Pricing & estimates · updated August 2026
Flat Rate or Hourly: How Commercial Cleaning Is Actually Priced
Recurring janitorial contracts are quoted as a flat monthly fee in the overwhelming majority of cases. Hourly billing appears for one-time deep cleans, day-porter coverage, emergency call-outs and work where the scope is genuinely undefined. A third model — cost-plus, open book — is common on large portfolios and union sites, where the client pays actual labour cost plus a fixed management fee.
The Three Models Compared
| Flat monthly fee | Hourly | Cost-plus / open book | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who carries efficiency risk | Vendor | Client | Client |
| Budget certainty | High | Low | Medium |
| Transparency into labour cost | Low unless you ask | Medium | High |
| Incentive risk | Vendor may under-staff to protect margin | Vendor has no incentive to be quick | Fee is fixed, so incentive is neutral |
| Best for | Stable, measured, defined scope | Undefined scope, porters, one-offs, emergencies | Above roughly 50,000 sq ft, union sites, portfolios |
The Flat Fee Is Still Calculated From Hours
This is the part vendors rarely show and it is the part you should ask for:
Square feet ÷ production rate = labour hours per visit → × fully burdened labour rate = labour cost → ÷ (1 − overhead and margin) = price per visit → × visits per month = monthly fee.
Ask any vendor: how many cleaner-hours per visit is this priced at? For a 5,000 sq ft office the answer should be roughly 1.2–1.8. If a bid implies 0.6 hours, the scope is going to shrink in month three — not because anyone is dishonest, but because the arithmetic will not support the promise.
The Under-Staffing Risk in a Flat Fee, and How to Close It
A flat fee is the right structure for recurring work, but it creates one exposure: the vendor's margin improves if fewer hours are spent. The protections are simple and belong in the agreement — a stated number of labour hours per visit, a named crew size, a documented inspection score floor, and a service credit mechanism when the score falls below it. With those four things, the flat fee is strictly better than hourly for both sides.
Last reviewed August 2026. Figures for prevailing wage and regulatory schedules change on 1 January and 1 July — we re-verify this page each cycle.
Want This Answered for Your Actual Space?
We publish the general answer because it is useful. For a number that applies to your building, send us the square footage and the nights you need.
Get a Price for Your Space
Written scope and fixed monthly price, usually within two business days.
We reply to every request. If your building needs a Certificate of Insurance or vendor registration, we handle that paperwork before the first night.
Ready for a Cleaning Contract You Can Actually Read?
Send us your square footage and how many nights you need. You get a written scope, a fixed monthly price, and the SLA in the same document — usually within two business days.