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Commercial cleaning
estimate calculator
Work out a janitorial bid from your cleaner-hours, labor cost, supplies, travel and profit margin. Compare the result per square foot, plan a monthly contract and create a client quote.
Build your estimate
Example values to get you started. Replace them with your own costs. Need to plan the labor first? Use the cleaning-time calculator.
The calculator is loading. Enable JavaScript to change the inputs and calculate your price. The formula and worked examples remain available below.
THE PLANNING STUDIO
Choose the clean.
Make the plan yours.
Editable checklists with time budgets, progress tracking and a PDF you can take to the job. No sign-up.
THE SAME VISIT, DIFFERENT UNITS
Compare your price by area.
Use the area included in this visit’s scope. Changing the area here does not change your cost-based estimate above.
- Your estimate per sq ft / visit
- —
- Your estimate per on-site cleaner-hour
- —
These are selling-price equivalents, including the other costs and margin above. The hourly figure is not a wage. Unit rates are rounded; use the total price for your quote.
AT THE RATE YOU ENTERED
per visit
AFTER THE JOB
Did this visit earn what you planned?
Keep the selling price fixed and enter the costs of the completed visit. See the effect of extra time, find your labor allowance and download the numbers for your own records.
This interactive review needs JavaScript. The worked example shows the same calculation.
Check the highlighted review inputs.
- Total actual entered costs
- Profit after entered costs
- Margin after entered costs
- Price needed at the target margin
How much labor can this price cover?
The target price is a planning comparison. It does not change an agreed customer price. Unentered expenses reduce the result.
Entries stay in this page only. Leaving or reloading loses them; the download saves a separate file on your device.
THE MATH, MADE SIMPLE
Costs first.
Margin second.
Labor is your crew size × hours per cleaner × hourly labor cost. Add supplies, travel and this visit’s share of overhead to find your total cost.
With the starting example values: $182 ÷ 0.80 = $227.50. A 20% margin is different from adding a 20% markup.
FROM ESTIMATE TO SCOPE
Put the quote in writing.
Add your client, schedule and included work to a printable cleaning quote.
Before you send a commercial cleaning estimate
How do I calculate the price per square foot?
Build the total price for the agreed visit, then divide it by the cleanable area. With the example inputs above, $227.50 divided by 4,000 sq ft is $0.056875 per sq ft per visit. That is the equivalent of this particular estimate, not a local market price. A monthly rate is a different unit: confirm the service dates before comparing quotes. The area comparison uses your current inputs.
What if I know the square footage but not the cleaning hours?
Start with the area-based time range, using rates that match the included tasks. Then separate work that the area rate excludes, such as fixture service or a periodic detail. A floor-only production rate cannot price a whole building’s cleaning scope. The detailed time planner lets you keep those tasks and assumptions separate.
Does a 20% markup give me a 20% margin?
No. On $182 of costs, a 20% markup produces $218.40 and a 16.67% margin. For a 20% margin, the calculation is $182 ÷ (1 − 0.20) = $227.50. If a cost is missing, the actual result will be lower. See the margin and markup comparison before choosing your target.
How do I turn this into a monthly cleaning quote?
Use the monthly cleaning contract calculator with your visit price and actual service weekdays. It separates calendar visit counts, skipped dates, first-clean work and periodic extras. Agree whether the customer pays a fixed monthly fee or for completed visits; those arrangements can produce different invoices.
What should be checked at the walkthrough?
Confirm accessible area, surfaces, fixtures, service frequency, access time, supplies responsibility and excluded work. Keep initial deep-clean work separate from the recurring visit. The bid submission worksheet keeps the site requirements beside the quote, while the quote template records the price and included services.
JanitorMath calculation examples · Updated October 17, 2026. Example amounts explain the model; they are not surveyed prices or a promise of profit.
THE JANITORMATH FIELD GUIDES
Plan the work. Price the job.
Practical answers behind the numbers.
How to price a commercial cleaning job
A walkthrough-to-quote workflow with task quantities, cost allocation and a pre-send check.
Read guide 02 / CHOOSING A BILLING UNITHourly vs. square-foot cleaning pricing
Compare hourly, area and fixed-visit pricing, including time overruns and rounded unit rates.
Read guide 03 / WORKED EXAMPLESOffice-cleaning estimates: from planned cost to actual result
Three office estimates plus a completed-visit cost review, labor allowance and follow-up decisions.
Read guide 04 / UNDERSTANDING PROFITProfit margin is not the same as markup
Margin and markup formulas, conversion table, discount limits and break-even cleaner-hours.
Read guide 05 / COSTS & RATESCommercial cleaning costs and rates: what changes the quote?
Use a practical comparison worksheet to evaluate cleaning quotes, extras and monthly billing.
Read guide 06 / TASKS & SCHEDULESCommercial cleaning checklist: daily, weekly and monthly tasks
Commercial cleaning checklist and weekly schedule for small offices, with printable PDFs, task frequencies, workload examples and missed-work follow-up.
Read guide 07 / FINDING THE RIGHT WORKHow to get commercial cleaning contracts: find work that fits
Find commercial cleaning contracts, follow a worked scope-to-price bid example and prepare your proposal with a free fillable PDF worksheet.
Read guide 08 / STARTING YOUR BUSINESSHow to start a commercial cleaning business
Plan a commercial cleaning business with a service scope, startup-cost worksheet, cash-timing example and practical first-job checklist.
Read guide 09 / SOFTWARE WORKFLOWZoho FSM for cleaning businesses: estimate to appointment walkthrough
Tested Zoho FSM cleaning workflow: save an estimate, check its PDF, create a work order and schedule an appointment. Includes scope and test limitations.
Read guide 10 / SOFTWARE BUYING GUIDEJanitorial bidding software: what to check before you pay
Choose janitorial bidding software with checks for labor assumptions, proposal PDFs, saved bids, exports and subscription costs.
Read guide