Commercial cleaning bid calculator
A janitorial bid is production rate multiplied by labour cost, plus supplies, overhead and margin. Get the production rate wrong and you win a contract you lose money on for three years. Enter the facility details below to build a defensible monthly price.
Sets the production rate (sq ft cleaned per hour).
Payroll tax, insurance, workers' comp.
Monthly bid price
$2,155
Price per sq ft / month
$0.216
Labour hours per clean
3.13 hrs
Production rate 3,200 sq ft/hr
Monthly cost before profit
$1,724
Labour $1,486 · supplies $60 · overhead $178
Annual contract value
$25,860
Estimates are based on 2026 market averages and are a guide only — always get local quotes.
Standard janitorial production rates (sq ft per hour, 2026)
| Facility type | Production rate | Typical price / sq ft / month |
|---|---|---|
| General office | 3,000 – 3,500 | $0.05 – $0.12 |
| Medical / clinic | 1,800 – 2,200 | $0.10 – $0.22 |
| School | 2,500 – 3,000 | $0.06 – $0.14 |
| Retail | 3,500 – 4,500 | $0.04 – $0.10 |
| Warehouse | 6,000 – 8,000 | $0.02 – $0.05 |
| Restrooms | 6 – 10 fixtures/hr | priced separately |
Walk the building before you quote
Cleanable square footage is not gross square footage. Deduct stairwells you are not servicing, unfinished storage, and any area the client cleans themselves — commonly 10–20% of the floor plan. Count restroom fixtures separately: they consume disproportionate time and are the single most complained-about area in every contract.
Ask what happened to the previous contractor. A building on its third cleaner in two years usually has an unrealistic scope, a difficult site contact, or access problems that will cost you hours you did not price.
Protect the margin after you win
Write the scope as a frequency schedule — daily, weekly, monthly tasks in a table — and attach it to the contract. Everything not on that table is an extra at an agreed hourly rate. This one document prevents the slow scope creep that turns a 20% margin into 4% by year two.
Include an annual CPI-linked price adjustment clause. Wages rise every year; contracts written flat for three years lose money by design.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a commercial cleaning bid?
Divide cleanable square footage by the production rate to get hours per clean, multiply by cleanings per month and the loaded wage, add supplies and overhead, then divide by (1 − target margin) to get the price.
What is a good profit margin for janitorial work?
10–20% net is typical for established janitorial contracts. Bids priced above 25% rarely win competitive tenders unless there is a specialist requirement.
How much does commercial cleaning cost per square foot?
Between $0.02 and $0.22 per square foot per month depending on facility type and frequency. Offices at five cleans a week usually land around $0.07–$0.12.
Should I bid hourly or by the job?
Bid a fixed monthly price for recurring scope — clients budget monthly — and keep an hourly rate in the contract for extras like flood response, post-construction, or event clean-up.
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