How to price commercial cleaning jobs

Most cleaning companies that struggle aren't short of work. They're short of margin, because the job was priced on a guess. Here's a step-by-step way to price commercial accounts so every contract pays you, plus a free worksheet to do it.

JobTill · October 12, 2026 · 8 min read

The three ways to price commercial cleaning

Whatever you show the client, work it out the same way underneath: how long the work takes, what that time costs you, and what you need to earn on top. A flat monthly price is just that calculation, packaged so the client sees one predictable number.

Step 1: Walk the building before you price it

Never price a commercial account from a phone call. Walk it, ideally at the time you'd clean it. Write down:

• Square footage, and how it splits into offices, restrooms, kitchens, hallways and storage.
• Fixtures that take time: toilets, sinks, urinals, glass doors, stairs.
• Floor types: carpet to vacuum, hard floors to mop, anything needing machine work.
• How often each area needs cleaning. The lobby might be daily and the conference rooms weekly.
• Access and timing: keys, alarm codes, after-hours only, parking.
• Extras the client mentions now and will expect later: interior windows, fridge clean-outs, high dusting.

Take photos of each area. They help you price, and they help you settle "that was always included" conversations later. For the full list of questions, counts and red flags, see what to check on a commercial cleaning walkthrough.

Step 2: Estimate the time per visit

Time is the biggest cost in cleaning, so this is where pricing goes right or wrong. Estimate how long each area takes, room by room, then add travel between floors, setup and lockup.

The best source is your own crew. If you've cleaned similar buildings, use what those really took. Trade groups such as ISSA publish standard cleaning times you can use as a starting point. Treat any published rate as a starting point and adjust for the building in front of you.

Then check yourself after the first month. Compare the time you priced with the time your crew actually clocks on site. If they don't match, fix the price at renewal, not five years from now.

Step 3: Work out what an hour of labor really costs you

The wage you pay is not your labor cost. Add everything an hour of work costs you:

• The hourly wage
• Payroll taxes
• Workers' compensation insurance
• Paid time off and any benefits
• Training, and time paid that isn't on site (driving between buildings, picking up supplies)

This "loaded" labor cost is often well above the wage. Ask your accountant or payroll provider for your real figures, and use those.

Step 4: Add supplies, overhead and profit

• Supplies and equipment: chemicals, liners, paper goods if you provide them, and wear on vacuums and machines.
• Overhead: your share of insurance, vehicles, software, phones, office and admin time. Many owners spread overhead as a percentage on top of labor.
• Profit: what you keep after everything is paid. Decide this on purpose. It's what pays for slow months, new equipment and growth.

Step 5: Turn it into a monthly price

For a recurring contract, convert visits per week into visits per month by multiplying by 4.33, the average number of weeks in a month. Then add it all up:

Monthly price = (labor + supplies + overhead) ÷ (1 − profit margin)

Dividing by (1 − margin) rather than adding a percentage makes sure your profit is a share of the price, which is how you'll see it on your books.

Step 6: Check the price against the real world

• The client's budget: if your price is far above what they pay now, find out what their current cleaner leaves out before you cut anything.
• Your local market: ask other owners and suppliers what's typical in your area, and know where you sit.
• Your schedule: a building that fits between two of your existing routes is worth more to you than one across town.

If you have to come down, take things out of the scope rather than taking money out of your margin. Offer a less frequent schedule, or make extras like interior windows optional add-ons.

Common pricing mistakes

• Pricing from the wage instead of the loaded labor cost.
• Forgetting travel, setup and lockup time.
• Leaving extras undefined, so "while you're there" becomes free work.
• Never re-checking the time a building really takes.
• No price review in the contract, so costs rise and the price doesn't. See what to put in a commercial cleaning contract.