Quick answer: The price gap between an $800 post construction clean and a $1,950 one is not the number of windows. It is what the builders left on the glass, whether the frames are vinyl, and whether a ladder can reach the third floor at all. On this North York house the answer to the last question was no.
What the North York job cost, and what the money bought
The invoice on 2 September 2026 was $1,800 for the windows of a three-storey North York new build, plus 15 glass railing panels at $10 each. Two cleaners worked the full day and finished in one. For a house of that size in post construction condition our crew called it a fair price, and the reason sits in the next few paragraphs: the glass had been carrying protective film and manufacturer stickers for the entire build, the frames were vinyl, and the third floor could not be reached safely from a ladder. None of those are extras. They are the job.
Quick answer: A three-storey North York new build billed $1,800 for the windows plus 15 glass railing panels at $10 each on 2 September 2026, $1,950 in total. Two cleaners finished it in one day. Access, frame material and how long the film sat on the glass moved that number, not the window count.
| Line | North York, 2 Sep 2026 | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, interior and exterior | $1,800 | Three storeys, panoramic glass, film and stickers left on through the build, concrete on the frames |
| Glass railings | 15 panels at $10 each, $150 | Both faces of every panel, outer face reachable only from a ladder |
| Crew and time | 2 cleaners, 1 day | Finished same day |
| Total | $1,950 | |
| For comparison | $800 | Our three-storey community centre job, published August 2026 |
The film had been on the glass since the frames went in
On this North York house, every pane still carried what the trades had left during the whole build: protective film, manufacturer stickers, tape, adhesive, and the fine grey dust that settles on a site every single day. That is the difference between post construction and a regular clean. A maintenance visit removes what the weather put there over a season. A post construction visit removes what a dozen trades put there over a year, and much of it has had months of Toronto sun to bake on. Film that sat through a summer does not peel. It comes off in pieces, and the adhesive stays behind.
Quick answer: A maintenance clean removes one season of weather. A post construction clean removes what a dozen trades left over a year: film, stickers, tape, adhesive, concrete and daily site dust. On this North York house the film had been on the glass since the frames went in, through a full Toronto summer, roughly 12 months of trades.
Why we take concrete off vinyl with chemistry, not a blade
The frames on this new build were vinyl, and vinyl scratches if you look at it wrong. Our crew is blunt about it: dragging a cloth across concrete splatter is enough to mark a black vinyl frame, and even a careful mechanical removal leaves micro-scratches you can see in low sun. So concrete comes off the frames chemically, with a product made for it, and that product is a real cost. Post construction chemistry is expensive compared with the soap that does a maintenance clean, which is one of the honest reasons the price is higher. A scratched frame is not a cleaning problem afterwards. It is a replacement.
Quick answer: Concrete comes off vinyl frames chemically, never by rubbing. One careless wipe leaves micro-scratches that show in low sun, and on a black frame they are obvious. Post construction chemistry costs several times what maintenance soap costs, and that is 1 honest reason a new build quote runs higher.
"Concrete on a vinyl frame, you cannot just rub it. Even taking it off gently leaves micro-scratches. That is why it has to be chemical. And with the scraper on glass, if the blade has gone dull anywhere and you are hurrying, you scratch the pane, and then somebody is buying new glass. On post construction you are never allowed to hurry."
DT Cleaning technician, North York, September 2026
The scraper stage is where new glass gets ruined
Film, glue and concrete do come off glass with a scraper, and that stage is where post construction jobs go wrong across Toronto. A blade that has dulled anywhere along its edge will scratch a pane instead of clearing it, and the damage only shows once the glass is clean and the light is right. Replacing a panoramic unit costs many times what the clean did. Our rule is the boring one: fresh blades, and no hurrying, ever. The risk is priced into the job because it has to be carried by somebody, and it should not be the homeowner.
Quick answer: A scraper blade that has dulled anywhere along its edge will scratch a pane instead of clearing it, and the mark only appears once the glass is clean. Replacing one panoramic unit costs many times the price of the whole clean, which is why the rule on post construction work is 1 fresh blade per pane and no hurrying.
