Two identical offices. Completely different cleaning bills. We see it all the time.
The rate depends on your building, how it's used and how often it needs attention. A small office cleaned three or four evenings a week will be priced very differently to a multi-floor site with daily cleaning, specialist requirements and out of hours access. Beyond that, the number is specific to your building. Industrial sites, healthcare, schools all quoted on survey, because floor area and use type move the price considerably.
What actually explains the variation is worth knowing before you start comparing quotes.
Hourly is the most straightforward. You pay per cleaner per hour. Contract rates are lower than one-off rates because there's a guaranteed volume of work. Easy to compare, though not always the best value for regular cleaning.
Per square metre is what you'll see quoted on larger sites.
A monthly contract is where most businesses end up. Fixed fee, agreed schedule, predictable costs. The per visit rate is lower than a one off visit.
This is because the cleaner knows the site and routine.
They are not starting from scratch each time.
| Setting | Typical frequency | Contract type |
| Small office, moderate use | 3 to 5 visits per week | Monthly contract |
| Medium office, 10-50 staff | Daily | Monthly contract |
| Large or multi-floor office | Daily, multiple operatives | Monthly contract |
| Industrial or warehouse | Weekly to daily | Monthly contract |
| Healthcare or school | Daily, compliance-led | Compliance contract |
Floor area first, always. A 3,000 sq ft factory unit and a 3,000 sq ft open plan office take different amounts of time and completely different equipment.
Then use type. Healthcare, food production and education all carry compliance requirements that affect products, documentation and how long the clean actually takes. A standard office specification doesn't transfer across.
Frequency changes the rate in a way most clients don't expect. Regular daily cleaning costs more per month but less per visit than calling us when things have built up. The work is quicker because we're not starting from a worse baseline each time.
Out of hours access is something we accommodate across our commercial contracts. Where specific timing requirements carry a small uplift, that's stated on the written quote before you sign anything.
We've been doing site surveys across Northampton, Bedford, Kettering and the surrounding areas for thirty years. The quotes that cause problems later ours or anyone else's are the ones given without seeing the building.
Before any number leaves our office, we've been to your site. The written quote breaks down every zone, the cleaning tasks in each, the frequency and what the per visit cost works out at. Consumables like washroom supplies are included or billed separately? Ask before you sign.
A supplier who can't show you that breakdown, or won't do a site visit before quoting, is giving you a number they haven't actually worked out.
Floor area and use type are the two biggest factors. An open plan office cleans faster per square metre than a site with lots of small rooms. Healthcare and food environments carry compliance requirements that add time and cost.
On paper it looks that way. Factor in employer's NI, pension, holiday cover, sick cover, equipment, products and the management time involved, and contracted cleaning tends to come out ahead for most businesses. You also fix your monthly cost, which in house employment doesn't do.
Staff ratios, training, equipment quality, supervision and insurance all cost money. A quote significantly below the market rate is usually cutting one of those. References from similar sites are the most reliable way to test whether that matters for your building.
Evening and weekend working is built into our standard contract rates. Where a very specific requirement carries a small uplift, that's stated on the written quote before you commit to anything.
