Building Work Dust Protection and Clean-Up Checklist

Who this is for

Keep building dust in the work area, then get it out of the house. Rooms are cleared and sealed before work starts, a daily log records the clean-down while it runs, and a room-by-room grid works from the ceiling down once it is finished.

Homeowners and tenants living in a house during an extension, a kitchen or bathroom refit, plastering, sanding or rewiring, and anyone agreeing with a builder who will clean what, and when.

What this helps you track

• Rooms cleared, belongings wrapped and doors and vents sealed before work starts
• The daily clean-down, debris taken out and seals checked while the work runs
• Who is responsible for each job: you, the builder or a cleaner
• A top-to-bottom clean of every affected room once the work is done
• The last jobs: filters, soft furnishings and smoke alarms uncovered

How to use it

1. Write the work, the rooms affected, the builder and the start date, and agree with the builder which jobs are theirs.
2. Work through the before list in the days ahead of the start, with a name and a date against each task.
3. Fill a line of the daily log at the end of each working day and tick what was done.
4. When the work finishes, list each affected room in the after grid and tick each pass as it is cleaned, working from high to low.
5. Finish with the last checks, then keep the sheet with the job's paperwork.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Who should do the cleaning, me or the builder?

Whatever you agree. Some builders include a daily clean-down and a final clean in the price and some do not, so settle it before the work starts and write a name against each task.

Why clean from the top down?

Dust settles downwards. Cleaning vents, light fittings and high edges before walls, furniture and floors means nothing you have already cleaned gets dust dropped on it again.

Is there anything special about older homes?

Old paint and some older building materials can contain lead or asbestos, which sanding, cutting or stripping can disturb. Ask your builder before work starts and check the rules where you are; this sheet is not guidance on handling either.

Why is uncovering smoke alarms on the list?

Alarms near dusty work are often covered or taken down to stop false alarms and dust damage. The last checks make sure they go back up uncovered and are tested before anyone sleeps in the house again.