hours ago (or are still working).
- There is significant fine white dust from sanding or drywall work.
- The client expects a 100% "handover quality" finish before moving in.
- Windows, blinds, and extensive fitted storage are all part of the scope.
I remember a flat in Dejvice that looked nearly clean in the photos. In reality, we spent almost two hours just on the radiators, blinds, and the residue around new bathroom fixtures. The client was thrilled because the finish was flawless, but if I had quoted that job based on square meters alone, I would have essentially been paying for the privilege of cleaning their dust.
Fixed price vs hourly rate on renovation jobs
A fixed price works perfectly when your briefing is solid, the photos are honest, and the scope is tightly defined. This usually applies to work after painting in an occupied flat where the debris is already gone and no other trades are present. In this scenario, a fixed quote feels professional and is easy for the client to approve.
An hourly rate is much safer for sites that are still "active" or poorly described. If someone from Karlín tells you it’s just a "light clean" but mentions a new kitchen, three large windows, and a joiner who might still be there tomorrow—that’s not a fixed-price job. That’s a job for an hourly rate with a clear estimate and written conditions.
My preferred approach is a hybrid model. I provide an estimated range—say, 7 to 10 labor hours for a two-person team—and then I list the specific triggers for an uplift. I don't use vague language; I use clear triggers:
- Heavier fine dust than what was shown in the photos.
- Tradespeople not actually being finished when we arrive.
- Added extras like window cleaning, balconies, or waste handling.
- Delicate surfaces that require slower, more careful manual cleaning.
Put these in your booking confirmation. "Scope control" isn't being difficult; it’s about preventing conflicts. The client won't feel ambushed by a higher price at the end because they knew the conditions upfront.
The Czech market is still split between the per-square-meter model and the hourly rate. On simpler jobs that are basically cleaning after painting, it helps to separate paint dust and window work from heavier post-renovation detailing. You’ll see some Prague landing pages quoting 80 to 190 CZK per m², while others lead with hourly rates around 300 CZK. Neither is "wrong," but they are often incomplete. A freshly painted rental and a dusty post-sanding handover are not the same product, even if the floor area is identical.
The most common mistakes in enquiries and pricing
The biggest mistake is underestimating the fine white film. It’s deceptive because a room can look clean from the doorway. But then you open a drawer or run a finger across a dark shelf and the truth comes out. Fine dust cleaning is expensive because the problem often only reveals itself during the final detail stage.
The second mistake is ignoring the "hidden" extras: windows, skirting boards, and waste removal. Clients often treat windows as an afterthought ("if there's time"), but cleaning windows after a renovation—including frames, sills, and stickers—can take hours. It’s the same with construction waste. If you don't explicitly exclude or price the removal of bags and packaging, you’ll likely end up doing it for free just to avoid an argument at the end.
The third mistake is booking the job too soon. The worst-case scenario is trying to do a final clean while someone is still drilling, grouting, or sanding. At that point, you aren't selling a cleaning service; you’re selling expensive improvisation. Most complaints about "missed dust" actually stem from the fact that the site wasn't actually ready for cleaning yet.
The final mistake is dropping your price just to land the job. A loss-making job doesn't help your business, and it definitely doesn't help your team’s morale. If you’re worried about a higher quote, break it down. Show the client what’s included. Offer them options. Most clients will accept a firmer price once they understand the work that goes into it.
A sample brief to request before confirming the job
If you want faster approvals and better margins, make the pre-quote brief a standard part of your workflow. It doesn't need to be a long form—just a simple list of things you need to know before committing.
What to ask for:
- Address and flat layout.
- Current photos of all main rooms, windows, and the bathroom.
- A description of what work was done (painting, sanding, drilling, kitchen fitting).
- Confirmation that all trades are actually finished.
- A list of any extras: windows, blinds, balcony, waste removal.
- A heads-up about any delicate or high-end surfaces.
- Preferred date and handover time.
And get these points confirmed in writing:
- The exact scope of the job.
- What is NOT included in the price.
- Conditions that would trigger a price increase.
- Who is responsible for bulky waste removal.
- That the space will be empty and ready for cleaning upon arrival.
A quick summary in WhatsApp or email is usually enough. The goal is to avoid the dreaded sentence: "We thought the price included the windows, the cellar, and the terrace, too."
In the end, knowing how to quote deep cleaning after renovation isn't just about a pricing table—it’s about the discipline of managing the scope. If you nail the brief, protect yourself around delicate surfaces, and account for the inevitable return of fine dust, these jobs can be very profitable. If you sell by the square meter alone, you're usually just subsidizing the renovation mess out of your own pocket.
If you’re looking for a reliable post-painting or post-renovation cleaning solution in Prague, ČistýKout can help. You can send a no-pressure cleaning enquiry through our contact form.
