Commercial Cleaning Contracts: How to Win & Price Them
One commercial contract can be worth dozens of residential clients. Here's how to break into commercial and price it profitably.
Commercial cleaning contracts provide predictable revenue, consistent schedules, and often higher margins than residential work. A single office building contract might equal 30-50 residential customers.
This guide covers how to find commercial opportunities, price them correctly, and write proposals that win.
Finding Commercial Opportunities
Target Markets
Not all commercial properties are equal. Start with easier wins:
Best Starting Points:
- • Small offices (under 5,000 sq ft): Often owner-managed, faster decisions
- • Medical/dental offices: Need specialized cleaning, willing to pay more
- • Retail stores: Visible cleanliness matters, recurring needs
- • Churches and nonprofits: Often underserved, value reliability
- • Property management companies: Multiple properties from one relationship
Where to Find Leads
- • Drive your service area: Note "For Lease" signs, new businesses opening
- • Google Maps: Search for business parks, professional buildings
- • LinkedIn: Connect with property managers and office managers
- • Chamber of Commerce: Networking events with business owners
- • Current residential clients: Ask if they own or manage businesses
- • Government contract sites: Small business set-asides
Pricing Commercial Contracts
The Site Walk
Never quote commercial work without walking the site. You need to see:
- • Total square footage (measure, don't trust their estimate)
- • Floor types (carpet, tile, hardwood affect time and method)
- • Number of restrooms
- • Kitchen/break room condition
- • Traffic patterns and soil levels
- • Special requirements (secure areas, alarm codes, etc.)
- • Existing cleanliness baseline
Pricing Models
Commercial cleaning typically uses one of these approaches:
Per Square Foot Pricing:
Per Cleaning Visit:
Calculating Your Rate
Work backwards from your costs:
Example Calculation:
5,000 sq ft office, cleaned 3x per week
Estimated time: 2.5 hours per cleaning
Labor cost: $20/hour × 2.5 = $50
Supplies per visit: $8
Overhead allocation: $12
Total cost: $70
Target margin: 40%
Price per visit: $117 (round to $120)
Monthly contract: $120 × 12 visits = $1,440/month
Writing Winning Proposals
Proposal Structure
A professional proposal sets you apart from competitors sending basic quotes:
- Cover letter: Personal touch, why you're a good fit
- Company overview: Years in business, insurance, certifications
- Scope of work: Detailed list of what's included (and excluded)
- Cleaning schedule: Days, times, frequency
- Pricing: Clear breakdown of costs
- Terms and conditions: Contract length, cancellation policy
- References: 2-3 similar clients they can contact
- Insurance certificates: Proof of coverage
Scope of Work Template
Each Visit Includes:
- ☐ Empty all trash receptacles and replace liners
- ☐ Vacuum all carpeted areas
- ☐ Mop all hard floor surfaces
- ☐ Dust all horizontal surfaces
- ☐ Clean and sanitize all restrooms
- ☐ Clean break room surfaces and appliance exteriors
- ☐ Spot clean glass and mirrors
- ☐ Secure premises upon departure
Monthly Deep Cleaning:
- ☐ Detail vacuum along baseboards
- ☐ Wipe down all door frames and light switches
- ☐ Clean interior glass partitions
- ☐ Dust blinds and vents
Not Included (Available Upon Request):
- • Exterior window cleaning
- • Carpet deep cleaning/extraction
- • Floor stripping and waxing
- • Pressure washing
Contract Essentials
Key Contract Terms
- Contract length: 12 months typical, 6 months for new relationships
- Payment terms: Monthly in advance or Net 15/30
- Price escalation: "Prices may be adjusted annually by up to 5% with 60 days notice"
- Cancellation: 30-60 day written notice required
- Insurance requirements: $1M general liability minimum
- Access provisions: Keys, alarm codes, after-hours entry
- Quality standards: Inspection procedures, remedy process
Protecting Yourself
- • Indemnification clause: Limits your liability for pre-existing conditions
- • Change order process: Additional work requires written agreement and added fee
- • Schedule flexibility: "Cleaning days may shift for holidays"
- • Supplies clause: "Client to provide paper products" or specify what you supply
Delivering on Commercial Contracts
First 30 Days
The first month sets the tone for the entire relationship:
- • Over-deliver on initial cleanings (bring it up to standard)
- • Check in with the contact after each of the first 3 visits
- • Address any concerns immediately
- • Document baseline condition with photos
- • Create site-specific checklists for your team
Ongoing Relationship
- • Monthly quality inspections (documented)
- • Quarterly account reviews with decision-maker
- • Annual contract renewal conversations (start 90 days early)
- • Proactive communication about any issues
Scaling Commercial Operations
Once you have 3-5 commercial accounts running smoothly:
- • Hire dedicated commercial crews (night/weekend schedules)
- • Invest in commercial-grade equipment
- • Build relationships with property management companies
- • Consider specialty certifications (medical, industrial)
- • Pursue larger contracts and government work
Commercial cleaning has higher barriers to entry than residential, but the rewards are substantial: steady income, professional relationships, and a business that doesn't depend on hundreds of individual homeowners.
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