Cambridge Triple Deckers, Condos and Labs

Most residential work in Cambridge happens inside a building that was once one family and is now three condominiums. A Cambridgeport or North Cambridge three decker from around 1900 gets divided, each unit finds its own owner, and the exterior, the porches, the common stairs and the roof become the association's problem. That is a different conversation from a single owner. Somebody has to approve a color, somebody has to sign, and the whole building gets priced at once because staging goes up once. The buildings themselves are plaster over lath with wide casings and paneled doors, and pre 1978 coatings are the norm, so we ask about lead before any sanding is planned. Then there is the ground. These lots have no side yard worth the name, the driveway holds one car if it holds any, and a neighbor's window sits eight feet off your ladder. Where staging lands, where the van sits and whether a street occupancy permit is needed all get settled during the walkthrough, because learning it on the first morning costs a day.

Commercially, Cambridge is two different cities. Around Kendall Square and through East Cambridge the buildings are lab and office space with loading docks, badge access, an on site facilities team and a construction manager who will tell you which elevator you may use and at what hour. Fit out work there follows the general contractor's sequence, and the post construction cleaning runs in staged passes so a fine clean is not undone by somebody's punch list. The squares are the opposite. Central, Inman, Porter and Harvard hold restaurants, small retail, bars, salons and offices in old buildings with narrow frontage, no dock and street parking that is metered, permit restricted or both. A crew working there loads in and out through the front door on a schedule agreed with the city wherever a permit applies. Kitchens go after last call, retail before the doors unlock, offices after six. We put the access plan on the scope beside the work, because in this city the parking and the permit are half the job.

What we take on in Cambridge

• House cleaning, deep cleans and recurring visits
• Move in and move out cleaning for owners and landlords
• Post construction and renovation handover cleaning
• Pre sale cleaning before the photos and the first showing
• Interior and exterior painting, and cabinet refinishing
• Repointing, chimneys, steps, walkways and patios
• Pressure washing for siding, driveways, decks and storefronts
• Offices, retail, practices and restaurants around your hours
• Common areas and unit turnovers for property managers

Getting a price

Every quote for Cambridge starts with somebody standing in the actual place. Square footage over the phone is a guess, and on a wall it is worse than a guess, because the failure depth only shows when you put a hand on the joint. You get the scope written out area by area and one number for the job, usually the same business day.