Case Study: Post-Construction Cleaning for the New Ashley Store & Outlet in South Portland, ME
Updated: Oct 6
CC Smart Maintenance completed the post-construction clean of the new Ashley Store & Outlet, a Flagship 7.0 showroom at 405 Western Ave, Suite 4, in South Portland, Maine. The space is about 44,900 square feet. Working for general contractor Jewett Construction, our crew finished the job in three phases over three days, for a total of about 132.5 labor hours, and handed over a showroom ready for opening day.
Project at a Glance
Client type | Retail furniture showroom (Ashley Store & Outlet, Flagship 7.0) |
Location | 405 Western Ave, Suite 4, South Portland, ME |
Size | About 44,900 sq ft |
General contractor | Jewett Construction |
Crew | CC Smart Maintenance team: 4 (Day 1), 8 (Day 2), 3 (Day 3) |
Labor hours | About 132.5 total (40 + 80.5 + 12) |
Timeline | 3 days |
Services | Rough clean, final clean, touch-up clean, high dusting, restroom deep clean, storefront glass and film removal, auto-scrubber floor cleaning |
The Challenge
A furniture showroom this size is mostly open floor, with high ceilings, exposed ductwork, and a long glass storefront. At the end of construction that means a lot of drywall dust: on the floor, on ledges and partition tops, on the ductwork above, and in the air every time someone sweeps. If the dust isn't handled in the right order, it settles back onto surfaces you've already cleaned.
The project also had the usual end-of-job pressures. Other trades were still finishing up, the storefront glass had protective film, paint overspray, and adhesive on it, and the store had to look ready for customers, not just pass a walkthrough.
Our Approach: Top to Bottom, Dry to Wet
We use the same method on every post-construction job: work top to bottom and dry to wet. High surfaces are dusted first so the debris falls to floors that haven't been cleaned yet. Dry dusting and HEPA vacuuming come before any damp wiping or wet floor work, so drywall dust gets picked up instead of being smeared into a paste and spread around.
All work was done by CC Smart Maintenance employees using our own commercial equipment.
The 3-Phase Plan
Phase 1 – Rough Clean (Day 1: crew of 4, 40 labor hours)
The rough clean gets the space ready for the last trades and for the final clean:
Removing construction debris
Sweeping with sweeping compound and wide-path sweepers to keep dust down
HEPA vacuuming
Getting areas ready for the final trades to finish their work
Phase 2 – Final Clean (Day 2: crew of 8, 80.5 labor hours)
Day 2 was the main push, with the full crew of eight:
High dusting, top to bottom: dry dusting of high ledges, exposed ductwork, partition tops, and columns.
Walls and trim: damp microfiber wiping of walls, door frames, and baseboards.
Restrooms: deep cleaning of two multi-stall restrooms, including exhaust vents and fixtures, plus scrubbing the tile and grout.
Storefront glass: removing the protective film, then using glass-safe scrapers and release agents to take off paint overspray and adhesive without scratching the glass. After that, a streak-free squeegee finish inside and out, along with the mullions.
Floors: a "double scrub" of the entire showroom floor with a ride-on auto-scrubber.
Phase 3 – Touch-Up Clean (Day 3: crew of 3, 12 labor hours)
When the contractor's punch list was done, a crew of three came back for touch-ups. We cleaned the areas affected by last-minute punch work so the store was ready for turnover and opening.
Equipment
We bring our own commercial equipment to every job. On this one we used:
Wide-path sweepers and sweeping compound
HEPA vacuums
Extension poles and dusting tools for high ledges, ductwork, and columns
Microfiber systems for damp wiping
Glass-safe scrapers, release agents, and professional squeegees
A ride-on auto-scrubber for large-area floor cleaning
Our crews are OSHA-certified and MEWP (aerial lift) certified, which helps when a job calls for high work above ladder height.
Results
The showroom was ready for opening day after three days of work.
All work was done by our in-house crew, about 132.5 labor hours in total.
Every surface was covered, from the ductwork and partition tops down to the floor, with storefront glass cleared of film, overspray, and adhesive.
The phased schedule kept us in step with the GC's punch list, so the final touch-ups came after the last trades were out.
Same view: rough clean, final clean, move-in
What GCs Should Know Before Scheduling a Post-Construction Clean
From this project and others like it, here's what helps a final clean go smoothly:
Schedule the clean when the site is about 95% complete. If you start earlier, trades are still making dust, and you end up paying to clean the same areas twice.
Leave the site broom-swept for the rough clean. Clear materials, pallets, and tools out of the work areas so the crew can clean instead of moving things.
Plan for re-soiling. If trades come back in and dirty areas that have already been cleaned, re-cleaning is billed hourly. Planning the order of trades with your cleaning crew keeps this to a minimum.
Build in a touch-up phase after the punch list. A short, small-crew visit at the end catches whatever punch work leaves behind.
FAQ
How long does a 45,000 sq ft post-construction clean take?
On this roughly 44,900 sq ft showroom, the clean took three days in three phases (rough, final, and touch-up) and about 132.5 labor hours. Your timeline will depend on site conditions, how ready the space is, and when trades finish.
What crew size do you use for a large commercial post-construction clean?
We change the crew size for each phase. On this project we had 4 people for the rough clean, 8 for the final clean, and 3 for touch-ups. That way the largest crew is on site when there's the most work.
What is the difference between rough, final, and touch-up cleaning?
The rough clean removes debris and bulk dust and gets the space ready for the final trades. The final clean is the detailed top-to-bottom pass: high dusting, walls and trim, restrooms, glass, and floors. The touch-up clean comes after the contractor's punch list and takes care of anything that list work disturbed, right before turnover.
Planning a Post-Construction Clean in Southern Maine?
If you're a general contractor or developer with a retail, office, or commercial project nearing completion, CC Smart Maintenance can plan a phased clean that fits your schedule. Call us at (207) 358-0837 to talk through your project.
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