Commercial cleaning pricing: how to work out your rate per square foot
Worked example
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| 2,400 sq ft ÷ 1,800 sq ft per hour | 1.33 hours per visit |
| 1.33 hours × $25 | $33.33 |
| Self-employment tax so you keep that pay | $5.48 |
| Supplies + 16 miles × $0.76 + $100 ÷ 13 visits | $10.00 + $12.16 + $7.69 |
| Cost per visit | $68.67 |
| 15% buffer | $12.12 |
| Price per visit · per month (13 visits) | $80.79 · $1,050.25 |
| Per square foot | about $0.034 per visit · $0.438 per month |
The example inputs are illustrative, not a market rate. Your cleaning rate is the number that changes everything, so measure it.
How to bid a commercial cleaning job
- Walk the site with the clientCount restrooms, break rooms, floor types, and anything off-limits. Ask about consumables (who supplies paper and soap), access, alarm and security rules.
- Measure, or get the square footageThen separate it into areas: open office, private offices, restrooms, kitchens. Restrooms take far longer per square foot.
- Agree the scope and frequency task by taskEach visit, weekly, monthly, quarterly. A written scope (a "Schedule A") stops scope creep.
- Price it in the calculatorUse your own cleaning rate for each kind of area, then add periodic tasks (interior windows, detail dusting) as separate lines.
- Send a proposalMonthly price, what's included, frequency, start date, term, and how extra work is quoted. Our estimate template works as a starting point.
- Have proof of insurance readyCommercial clients often ask for a certificate of insurance. What the policies cover.
Per visit, per month or per square foot?
| Price as | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly flat fee | Regular contracts; easy for the client to budget | Months with more weekdays mean more visits for the same fee; agree what happens on holidays |
| Per visit | Small offices, irregular schedules | Invoicing more often |
| Per square foot | Comparing bids, large open spaces | Hides that restrooms and kitchens take much longer; always build it from hours |
Sales tax on commercial cleaning
Check your state before you send a price. In Texas, tax is due on the charge to clean an office, warehouse, restaurant or any other building.[2] In Florida, interior nonresidential cleaning is on the Department of Revenue's list of taxable services.[3] Where it applies, add sales tax to the invoice as its own line. Check your state.
Pricing homes instead? Use the house cleaning price calculator.
Free: the Cleaning Business Starter Kit
A one-page launch checklist and a room-by-room cleaning checklist you can hand to clients. PDF, no signup needed.
Want everything? The full Launch Kit: an 18-page guide, a pricing and tracking spreadsheet, 6 designed contract templates and checklists, $19. See the Launch Kit →
Questions people ask
How do you calculate commercial cleaning price per square foot?
Divide the square footage by your cleaning rate (square feet you clean per hour) to get hours per visit, price those hours with your pay, self-employment tax, supplies, driving and overhead, then divide the visit price by the square footage.
Should I charge commercial clients sales tax?
It depends on your state. Texas taxes cleaning offices and other buildings[1], and Florida taxes interior nonresidential cleaning.[2]
What should a commercial cleaning proposal include?
The monthly price, a task-by-task scope with frequencies, the start date and term, who supplies consumables, how extra work is quoted, and proof of insurance.