Four things we found that the owner could not see
Walking the windows before starting is part of the job, and on this North York build it turned up four items the owner had no way of noticing from the ground. Some windows on the third floor were simply not finished. Several panes were already scratched, not by us. Silicone had been missed on the third floor, most likely because whoever caulked it had no ladder tall enough to get there. And in places the builders had driven so much concrete into the door tracks that it could not be removed at all.
We photographed the scratched glass before touching anything, which matters more than it sounds. Under Ontario's new home warranty the owner told us the panes will be replaced at no cost, and Tarion is explicit that surface defects accepted in writing at possession stop being covered. Documenting damage before a cleaner arrives, not after, is what keeps that door open. On the door tracks the owner decided the doors go back to the builder, because the concrete was not the only damage they had taken.
Quick answer: Walking the glass before starting turned up 4 faults the owner could not see from the ground: unfinished windows on the third floor, panes already scratched, silicone missed on the third floor, and concrete driven so far into the door tracks it could not be removed. All 4 went to the owner in writing.
Tracks: vacuum first, then steam with a rag over the nozzle
Nobody covers window and door tracks while a house is being built, and practically speaking nobody can. So on a new build the tracks are full: grit, concrete, drywall dust, offcuts. Our sequence is vacuum first to lift everything loose, then a steam cleaner with chemistry for what has bonded. The part that takes practice is containment. Steam under pressure throws dirt everywhere, and everywhere in a finished house means white walls. The crew keeps the nozzle pressed right into the track and lays a cloth over the top, so the debris comes out into the cloth instead of across the room.
Quick answer: Nobody covers window and door tracks during a build, so on a new house they hold grit, concrete and drywall dust. The sequence is 2 steps: vacuum everything loose first, then steam what has bonded, with the nozzle pressed into the track and a cloth over the top so nothing sprays onto finished walls.
The fence that made a ladder the wrong tool
The hardest part of this job was not dirt. The large panoramic windows sit on the third floor, and the neighbouring fence runs so close to the house that there is nowhere flat to foot a ladder in front of them. Approached from either side, the ladder ends up standing almost vertical, going straight up, with a technician at third-storey height needing both hands to strip film and scrape adhesive. That is not a job you finish by being brave. Ontario requires approved working at heights training for exactly this, O. Reg. 213/91 governs the equipment, and the CCOHS guidance on extension ladders is clear about the angle a ladder has to sit at to be safe. Every DT technician is Working at Heights certified, and we do not take high-rise work.
Quick answer: The neighbouring fence on this North York lot left nowhere to foot a ladder in front of the third-floor panoramic glass, so it could only stand almost vertical. Ontario requires approved working at heights training for this, and all DT technicians hold it. We take nothing above 3 storeys.
Fifteen glass railings at $10 a panel
The deck on this North York house is fenced with 15 frameless glass panels, and they were as dirty as the windows. Glass railings are priced per panel, $10 each here, because the work is per panel: both faces, edges, and the hardware at the base. The inner face is easy. The outer face hangs over the drop, so reaching it properly means setting a ladder below and washing upward. That is why we quote them separately from the windows rather than folding them into a house price. Fifteen panels came to $150, and they are the detail people notice first from the garden.
Quick answer: Glass railings are quoted per panel, $10 each on this job and $150 for all 15. The price is per panel because the work is: both faces, the edges and the base hardware, with the outer face reached from a ladder set below the deck rather than leaned on the glass.
What post construction window cleaning costs in Toronto
Across our own invoices the range for a post construction glass clean in Toronto runs from roughly $800 to $1,950, and this pair of jobs shows both ends. The $800 job was a three-storey community centre where the glass was dirty but reachable. The $1,950 job was a three-storey house where nothing was reachable, the frames punished any mechanical contact, and 15 railing panels came with it. If a quote for a new build sounds high next to a maintenance clean, the questions worth asking are how long the film has been on, what the frames are made of, and how the crew plans to reach the top floor.
