What is construction site cleanup, and what does a construction cleanup crew do?
Many cities across the nation require that construction sites recycle at least 50% of construction and demolition debris.
A construction cleanup contractor can take care of all the necessary tasks involved in cleaning up a construction site during and after all the stages of construction. These tasks can be more labor-intensive than many construction jobs.
On a basic level, the cleanup crews make certain that all newly built or renovated propertieslike homes and commercial businessesare ready for move-in.
Consult with your construction cleanup contractor to plan the separation of all recyclable materials there will be on the site, and to schedule frequent pickups of the materials. During the consultation, you could be able to plan a recycling program to handle 80% of all discarded materials, depending on how you and the cleanup contractor determine to handle the job.
Rates are based on the preliminary job estimate. Expect to pay around $30 per hour for the cleanup crews services.
The bulk of the construction cleanup crews job is in dividing materials on site as construction progresses.
The construction cleanup crew will allocate areas for wood, drywall, metals, and cardboard. A plastic fence or other clear demarcation will serve to divide the sections of the different discarded materials.
The cleanup crew will conduct timed visits that coincide with key stages of work on the construction site. For example, the crew will likely visit and work after the completion of framing, after drywall work, and after various stages of carpentry work.
The clean up crew loads the recyclables from the different debris sections onto trucks and delivers them to a recycling outlet. These outlets often pay for the discarded materials. That means you could earn income from the sale of your recyclables.
The construction cleanup contractor is also responsible for some of the finishing touches, like cleaning the windows inside and outside; dusting and washing all surfaces; removing stickers from windows and appliances; polishing all glass, marble, and tile; dusting walls and ceilings; and vacuuming floors.
Who should hire a construction cleanup crew?
Contractors overseeing an entire construction site will want to think about hiring a construction cleanup crew. Among the other subcontractors working on site, the cleanup crew can greatly contribute to the timely completion of work, and to the organization of the construction site, by placing recyclable and discarded materials in proper places aside from the overall work commotion.
Homeowners serving as the contractors of a remodeling job, of an addition, or of their new homes will want to hire a construction cleanup crew for the same reason a general contractor would.
City and municipal governments, too, may want to consider hiring a private construction cleanup subcontractor.
What are the benefits and drawbacks to hiring a construction cleanup contractor?
Excess materials on site lead to safety hazards, and they can easily upset inspectors and property owners. Its best to have these materials removed to a specific location off the part of the site that sees most activity.
Construction cleanup crews charge for their services as they are needed. That means theres no extra payroll to add to the overall cost of construction.
Other construction cleanup crews charge a flat fee based on the square footage of the construction site. That means there are no surprises or changes in the originally agreed-upon cost of cleanup.
And think about the convenience: The general contractor or the homeowner serving as general contractor does not have to handle the recycling program on his or her own.
However, as the projects overseer, you may know that its within your budget to handle the recycling of discarded materials without having to hire another subcontractor. General contractors may want to use existing crews however they can to limit the number of subcontractors they hire. For instance, it may be part of the deal that a general contractors other crews partly handle the discarding of debris from the site.
Think about whether or not a group specialized in debris removal can benefit the timely completion, quality construction, and efficient organization of your construction site.
The bottom line with construction cleanup
A construction cleanup crew is extra work on the job site. And extra work means additional expenses.
But hiring one of these crews can actually earn you money back on recyclable materials and increase the efficiency of building progress. That could mean less money expended, and a better job done.