A reliable commercial cleaning quote starts with scope, labor time, and the actual cost of delivering the service. The goal isn’t to guess the lowest number a customer might accept; it’s to build a price you can explain and sustain.
1. Document the scope before estimating
Record the number of visits per week, rooms, restroom fixtures, flooring types, waste removal, consumables, access restrictions, and any periodic deep-cleaning tasks. Define which supplies are included and what counts as an extra service.
2. Estimate monthly labor hours
Estimate hours per visit based on the actual site, then multiply by expected visits per month. For weekly schedules, 52 ÷ 12 is a useful average number of weeks per month; for a fixed schedule, use the contracted visit count.
3. Calculate loaded labor costs
Multiply hours by wages and account for employer payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, insurance, and paid leave where applicable. Use actual business figures rather than assuming every cleaner costs only their hourly wage. See our labor cost guide.
4. Add every other cost
- Cleaning chemicals, liners, and other consumables
- Equipment maintenance and replacement allowance
- Travel and transportation
- Supervision, administration, scheduling, and insurance
- Any subcontracted or specialized services
5. Price for your target margin
Quote = Total estimated cost ÷ (1 − target margin). If the estimated monthly cost is $1,200 and the target margin is 25%, the quote is $1,600. That is a $400 profit before any unmodeled costs and taxes—not a promise of actual profit.
6. Stress-test the estimate
Ask what happens if a visit takes 20% longer, supplies rise in price, or extra travel is required. Make sure the agreement defines the scope, payment terms, changes, and service frequency.
Start with our commercial cleaning pricing guide, and explore the free business tools. Our downloadable estimating toolkit is currently in development.