Booking tip: Book the glass clean after the trades finish and before you move furniture in. On this North York build 2 cleaners covered a three-storey house and 15 railing panels in 1 day because the rooms were still empty. Cleaning around furniture costs more and protects less, and anything the builder needs to fix is easier to argue while the house is still officially theirs.
Where we do this work
DT Cleaning has run post construction glass cleans across the GTA since 2023, with two crews and no high-rise work. North York, where this job was, is one of the busiest areas we see for new builds.
Post construction window cleaning questions, answered
How much does post construction window cleaning cost in Toronto?
Across DT Cleaning invoices the range runs roughly $800 to $1,950. A three-storey North York new build came to $1,800 for the windows plus $150 for 15 glass railing panels on 2 September 2026. A three-storey community centre with easier access came to $800. Size matters less than access, frame material, and how long the film has been on.
Why does it cost more than a regular window clean?
A maintenance clean removes one season of weather. A post construction clean removes a year of trades: protective film, manufacturer stickers, tape, adhesive, concrete splatter and daily site dust. It needs a scraper, a steam cleaner and chemistry made for construction residue, and that chemistry costs considerably more than the soap used on a maintenance visit.
Can construction residue scratch my new glass?
Yes, and the usual culprit is the tool rather than the dirt. A scraper blade that has dulled anywhere along its edge will drag grit across the pane instead of lifting it. The mark only becomes visible once the glass is clean and the light hits it. Fresh blades and an unhurried pace are the whole defence.
How do you get concrete off window frames?
Chemically, with a product intended for it. On vinyl frames, which most new GTA builds use, mechanical removal is not an option: even a gentle wipe across concrete splatter leaves micro-scratches that show in low sun. On a black frame those marks are obvious, and a scratched frame has to be replaced rather than re-cleaned.
Who pays if the builder already scratched the glass?
Usually the builder, through the new home warranty, which is why the sequence matters. We photograph existing damage before we touch anything. On this North York house the owner confirmed the scratched panes will be replaced at no cost. Tarion is explicit that surface defects accepted in writing at possession are no longer covered, so documenting them before a cleaner arrives protects the claim.
How long does post construction window cleaning take?
The North York house took two cleaners one full day, windows and 15 glass railing panels included. Access is the variable. Where a ladder can be placed properly the work moves quickly; where it cannot, the same number of windows can take several times longer.
Do you clean the window and door tracks?
Yes, and on a new build they are usually the dirtiest part of the job. Nobody covers tracks during construction, so they fill with grit, concrete and drywall dust. We vacuum first, then use a steam cleaner with chemistry, keeping the nozzle pressed into the track with a cloth over the top so the debris does not spray across finished walls.
What if the concrete in the tracks will not come out?
Sometimes it will not. On this job the builders had driven so much concrete into some door tracks that no amount of steam or chemistry lifted it. We told the owner rather than quietly leaving it, and the owner decided those doors go back to the builder, since the concrete was not the only damage they had taken.
Do you clean glass railings too?
Yes, priced per panel. This North York deck had 15 frameless panels at $10 each, $150 in total. They are quoted separately from the windows because the work is genuinely per panel: both faces, the edges and the base hardware, with the outer face reached from a ladder set below the deck.
When should I book it?
After the trades have finished and before the furniture arrives. Cleaning an empty house is faster, cheaper and safer for the finishes. It also puts any builder defects in front of you while the house is still the builder's responsibility, which is the moment they are easiest to get fixed.
Can you reach third-floor windows on a tight lot?
It depends entirely on what is under them. On this North York house the fence ran so close that a ladder could only stand almost vertically, which is not a safe position for work needing both hands. Every DT technician is Working at Heights certified and we assess the footing before quoting. We do not take high-rise work.
Do you serve North York for post construction cleaning?
Yes. North York is one of the busiest new-build areas we work in, and this September 2026 job was there. We cover Toronto and the GTA with two crews, carry $2M CGL insurance and WSIB coverage, and hold 500+ five-star Google reviews.
New build finished and the glass still wearing the site?
DT Cleaning takes film, stickers, adhesive and concrete off new glass and frames without scratching either, cleans the tracks the builders filled, and tells you what the trades left behind while it is still their problem to fix.
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