After we built (modular so not as much waste as stick-built), we had to buy a huge garbage bag (Bagster) from HD, fill it ourselves, and pay to have it hauled away. I had a hard enough time keeping the contractors from throwing food waste from their lunches on the ground or leaving it in the house - didn't want critters (and around here that's not just rats or raccoons but bears!). I provided a covered trash can for waste and one for recyclables but often they were mixed. My dad hauled stuff to the dump for me once or twice a week, but they only took regular garbage - he tried taking some construction debris but they told him after a while he had to stop.

My contractors even left nails all over the ground, after my dad (who was bringing in topsoil, grading, etc.) told them that it was X hundreds of $$ for 1 dump truck tire. So I spent a lot of time searching the ground and picking up nails.

We cleared the land (or DH, my dad, and my cousin did!) ourselves and while the trunks got cut up, hauled away for firewood for various family members, the limbs are still jumbled all over pushed away from edge of front lawn and along driveway. DH has been trying to cut some and haul them to a central location to burn - we've had some good bonfires. But we still have so much I hate looking outside my front windows (and my back windows I have no lawn so I live with the shades drawn LOL). They cleared the land 2 years ago last month.

We've had a plumber, electrician, framer, a/c people working on our house. They were all messy and did not clean up anything. The plumber was the neatest.

The house is still gutted but I've swept and picked up debris 5 times already as well as vacuumed between the studs. I'm just a tad OCD!

What irks me the most are the cigarette butts and beer cans.

We were lucky -- our contractors cleaned up after themselves most every day. Not spic and span, but would broom sweep for the most part, take out their trash, clean up after themselves and many times on Fridays they would actually mop the floors where they were working if necessary and almost always vacuum w/shop vac.

BTW - I did not ask for this, it is just the way this company works -- don't even throw their butts on the ground. If their boss would come and see a messy/trashy site "she" would let them have it. They were very respectful of the fact that we were living through it and tried hard to make it work for all of us. I will say that while I have very high standards, I also respect them as craftsmen and treated them as such -- they liked working with us and I liked having them here.

Especeially if you are living in a remodel, I would expect the contractor's employees to keep it reasonably livable for you. I will say that the subs did not operate with the same philosophy and I did have to clean up whenever one of them was on the job.

ARGHHH! Don't get me started. We just had a dumpster here today to clean up the debris that was all over our yard. Our garage is full of construction remnants such as 2x4s, etc etc etc; the basement is a disaster (we call it the dungeon) and I just don't have the will or the heart to tackle it....Plus did I mention the cracked tile in the bathroom and the scratch on the dining room table?

Don't know what the "norm" is but I sure as heck wasn't happy with the way our house was left.

It would be nice to hear of one positive experience and if I was to do a future reno, you can bet that will be a key question to ask of former clients!

Eliz

My general contractor was a dream when it came to helping us live as comfortably as possible during the renovation. They swept and shop vacced at the end of every day. They stowed their tools out of the way so we weren't tripping on them. They moved my kitchen table around instead of making me remove it so we would have some place to sit and eat at night. We also had new windows installed and a deck built and they kept the outside clean too (other than throwing cigarette butts into the snow ... yuck!) He let me keep my stove and sink until the last possible moment, and I know a lot of contractors would have unhooked them on Day 1.

Our contractor ensured that the inside mess was cleaned up fairly well each day, including sweeping and arranging construction materials and tools neatly in a corner. They could have done a better job sealing the construction area with plastic to spare the rest of the house from some of the dust, but that was my only complaint inside.

Outside was a different story. I felt like we had to walk through a junk yard to get in our front door each day. At the end of the job, however, they did a very good job of cleaning the outside. I even saw one guy on his hands and knees picking up tiny scraps of paper! They had removed all the nails from some hardwood flooring in one area of my yard and even did an amazingly thorough job of picking those up.

Our lead carpenter, the fellow here everyday, swept and vacuumed every single day. Once the cabinets were installed I saw him swiffering them numerous times throughout the project. Tools were always neatly put away. He even used some left over material to build a barrier to keep my 16-month-old out of the construction area, but able to see what was going on.

No dumpster either. This company has a small dump truck they load with the debris when they need to. All the subs cleaned up as well. I've been quite pleased.

