Guide
How to bid commercial cleaning jobs
Knowing how to bid commercial cleaning jobs is what separates profitable contracts from ones that quietly lose money. Here's how to price commercial cleaning jobs in 2026: the going rates, a simple bid formula, what to check on the walkthrough and what to put in your proposal.
Updated November 13, 2026 · By the Trade Pricing Control team · Where our prices come from
Commercial cleaning rates per sq ft and per hour
Commercial cleaning rates per sq ft are quoted per month, based on about three visits a week:
| Building type | Per sq ft / month | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Office | $0.08 – $0.20 | $25 – $50 |
| Retail | $0.08 – $0.20 | $25 – $50 |
| Restaurant | $0.15 – $0.30 | $50 – $80 |
| Medical facility | $0.15 – $0.40 | $50 – $100 |
So how much to charge for commercial cleaning, or how much to charge for office cleaning in particular, comes down to building type, size and frequency. Office cleaning rates per square foot drop a little on large buildings, because setup and travel are spread over more space. Restaurants and medical offices cost more because of grease, restrooms and disinfection.
How to price commercial cleaning jobs: the formula
Here's how to calculate commercial cleaning rates two ways. Use both and bid the higher number.
1. Market rate: cleanable sq ft × rate per sq ft = monthly price at three visits a week. Scale up or down for frequency.
2. Labor check:
- Hours per visit = cleanable sq ft ÷ your production rate. Typical offices run about 2,500 to 4,000 sq ft per cleaner-hour; restrooms, breakrooms and heavy traffic slow it down.
- Labor per month = hours per visit × visits per month (3 a week ≈ 13 a month) × your loaded wage, including payroll taxes and insurance.
- Add supplies (often 5% to 10% of labor) and overhead (admin, vehicle, software).
- Add profit: price = total cost ÷ (1 − margin). Many janitorial companies aim for 15% to 30%.
Example: a 5,000 sq ft office cleaned 3 nights a week. At 3,000 sq ft per hour, that's about 1.7 hours a visit, or 22 hours a month. At $20 an hour loaded wage, labor is about $440. Add $40 supplies and $80 overhead for $560 in costs, then a 20% margin: about $700 a month. That matches the market rate of $0.14 per sq ft, so the bid holds up.
Commercial cleaning rates per hour are useful for one-off jobs like post-event or move-in cleans, but for recurring contracts most clients expect a flat monthly price.
How to estimate commercial cleaning jobs on the walkthrough
Good cleaning services bid estimation starts with a walkthrough. Note these before you price anything:
- Cleanable square footage, leaving out storage and areas the client doesn't want cleaned
- Number of restrooms, sinks and toilets, and the breakroom or kitchen
- Floor types: carpet, VCT, tile, hardwood, and any that need periodic stripping or extraction
- How many people use the building each day
- Cleaning schedule, access hours, alarms and keys
- Who supplies paper goods, liners and soap
- Periodic work: windows, carpet cleaning, floor refinishing, high dusting
How to bid commercial cleaning contracts: the proposal
A clear cleaning bid proposal wins more contracts than the lowest price. A good cleaning bid template includes:
- Scope of work: a task list by area and frequency (nightly, weekly, monthly)
- Price: a flat monthly price, with periodic services priced separately
- Schedule: days, times and start date
- Supplies: what's included and what the client provides
- Insurance and bonding details
- Terms: contract length, 30-day cancellation, payment terms and annual price review
- Quality checks: how you inspect work and handle complaints
Get your monthly number from the janitorial bidding calculator, set your rate with the hourly rate calculator, and check the contract pays with the profit margin calculator.
Common bidding mistakes
- Bidding the whole lease area instead of the space you actually clean
- Forgetting payroll costs: taxes, insurance and paid breaks can add 20% or more to wages
- Underpricing restrooms, which take the most time per square foot
- No minimum for small, once-a-week spaces, where travel eats the profit
- No annual increase written into multi-year contracts
Frequently asked questions
How do you quote a commercial cleaning job?
Walk the site, measure the cleanable square footage, and multiply by the monthly rate for the building type, about $0.08 to $0.20 per sq ft for offices. Then check that the price covers your labor hours, supplies, overhead and profit.
How to calculate a janitorial bid?
Divide the cleanable square footage by your production rate to get hours per visit, multiply by visits per month and your loaded wage, add supplies and overhead, then divide by (1 − your profit margin).
What is the going rate for cleaning a commercial building?
About $0.08 to $0.20 per sq ft per month for offices and retail at three visits a week, $0.15 to $0.30 for restaurants and $0.15 to $0.40 for medical facilities.
How much should I charge per square foot for commercial cleaning?
For offices and retail, about $0.08 to $0.20 per sq ft per month at three visits a week. Start in the middle and move up for heavy traffic, many restrooms or strict standards.
How much to charge to clean a 6000 sq ft office?
About $480 to $1,200 a month at three visits a week, with around $840 typical. At five visits a week, roughly $800 to $2,000.
How long does it take to clean 10,000 square feet?
About 2.5 to 4 cleaner-hours for a typical office, at 2,500 to 4,000 sq ft per hour. Restrooms, kitchens and heavy traffic push it higher.