Office cleaning cost guide
White-collar workers spend all of the business time within the walls of their offices and often stay there even when the working day is over. Therefore, keeping an office clean is not only important from the aesthetic point of view. It is also crucial to the staff health, as well as to their efficiency and productivity. Business people, however, should always stay focused on their core objectives. Thus, office cleaning is normally entrusted to specialized janitorial companies.
Here you will learn about:
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Average office cleaning cost -
Price-related questions -
Information to check -
Other frequently asked questions
While commercial cleaning is not something that requires considerable expertise, it can still vary in quality depending on the workers' conscientiousness. Giving a universal price for office cleaning services is impossible since it is determined by a number of considerations such as the office size, how often the cleaning services are required, the range of tasks to be performed, the extent of cleaning, the office location, and even the time of the day when the work has to be done.
Additionally, providers use different payment structures. Some charge by the hour, others per visit, still others per square foot. To give you a general idea, cleaning a small square footage office (up to 2000 sf) will cost you in the range from $35 to $55 per hour. That suggests “light” cleaning: basic tasks like vacuum cleaning, trash disposal, and dusting. If the list includes toilet cleaning, floor sweeping, and other more labor-intensive tasks, the price will grow to $60 - $80. Cleaning premises with a large square footage (over 2000 sf) is estimated in the range from $.05 to $.20 per square foot. The average time it takes to clean a small office is around 3 hours. Putting a large office in order requires from 6 to 12 hours.
Price-related questions
What factors influence the price of cleaning?
Extent of cleaning
Before you contact a provider, walk around your office and identify the areas you want to be cleaned. Do you wish the cleaners to dust each of the 60 monitors in your office, collect each breadcrumb in the kitchen area, and sanitize all of your four bathrooms, or you just want them to clean the floor, dust, and remove trash? The fees are determined by the space you need to be cleaned and the tasks you wish the provider to perform. The larger the area the more workers will be needed and more materials will be used.
Office location
There can be two situations:
- The premises are located in a large city with numerous cleaning services fiercely competing for customers. Those companies will vary in the quality of work they perform but the number of respectable providers is typically quite large. Thus, to have the upper hand over the competition, many cleaning businesses in densely populated areas offer lower prices.
- The premises are located in a relatively small town with a limited number of cleaning firms. There can be fewer highly regarded services compared to large cities. While other cleaners may also operate in the town, those may not be insured and may work rather in the “grey” market segment. As a result, companies that provide high-quality services may charge more money per hour or per square foot.
Here is the average price range for cleaning identical offices in a small town and a large city:
- Small town: $30 – $40 per hour
- Large city: $28 – $35 per hour
Office size
Obviously, the cost largely depends on the size of the office space. For a relatively small office, the price will be based on time rather than on square footage. Thus, for an office up to 2000 sf, expect to pay from $35 to $55 per hour. To clean an office that occupies over 2000 sf will cost from $.05 to $.20 per square foot. These prices also depend on the scope of work, that is the variety and number of tasks you need the cleaners to perform.
Regularity of cleaning
Another important price consideration is the frequency of the office cleaning. Most cleaning providers charge their customers on a monthly basis, adding up all the times the cleaning has been performed. Naturally, the more often the work is done, the higher is the monthly payment. However, remember that one visit will cost you more if your office is cleaned once a week than if it's cleaned twice a week. Compare:
- 1 visit (1 visit per week) - $50
- 1 visit (2 visits per week) - $40
How much may individual tasks cost?
Apart from standard tasks like dusting and floor sweeping, you may order additional services.
- Stripping and waxing floors: $.20 - $.60 per square foot
- Cleaning a microwave (refrigerator): $.15-$.30 for one unit
- Carpet cleaning: $25-$45 per hour
Information to check
Here are three main accents you have to pay your attention to:
Service provider
- Talk to the owners of businesses similar to yours and ask them for the contact details of a reputable cleaning company.
- Ask the provider for references from minimum 2-3 of their previous customers.
- Make sure the provider is properly insured. Otherwise, you will be legally responsible if an accident occurs while the work is being performed.
Cleaning materials
Some companies provide their own cleaning materials, which, naturally, increases the total cost of the service. However, you can save money by purchasing cleaning supplies yourself. If you decide to select this option, make sure you inform the company about it immediately. That way, the materials will not be included in the bill. Also, ask the cleaners what materials you need to buy and in what quantity. Additionally, you may purchase other necessities such as a bucket, mop, cloths, duster, and other items.
Contract
Most cleaning companies require their customers to sign a contract from 1 to 3 years in length. It's important to ensure this agreement has a clause that gives you the right to discontinue it before it expires. Thus, you can find another provider if you're not satisfied with the service quality.
Staff selection and screening
Ask the provider how their staff screening is performed. As cleaners often come to offices at night, stealing things is not rare.
Other frequently asked questions
Does cleaning at night cost more than cleaning in the daytime?
Normally, cleaning is performed when the office is closed for the day and all the employees have gone home. Thus, the cleaners may not worry about disturbing the staff. The cost of cleaning is less expensive in this case.
How can I get a discount from a cleaning company?
There are several ways to do that:
- You can increase the number of cleaning tasks, say, have your kitchen area cleaned as well.
- You can have your office cleaned more regularly, for instance, 3 times a week instead of one.
Bottom line
The office cleaning cost depends on a number of factors such as the size and geographic location of the premises, the scope and regularity of cleaning, the time of day when the work is performed, and the business field of the company whose office needs to be cleaned. On average, be prepared to pay from $120 - $220 a month for cleaning a one-room office (once or twice a week) up to $550-$750 a month for the daily cleaning of a 2 or 3-room office.