What Drives the Cost of an Office Clean
Commercial cleaning in Sydney is priced from the scope of works. A cleaning company works out how many labour hours your site needs to be cleaned to the agreed standard, at the frequency you want and at the time of day you need, then adds consumables, equipment, periodical work, supervision and overheads. That is why two offices with the same floor area can be quoted very differently, and why a reliable price is hard to give without seeing the site. The biggest drivers are the size and layout of the space, how often it is cleaned, what is in it (toilets, kitchens, glass, floor types), when the cleaning happens, and what extra services are included.
This guide is for office managers, facilities managers and business owners in Sydney who are budgeting for cleaning, comparing quotes or wondering why a price is what it is. It explains how pricing works rather than quoting figures, because figures change and a number that does not match your site is worse than no number at all.
Why don’t cleaning companies publish a set price?
Because the thing being priced is time, and the time a site takes depends on details that a floor area alone does not show.
Consider two offices of the same size. One is open plan with a single bathroom, a small kitchenette and hard floors. The other has private offices, two sets of toilets, a large staff kitchen, a boardroom with glass walls and carpet throughout. The second will take noticeably longer to clean properly, every visit, and the price has to reflect that.
A published price per visit or per square metre either overcharges the first office or underquotes the second. Underquoting is the more common problem: the contract is won on a low number, and the hours needed to do the job are never actually delivered. That is why a site walk through is normally part of quoting for commercial cleaning.
What pricing models do commercial cleaners use?
Most quotes use one of a few structures, and it helps to know which one you are looking at.
A fixed price per clean or per month
This is the most common structure for recurring office cleaning. The cleaning company estimates the hours needed for each visit, prices them, and gives you a fixed amount per clean or a monthly total. It is simple to budget for, and it puts the onus on the contractor to deliver the scope within the price.
An hourly rate
Some quotes are expressed as a rate per cleaner hour. This can be transparent, but only if the quote also states how many hours each visit will take. An hourly rate on its own does not tell you what you will pay or what you will get.
A rate per square metre
Square metre rates are sometimes used as an estimating shorthand, particularly for large, simple spaces such as warehouse floors. They are a useful starting point but a poor final answer for offices, because they ignore the things that actually drive time: toilets, kitchens, glass, furniture density and floor type.
Periodical work, priced separately
Carpet extraction, strip and seal of hard floors, window cleaning, high dusting and similar tasks are usually priced as separate line items with their own frequency. That is a good thing. It makes the periodical program visible, so you can see when each task is scheduled and what it costs.
One-off cleans
Deep cleans, end-of-lease cleans and post-construction cleans are quoted as a single job. At Royce Cleaning, one-off works are available, though payment terms differ from those for ongoing contracts.
What actually drives the cost of commercial cleaning?
Size and layout
Floor area matters, but layout matters almost as much. Open plan spaces are faster to clean than the same area divided into offices and meeting rooms. Multiple levels, stairs, and long distances between areas add time.
What is in the space
Toilets, kitchens and glass are the time-intensive parts of most offices. The number of toilet cubicles and hand basins, the size and use of the staff kitchen, the amount of internal glass, and how cluttered desks and surfaces are all change how long a clean takes.
How often it is cleaned
Frequency is the biggest single lever on cost. As Royce explains to clients when quoting, the right frequency depends on how many people use the site and how it is used. A small office of five to ten staff might be cleaned weekly, and some warehouse facilities fortnightly. Larger offices often move to two, three or five days a week. Sites with customers or showrooms usually want more frequent cleaning so they always present well. Between cleans, staff typically top up bathroom consumables and empty kitchen bins.
When the cleaning happens
Most office cleaning is done outside business hours, and that affects labour cost. Cleaners in the contract cleaning industry are generally covered by the Cleaning Services Award 2020, which sets minimum rates of pay. Under the award, shifts worked Monday to Friday that start before 6am or finish after 6pm attract shift penalty rates, and weekend and public holiday work attracts higher penalty rates again. Award rates are also reviewed each year by the Fair Work Commission, with increases usually taking effect from 1 July, which is why many cleaning contracts include an annual price review.
Floors and periodical work
Carpet, vinyl, tiles, timber and polished concrete each need different routine care and different periodical work. A site with a lot of carpet will carry a carpet extraction program. A site with vinyl floors will carry strip and seal. These costs are real, and a quote that leaves them out has not gone away; it has just deferred them.
Consumables and hygiene services
Some quotes include toilet paper, hand towel, soap and bin liners. Others exclude them and the client supplies their own. Sanitary disposal units and other washroom services are often a separate arrangement, such as a managed hygiene services contract. Make sure you know which is which when you compare quotes.
Access, security and site rules
Sites that require inductions, sign-in procedures, escorts, security clearances or strict time windows take more coordination, and that can affect price. So can sites where cleaners need to work around staff who are still on site.
Extra services
Many businesses add services to their cleaning contract: unpacking the dishwasher, collecting cups from desks, commercial waste removal, hygiene services or grounds maintenance. Each one adds to the scope, but bundling them with one provider can be simpler and more efficient than running separate contracts.
What does a standard commercial cleaning scope include?
