By Hexaclean Solutions | Dublin Airport office fit-out case study
A 790 m² office fit-out at Dublin Airport presented a familiar challenge for a quantity surveying team: a fixed cleaning budget, trades still working and a final sparkle clean expected to be requested and paid for separately. Working alongside Logical Real Estate, we at Hexaclean Solutions delivered the initial builders clean and final sparkle without an additional sparkle-cleaning invoice. The work was completed on time, with labour managed around the realities of an active site.
The decision that protected the budget
We initially planned three days for the detailed builders clean, with a further day available for the final sparkle. The office included fitted cabinetry, kitchen surfaces, carpeted areas, floors and extensive double-sided internal glazing. The glazing needed particular attention because mastic and other visible residues had to be removed without damaging new finishes.
The biggest risk to the budget was not the size of the office. It was paying cleaners to stand around, or to clean areas that other trades would immediately make dusty again. When we saw that builders were still working through parts of the floor, we took four operatives off the job and kept two working in areas that were actually available. We adjusted the sequence around the site rather than forcing the original plan.
That decision preserved labour hours for the final stage. The quantity surveying team had expected the sparkle clean to be a separate instruction and additional cost; instead, we were able to carry it out without charging extra. Across both cleaning phases, the effective project rate was approximately €3.73 per m². This was a rate achieved on this particular fit-out, not a standard rate we quote for every site.
What might the separate sparkle have cost?
For a commercial office of this size, a separately commissioned final sparkle clean could have cost an estimated €800–€900 plus VAT, depending on site condition, access, glazing and the touch-ups required. That is an illustrative estimate, not a separate quotation received by the client or a verified cash saving. The actual outcome is that the quantity surveying team did not face the additional sparkle-cleaning charge they had anticipated.
How we price a cleaning scope before work starts
A square-metre figure is a starting point, not a complete quotation. When drawings arrive, we calculate the areas, inspect the site where possible and speak directly with the site manager. We want to know which rooms will be released, whether other trades will remain, what protection and hoarding tapes have been used, and whether glazing, adhesives or delicate finishes require additional attention. Only then do we estimate productive labour time and set out the scope.
That approach matters when a QS is comparing prices for after-builder cleaning in Dublin. A low initial figure is not necessarily economical if the team lacks the equipment, supervision or experience to finish the job and then requests more hours. We would rather discuss access restrictions and likely cleaning stages before they become a dispute.
We also distinguish between a detailed builders clean and the final sparkle. The first phase removes construction dust and residue from completed surfaces; the final phase is about presentation immediately before occupation or client inspection. Where trades remain active, doing all the finishing work too early can mean cleaning the same glazing, floors or fitted surfaces twice. That duplication is precisely what we tried to avoid at Dublin Airport. We do not promise that every project can absorb a sparkle clean without an extra charge: the available hours, site condition and agreed scope must support it.
Site management matters as much as cleaning
At Dublin Airport we used supervision, WhatsApp progress communication, photographs and quality checks to keep the work organised. We also had to treat new surfaces carefully: visible mastic on extensive glazing requires a material-appropriate method, not indiscriminate scraping or strong chemicals. Incorrect equipment can waste hours or cause damage that costs far more than the clean itself.
Our wider Dublin experience includes commercial fit-out and construction cleaning at Grand Canal Square, Beacon Court and Burton Court. We have worked with contractors and project teams including FKM, Kilrock Construction, Logical Real Estate and Conack. Those relationships have taught us that the most useful cleaning subcontractor is one who understands changing site programmes and communicates clearly when an area is not ready.
What quantity surveyors should ask before appointing a cleaner
Ask what the price includes, whether builders and sparkle cleans are separate, how glazing and adhesive removal are treated, who supervises the operatives, and what happens if access changes. Agree how additional works are authorised. For post-construction cleaning in Dublin, the objective should be a defined scope, a realistic programme and a final result that does not depend on unnecessary repeat visits.
For Hexaclean Solutions, the Dublin Airport project illustrates a straightforward principle: cleaning budgets are protected by managing labour against the conditions on site, not simply by using every hour originally scheduled. Contractors and quantity surveyors can send us their drawings, area schedules and handover requirements at hexacleansolutions.com to discuss a properly scoped quotation.