Assuming a “one size fits all” approach to estimating the cost of just about any service is not usually the best approach.  When it comes to the cost of office cleaning, there are a wide variety of factors that impact your bottom line.  From the size of an office to the types of cleaning tasks that are required, business owners should expect professional cleaning services to be tailored to their needs.  However, this also means that each cleaning contract will usually come with a different price tag.  Nevertheless, let’s take a closer look at the cost of office cleaning and some of the factors that will affect cleaning quotes.

First things first, cleaning costs not only vary depending on your needs, but also depending on the cleaning company.  For smaller jobs that require regular trash and recycling removal in addition to light cleaning tasks such as wiping surfaces and vacuuming floors, many companies will advertise a flat rate.  In general, the smallest offices requiring only basic cleaning can be maintained for as little as $30 per cleaner visit.  However, if you require specialized cleaning tasks such as carpet cleaning, floor waxing and/or buffing, window cleaning, or you have extra restrooms that need to be serviced, your cleaning costs will likely be much higher.  For example, if you have only a handful of employees and require once or twice weekly basic cleaning services, your cleaning costs could be less than $200 per month; on the other hand, an average small business with a couple offices, a break room, and a meeting room might cost upwards of $500-600 per month for basic cleaning.

As your cleaning needs become more complicated, the costs associated rise.  In many cases, these more complex cleaning contracts are charged according to the square footage of your office.  Some cleaners charge as little as 5 cents per square foot while others charge closer to 60 cents per square foot.  As you can see, there is quite a range in cleaning costs even from one company to another.  Moreover, most professional cleaners will separate charges for more laborious services.  Expect to pay between 30 and 50 cents per square foot for stripping and waxing floors, around $30-40 per hour for carpet cleaning, and a flat rate (between $10-30 per appliance) for cleaning microwaves or refrigerators.

Interestingly, the cleaning rate per square foot tends to decrease as office sizes increase.  Don’t get too excited though – this doesn’t mean it is cheaper overall to clean a large office, just that the cost per square foot is lower.  For example, if you pay 10 cents per square foot to clean a 20,000 square foot office, your monthly bill would be $2000; whereas, if you pay 20 cents per square foot to clean a 2,000 square foot office, your monthly bill would be $400.

Ultimately, your best bet as a business owner is to clearly set your cleaning expectations and then contact various cleaning contractors to see who can fulfill your needs and meet your budget.