Janitorial pricing isn't standardized, and three contractors walking the same building can come back with very different numbers. Usually the gap comes down to how each one estimated the labor, and what each one quietly included or left out — not simply one contractor being more expensive.
The common ways contracts are priced
- Per square foot. A rate applied to cleanable square footage, usually turned into a monthly figure. Common for larger or multi-tenant buildings where the space is well measured.
- Per visit or flat monthly. A fixed price for a defined scope at a defined frequency. Common for smaller offices, and a straightforward way to budget.
- Hourly. Typical for day porter service — someone on site during business hours looking after restrooms, spills, break rooms and the lobby — and for some one-off or periodic work.
Behind all three, most contractors are doing the same underlying math: how many labor hours your scope takes at the pace their crews actually work, what those hours cost once wages, payroll taxes and insurance are added, plus supplies, supervision, overhead and margin.
What usually drives the number
- Cleanable square footage, and how it splits between offices, restrooms and open areas
- Frequency — nightly service costs more than three nights a week, though usually not in direct proportion
- Restroom and fixture count, which take disproportionately more time than open office space
- Floor types, and how much hard-floor care is included
- Whether consumables are included
- How heavily the building is used
- Special requirements: security clearance, clinical or lab areas, tight service windows
- Your local labor market, which affects wages more than anything else
Why a low bid deserves a question
Labor is usually the largest cost in janitorial work. If one bid comes in well below the others, ask how many labor hours per night it's based on, rather than just accepting the number. A bid that doesn't allow enough hours to do the scope tends to show up later as skipped tasks, high crew turnover or a request to reprice.
The same goes for insurance, bonding and workers' compensation. They cost money to carry, and a contractor that isn't carrying them can bid lower for exactly that reason. Our guide to bonding, insurance and workers' comp explains why that matters to you as the person responsible for the building.
Comparing bids fairly
Give every bidder the same written scope and ask for pricing in the same format: routine service as a monthly figure, periodic work like floor care, carpet extraction and windows itemized, and consumables itemized. Then compare the staffing plans — hours per night and supervision — alongside the price. That's the comparison that actually tells you something.
Questions worth asking about any bid
- How many labor hours per night, or per visit, is this based on?
- What's included at this price, and what would be billed separately?
- Are consumables included, and if so, how are they priced?
- How and when can the price change during the contract term?