At my house they're piling rubbish (drywall, etc.) on my front patio (with my permission) and cleaning up after themselves every day. They cleaned the back patio with water today because it was full of concrete dust. But I clean the inside, non-construction area, where very few go, and then mostly to lock up. But then I chose the most expensive contractor I interviewed because I wanted this kind of attention to detail and service.

My contract had written in it that the house was to be broom swept each day. I also included that there was to be no alcohol on the premises and smoking was only to be done outside with proper disposal of butts. Any additional cleanup would be done by a cleaning service and paid for by the contractor if not completed. I am talking about the big stuff, nails a wood and such. They sign and agreed to it. They also did a good job of cleaning up each day. No paper from food wrappers no cans and what few nails I found I picked up. (We had a roof and siding done too) I cannot complain about that part. They did leave one small 13 gallon trash bag in the basement when they completed a room, but it was just an oversite. At least it was in the bag!

They tidy up their tools, etc. but we always sweep, vacuum for them so that we don't get charged for the time it takes them to do it. Just the arrangement we made at the beginning.

as far as everyday goes, the area should be left clear of water bottles and general trash. after completion i have ALWAYS hired a professional cleaning service. ten years of renovating a 100 year old house taught me to clean again after the cleaning crew leaves.

"Broom clean" is all you can really expect--and that's only if it's in the contract and you make a point to emphasize that you really mean it. There is such a wide span of folks in the "contractor" business nowadays that asking about cleaning up is almost like using a "Magic 8 Ball"!

Ha. My biggest complaint after 3 mths the first month I'd come home mop dust etc that stopped. They do sweep occassionally shop vac but there is so much dust with living there during it is impossible to keep up so we every gew weeks vacuum etc. Everyday I wipe things down though. There are supplies and junk in and outside. Its driving me bonkers as itd be nice to have one area clean nope. And yes the dreaded donuts soda cans nails lieing around has happened. This is why I am rarely home and hoping by the end of may it will be over

I'll have to say my GC and all the subs were very good about cleaning up each day. I had asked my GC during the bid if I could save money by doing the clean-up myself but he said not really. The job took much longer than the hours it was bid at and we didn't pay a dime extra. They just worked until it was done to our satifaction.

We paid $300 (in our contract) for a dumpster that was in our driveway for 6 weeks and he even asked if we were done with it before having it removed. I provided drinks, snacks and cookies for all the workers and they never left their debris anywhere. All smoking was done outside in the drive and they always put the butts in the dumpster. They would even ask my permission before using a trash can or my shop vac if they forgot theirs. I was very pleased with how the work site was left every day since we obviously live here, too.

After reading this, I guess I should feel equally blessed at how neat they were!! This GC had done our roof and gutters 3 yrs before and I remember one of the workers crawling around the house picking up nails :) BTW, I'm in Indy if anyone needs a referral for a GC!!

They have a big magnet on a roller thing they can run around with -- looks like a miniature reel lawnmower.

It's powerful and can suck up nails you can't see, assuming they're right underneath and just covered with a little dust or something. No bending. ZZZZING!

All the contractors have been pretty good about cleaning up. At least they make an effort, though it's always dirtier after they leave. They vacuum, sweep, use the Bona swiffer, etc. I just wish they'd quit using the bathroom, but I guess that's the way it goes (I have noticed that the more "professional" contractors do NOT use the bathroom!). Just a pet peeve of mine.

My GC has been great, and all of his subs as well. They clean up every day, not spotless, but they shop-vac and sweep and tidy up their tools into a corner of the room. They had brought a dumpster to my house for the main demo part etc., and always dumped the junk in there. No food wrappers, cigarette butts etc. left laying around.

None of this was specifically put in my contract, it's just how my GC works. Great guy, and he even lets my dog out now if she has to go :)

Where are the poor guys supposed to go to the bathroom when they're working at your house all day if they can't use yours? I suppose you could rent a port-a-potty but then you'd have to pay extra for that.

I put a big roll of paper towels in my powder room so they wouldn't have to worry about dirtying my hand towels.

Actually, the neighborhood is still under construction and there are port-a-potties nearby. The guys who don't use it manage to find a way and I know the builder's guys are specifically told NOT to use the homeowner's bathroom. So I can't be the only anal person who's bothered by it!

I cannot wait til they are done as well so i can deep clean the house.

btw- port opottie is in my front driveway yep otherwise guys in and out of my bathrooms all day long NOPE didn't want to clean up after that .. but yes extra 300 bucks I think.