Commercial cleaning is priced on a combination of square footage, frequency, scope of work, and labor market conditions in your area. A basic nightly office program for a 5,000-square-foot space in a mid-tier market typically runs between $800 and $1,500 per month, depending on restroom count, floor type, and the number of shifts. Facilities with medical-grade cleaning requirements, multiple floors, or food service areas cost more. Floor care projects (strip-and-wax, carpet extraction) are usually quoted separately on a per-square-foot basis.
The pricing gap between vendors often reflects differences in what is actually included rather than margin differences. A low-bid contract may exclude consumables (trash liners, paper products), limit restroom visits to once per shift, and not include floor mopping every night. A higher-bid contract from a vendor with a written ISSA 540 scope, dedicated crew assignment, and monthly QA inspections represents a different service level, not just a higher price. Comparing bids without a common written scope is comparing different products, not different prices on the same thing.
How cleaning companies build their prices
Most commercial cleaning pricing starts with a labor calculation. Vendors estimate how long it takes to clean your building (restroom count, floor area, trash volume, glass and surface density) then apply a local labor rate, overhead, and margin. Per-square-foot pricing is a shortcut that abstracts this math into a number you can compare easily, but it hides all the assumptions.
Two buildings at 10,000 sq ft can have very different cleaning costs:
- Building A: 10,000 sq ft single-tenant office, 2 restrooms, carpet throughout, 20 occupants. Estimated cleaning time: 1.5 hours per night.
- Building B: 10,000 sq ft multi-tenant office, 6 restrooms, mixed VCT and carpet, 80 occupants, shared lobby. Estimated cleaning time: 3 hours per night.
A vendor quoting Building A and Building B at the same per-square-foot rate is either overcharging one or undercutting the other. The rate per square foot is not a reliable basis for comparison. The labor estimate is.
Pricing models in the market
Per-square-foot (monthly rate). The most common commercial pricing model for ongoing janitorial programs. Ranges vary by market and scope, but general office cleaning typically falls between $0.10 and $0.25 per sq ft per month. A 20,000 sq ft building at $0.15/sq ft = $3,000/month. This model works well when both parties agree on what “cleaning” means; it breaks down when the scope is vague.
Per-hour. Some vendors price by estimated hours per week or month. This model is transparent but gives you less predictability: if the crew takes longer than estimated, rates can creep up. Per-hour pricing is more common for project-based commercial cleaning than for recurring programs.
Flat monthly rate. A single monthly number for a defined scope. Easiest to budget against; requires a written scope to be meaningful. Flat-rate contracts where the scope is vague are how underbidding problems start. The vendor cuts tasks to preserve margin.
Per-project. Standard for non-recurring work: strip-and-wax, carpet extraction, post-construction cleanup, window washing. Pricing for floor care typically runs $0.15–$0.35 per sq ft for strip-and-wax and $0.08–$0.20 per sq ft for carpet extraction, again depending on condition and market.
What drives price variation for the same building
Frequency. A 5x-per-week program costs roughly twice what a 3x program costs, not because the per-visit scope changes, but because labor time doubles. If you’re getting a lower quote for “5x service,” verify the nightly scope hasn’t been cut.
Restroom count and density. Restrooms are the most labor-intensive area per square foot in any office building. A building with 8 restrooms serving 150 people costs meaningfully more to clean than a building with 3 restrooms serving 50. Vendors who don’t adjust for restroom count in their quote haven’t scoped your building.
After-hours vs. daytime service. Most commercial janitorial programs run after hours, when buildings are empty. Daytime service (day porters, daytime cleaning in occupied spaces) carries a premium because workers are visible and must work around occupants. Expect daytime rates 15–25% higher than after-hours for equivalent scope.
Floor type. VCT (vinyl composition tile) requires mopping, stripping, and periodic waxing. Carpet requires vacuuming and periodic extraction. Buildings with polished concrete need different chemicals and maintenance protocols than carpet-only floors. A vendor who doesn’t ask about floor composition before quoting is using a generic estimate.
Consumables. Trash liners, paper towels, toilet tissue, and hand soap are real costs. Some contracts include them in the monthly rate; others bill them separately or require the facility to supply. A contract that looks 20% cheaper may be excluding $300–$500/month in consumables. Get clarity on this before comparing bids.
Real price ranges by facility type
These are ballpark monthly ranges for nightly-service programs in mid-tier Midwest and Southeast markets. Medical-grade and specialty facilities run higher.
| Facility type | Size range | Estimated monthly range |
|---|---|---|
| Small professional office | 2,000–5,000 sq ft | $500–$1,200 |
| Mid-size office, single tenant | 5,000–15,000 sq ft | $1,200–$3,000 |
| Large office building, multi-tenant | 15,000–50,000 sq ft | $3,000–$9,000 |
| Medical office building | 5,000–20,000 sq ft | $2,000–$6,500 |
| Warehouse with office area | 20,000–100,000 sq ft | $1,800–$5,000 |
| Corporate campus with day porter | 50,000+ sq ft | $8,000–$25,000+ |
These ranges assume standard nightly service and exclude periodic floor care. Add 10–20% for day porter hours, consumables supply, and QA inspection programs.
Why phone quotes are unreliable
A vendor who quotes your building without visiting it is producing a placeholder number. They don’t know how long your building takes to clean. They don’t know your restroom situation, your floor types, or your trash volume. The quote will be adjusted (upward, usually) after the walkthrough or, if no walkthrough happens, after the first month of service when the crew realizes the job costs more than they priced.
The right process is a walkthrough first, a written scope second, and a price attached to that scope. Any company quoting you a final monthly number without having seen the building is telling you they work from templates, not from actual estimates.
To get an accurate quote for your facility, contact us with your building’s address, approximate square footage, and how often you want service. We’ll schedule a walkthrough before any number is on the table.
Is it cheaper to hire an in-house cleaner vs. a cleaning company?
For small facilities (under 5,000 sq ft), a part-time in-house cleaner can cost less than a contracted program. Once you account for employer taxes, payroll overhead, supplies, equipment, backup coverage when the employee is sick, and management time, the cost gap narrows quickly. For facilities above 10,000 sq ft, contracted programs almost always come out ahead on total cost and require less management burden.
Why is the lowest bid usually not the best choice?
Low bids win contracts by cutting scope, cutting crew quality, or both. A company that underbids by 30% is not running on lower margins. It’s planning to cut tasks, assign less experienced workers, or reduce service frequency in the first quarter. The result is usually a complaint cycle, a contract dispute, and a re-bid process six months later. The time cost of that cycle is real.
Do I pay more for a cleaning company that provides supplies?
Yes, but the markup is typically 10–20% over your cost to self-supply. The value is in eliminating the management burden: you don’t track inventory, place orders, or deal with running out of paper products. For most facility managers, that’s worth the premium. For high-volume facilities that already have a supply chain, self-supply with a vendor discount on labor can work.
How often should I rebid my cleaning contract?
Every two to three years is reasonable for active programs. Annual rebidding creates churn and instability. Experienced crews leave when accounts change hands, and new vendors have a learning curve. If your current vendor is performing well, a rate-review conversation is often more productive than a full rebid. If quality has slipped and complaints are ongoing, rebidding is the right move.