Have you been wondering how much janitorial cleaning will cost?  Perhaps you’ve already contacted some commercial cleaning companies only to find the costs vary widely or they’re not willing to quote a cost over the phone.  Indeed, janitorial cleaning is not a one-price-fits-all service; depending on the type of business, the services you require, the size of your space, and a number of other factors, janitorial cleaning costs will fluctuate.  So how can you estimate the cost of cleaning?

How Companies Charge

The first thing to remember is that professional cleaning companies will charge not only based on the services they provide but also the total square footage that needs to be cleaned.  Ultimately, you need to put together a detailed list of the services you require before you’re ready to negotiate a cleaning contract.

Some factors to consider include the frequency of cleaning, the time of day the facility will be cleaned, the types of cleaning that will be required (windows, floors, bathrooms, etc.), the types of cleaning products to be used (for example, standard or environmentally-friendly products), and the supplies required and who provides them (i.e. paper towels, soap, toilet paper).

Also, keep in mind that fully insured and bonded janitors will typically cost more but they also protect you and your business against damage, loss, injury, and other risks.

Average Costs

To be clear, it can be difficult to estimate the costs of cleaning without having specific information about the type of facility, square footage, and cleaning services.  Nevertheless, it is important to have some guidelines so you know whether one company is charging too much or too little.

So, for small offices that range in size from 1000 to 2000 square feet, a typical light cleaning cost will be around $40 per visit.  Clearly, this is not expensive so you shouldn’t expect more than trash removal, vacuuming, and dusting.

As you increase services, the cost of cleaning will also increase.  Expect to pay an extra $20 or $30 per visit to clean a small bathroom including restocking hand towels, toilet paper, and soap as well as washing floors, surfaces, and toilets.  However, this increased cost is not likely to include the cost of supplies, so you’ll have to factor that into your budget.

With respect to larger offices, expect to pay more.  Also, for added services such as floor washing, waxing, or steam-cleaning, kitchen cleaning, and window cleaning, costs will rise by at least $0.50 per square foot.

Negotiate

As you can see, cleaning costs will depend on a wide range of factors so you need to carefully negotiate your janitorial contract.  Make sure to get quotes from a number of professionals and always include all the cleaning duties you require as well as the frequency of cleaning and the time of day you want the cleaning done.