A dust-free handover protects health, finishes, and relationships. Defining the standard up front prevents disputes and rework. Keep it practical, measurable, and achievable with a layered approach.

Define acceptance criteria

• Visual: no visible dust on horizontal surfaces under raking light.
• Touch: a clean finger swipe on representative surfaces (sills, tops of frames, services).
• Hidden areas: tops of door frames, cable trays, ductwork externals, voids accessible without tools.
• Air: background particulate comparable to pre-works baseline for the space and weather conditions.

Plan the final clean by layers

Capture at source (late changes)

• Freeze dusty variations a few days before handover or provide a controlled re-clean window.
• If late drilling/cutting is unavoidable, use on-tool extraction and local containment.

Capture in the air

• Run air scrubbers during and after final clean to pull remaining airborne dust.
• Select H13/H14 filtration when managing fine respirable dusts.

Capture on surfaces

• No sweeping. Vacuum with industrial units (M-Class minimum for silica and wood dust), then damp wipe top-down.
• Change cloths regularly to avoid re-depositing dust.

Verification pack

• Photos of key areas before/after and of high ledges and services.
• Records of equipment checks, filter changes, and cleaning sign-offs.
• Spot PM readings compared to baseline or adjacent clean zones.

Common pitfalls

• Decommissioning air scrubbers too early; leave running during handover walkthroughs.
• Uncontrolled late works that undo the clean; set a hold point or re-clean trigger.
• Forgetting concealed surfaces that show up under client lighting.

Practical takeaways

• Agree clear, observable acceptance criteria at pre-start.
• Sequence a layered final clean and keep scrubbers running.
• Prove the result with a simple verification pack.

With clear criteria, layered cleaning, and simple evidence, handovers are smoother and you avoid costly returns to site.