Commercial cleaning costs
How commercial and office cleaning is priced — hourly, per square metre and fixed monthly — and how to compare quotes on the same basis.
You're signing a contract you'll be asked to justify. Knowing the hours behind the price is what makes that defensible.
Commercial cleaning cost estimator
Most quotes hide the two numbers that matter: hours delivered per visit and the hourly rate behind the fixed price. Work them out here first, then ask every provider to confirm both.
3.0 hours per visit · $2,600–$3,470 per month
Based on 350 m² per labour hour for open-plan office, plus 0.25 h per amenity fixture. Around 64 labour hours a month.
- Floor and general areas1.71 h
- Amenities1.00 h
- Kitchens and break-out0.25 h
The four pricing models you'll be quoted
Hourly rate
Used for: One-off jobs, small sites, or where scope changes week to week.
Watch for: An hourly rate alone tells you nothing until you know how many hours will be delivered. Always ask for hours per visit as well as the rate.
Fixed monthly contract
Used for: Ongoing office, strata, retail and mixed commercial sites — the most common model in Australia.
Watch for: The fixed price is built from estimated hours multiplied by an internal rate. Ask for both numbers; that is what makes two quotes comparable.
Per square metre
Used for: Large, uniform floor plates and tender comparisons.
Watch for: Per-square-metre figures hide amenities count and cleaning frequency, which are the two biggest cost drivers. Useful for benchmarking, weak for buying.
Per-visit or per-job price
Used for: Periodic work: carpet extraction, strip and seal, high dusting, make-good cleaning.
Watch for: Get a written inclusion list, and confirm whether a rectification visit is included.
What moves the cost
- • Cleanable area and how much of it is actually serviced each visit
- • Number of bathrooms, kitchens and end-of-trip facilities — amenities dominate labour time
- • Frequency: five visits a week is not five times the cost of one, because setup and travel repeat
- • Site type: clinical and childcare work is slower per square metre than open-plan office
- • Floor types, and whether they need surface-specific products or machinery
- • After-hours access, inductions, service lift bookings and security escorts
- • Whether consumables are included in the rate or on-charged
- • Award rates and penalty loadings for the hours the work is performed
- • Supervision and quality auditing — real supervision costs money and shows in the price