Is this the going rate for commercial cleaning?

No. It is a way to work out your own break-even from your costs. Rates vary by area, building, and scope, and only your numbers tell you what a job costs you.

Should I price commercial cleaning per square foot?

Square footage is a starting point for a walkthrough, not a price. Time and tasks drive your cost, so price from hours.

What is a loaded labor cost?

The wage plus everything you pay because someone worked an hour: payroll taxes, workers comp, and similar costs. Check the exact items with your accountant.

How many visits are in a month?

Count them for the schedule. Five nights a week is roughly 21 to 22 visits. Three nights a week is about 13.

Is there a janitorial bidding calculator I can use?

The table above is the calculation. Put it in a spreadsheet with your own inputs and you have one.

What should the bid say besides the price?

Scope by area, frequency, who supplies consumables, what is not included, the contract term, and how either side can end it. See the bidding guide.

Commercial Cleaning Calculator: Bid From Your Costs

How do you calculate a commercial cleaning bid?

Work out the hours per visit from a walkthrough, multiply by your loaded hourly labor cost, add supplies and a share of your overhead, and multiply by visits per month. That is your monthly break-even for the contract. Then add the margin you choose. The result is your monthly bid.

Commercial jobs feel different from houses, but the math is the same. You are pricing your time and your costs, not guessing what the building should cost.

What to enter

You need five numbers before you can price a contract:

Hours per visit. From the walkthrough, not a square foot guess.
Loaded hourly labor cost. Wage plus payroll taxes, workers comp, and anything else you pay per hour worked.
Supplies and consumables per visit. Chemicals, liners, and anything you provide.
Overhead share. Insurance, vehicle, software, phone, and admin, spread across your working hours.
Visits per month. For example, 5 nights a week is about 21 to 22 visits.

Hours per visit (walkthrough based)

Square foot rates hide the real work. Two offices of the same size can take very different time: one has 4 restrooms and a break room, the other is open desk space. Walk it, list every room and task, and time it the way your crew actually works. Add travel and setup time.

Monthly contract math (one labeled example)

Example only, to show the arithmetic. These are placeholder numbers, not market data or a suggested price.

Line	Example input	Example result
Hours per visit	3
Loaded labor cost per hour	25	3 x 25 = 75 per visit
Supplies per visit	6	81 per visit
Overhead share per visit	12	93 per visit (break-even)
Visits per month	22	93 x 22 = 2,046 per month
Margin you choose	your call	added on top

Swap in your own numbers. The structure is what matters.

Supplies and consumables

Ask at the walkthrough who supplies paper towels, toilet paper, soap, and liners. If you supply them, they belong in the per visit cost, and they can be a big line. If the client supplies them, write that on the bid.

Margin is your call

Break-even is the floor. Below it, every visit costs you. The margin above it is a business decision based on your goals, your risk, and the contract. Binderlane does not set or recommend a margin. See cleaning business profit margin for how to think about it.

Run the same math

Binderlane was built around house cleaning jobs, so for a recurring office contract use this page's steps with your own walkthrough. Binderlane can still help with the cost math and sending a branded quote for one-off jobs. First three quotes free, no card.

Know your number before you send the quote.

A few quick questions. See your break-even and your price. Then text the client a quote with your logo on it. First 3 quotes free to send. No card.

Run your numbers free

Questions owners ask

Is this the going rate for commercial cleaning?: No. It is a way to work out your own break-even from your costs. Rates vary by area, building, and scope, and only your numbers tell you what a job costs you.
Should I price commercial cleaning per square foot?: Square footage is a starting point for a walkthrough, not a price. Time and tasks drive your cost, so price from hours.
What is a loaded labor cost?: The wage plus everything you pay because someone worked an hour: payroll taxes, workers comp, and similar costs. Check the exact items with your accountant.
How many visits are in a month?: Count them for the schedule. Five nights a week is roughly 21 to 22 visits. Three nights a week is about 13.
Is there a janitorial bidding calculator I can use?: The table above is the calculation. Put it in a spreadsheet with your own inputs and you have one.
What should the bid say besides the price?: Scope by area, frequency, who supplies consumables, what is not included, the contract term, and how either side can end it. See the bidding guide.