Knowing what is normally in a scope makes it easier to see what a quote does and does not cover. Royce’s standard office cleaning covers general cleaning of all office, toilet and kitchen areas. Warehouse cleaning covers the general facilities and can also include floor machine sweeping and scrubbing and bin exchange.
Periodical cleaning is listed separately and, depending on the site, can include window cleaning, superstructure cleaning, roller door cleaning, gutter cleaning, cool room cleaning, steam cleaning, strip and seal of floors, high-pressure cleaning and height work. Where a site has a Christmas shutdown, Royce carries out a deep clean while the site is empty, so staff come back to a fully refreshed workplace. The scope of that clean depends on the hours available during the shutdown.
When you compare quotes, check that each one lists the same routine tasks and the same periodical tasks. A quote that looks cheaper because it leaves out the periodical program is not cheaper over a year.
Is the lowest cleaning quote the better deal?
Not necessarily. A low quote is only a good deal if it can deliver the scope.
The question to ask is how many cleaning hours each visit is based on. If one quote allows noticeably fewer hours than the others for the same scope, one of three things is likely: the contractor has found a genuinely more efficient method, the scope will not be fully delivered, or the hours will be delivered by people who are not being paid correctly. Only the first is good news, and it is the least common.
A quote that cannot cover award wages for the hours your site actually needs is a warning sign, not a bargain. It tends to show up later as missed tasks, high staff turnover, inconsistent cleaners and a contract you are looking to replace within a year.
How do you compare cleaning quotes fairly?
The most useful thing you can do is make sure every quote is pricing the same thing. Ask each contractor to confirm:
- The scope of works. Every area and task, with a frequency. Royce provides a copy of the scope with every quote, and clients can ask for it to be amended.
- Hours per visit. The number of cleaner hours each clean is based on.
- The periodical program. Which periodical tasks are included, how often, and what each costs.
- Whether toilet paper, hand towel, soap and bin liners are included.
- Supervision and inspections. Who checks the work, how often, and how issues are raised.
- Whether prices include or exclude it.
- Contract terms. The length of the agreement, the notice period, and how prices are reviewed over time.
Once the quotes are on the same basis, the differences between them become much easier to understand. For more on structuring the scope itself, see how to build a cleaning scope of work your team will actually follow.
How can you reduce cleaning costs without lowering the standard?
There are sensible ways to bring a cleaning budget down that do not involve cutting corners.
- Set frequency by area, not by site. Toilets and kitchens may need daily attention while meeting rooms or low-use areas can be cleaned less often.
- Agree on what staff handle between cleans. Restocking consumables, emptying kitchen bins or loading the dishwasher on non-cleaning days can allow a lower frequency.
- Reduce clutter. Clear desks and surfaces are faster to clean. A clear desk policy can make a measurable difference to the time a clean takes.
- Schedule periodical work sensibly. Deep cleaning during a shutdown, such as the Christmas break, can be done more efficiently when the site is empty.
- Consolidate providers. Combining cleaning, waste, hygiene and grounds maintenance under one provider reduces management time and duplication.
- Combine sites. Businesses with several locations can often get a more consistent service by putting them under one contract. Our guide to cleaning logistics for multi-site businesses explains how.
How does Royce Cleaning quote a commercial site?
Royce starts with a site walk through as part of the quoting process, to see the space and discuss what you need. Royce has a standard cleaning scope of works that is adapted to include site-specific needs and requests, and every client receives a copy of the scope with their quote. Royce informs clients in advance of all charges, depending on the services they choose.
Where a quote has to be based on photos or information supplied by the client rather than a visit, Royce estimates the work based on experience with similar sites. If the site turns out to be different from what was described, the scope and price may need to be revisited, which is another reason a walk through gives the more reliable number.
For more on what Royce’s office cleaning services cover, including routine cleaning, periodical work and deep cleans, see the service page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does office cleaning cost per hour in Sydney?
We do not publish rates, because they change over time and the hourly rate on its own does not tell you what a site will cost. What determines the price is how many hours your site needs, how often, and at what time of day. A site walk through gives you a number based on your actual space.
Why did my cleaning price go up in July?
Cleaning is a labour-intensive service, and minimum award wages are reviewed each year by the Fair Work Commission, with increases usually taking effect from 1 July. Many cleaning contracts include an annual price review for this reason. If your contract has one, it should explain how the adjustment is calculated.
Are consumables included in a commercial cleaning quote?
It depends on the quote. Some include toilet paper, hand towel, soap and bin liners, and others exclude them. Ask each contractor to state this clearly so you are comparing like with like.
Is it cheaper to clean during business hours?
Daytime cleaning can avoid shift penalty rates, but it is not suitable for every site. Cleaning around staff takes longer for some tasks, and some work, such as wet floor cleaning, is not practical while people are moving through the space. The right answer depends on how your site operates.
Can I get a price for a one-off clean?
Yes. One-off deep cleans, end-of-lease cleans and post-construction cleans are quoted as a single job. At Royce Cleaning, payment terms for one-off works differ from those for ongoing contracts.
Get a quote based on your actual site
The fastest way to an accurate price is a walk through. Request a quote from Royce Cleaning and we will look at your space, talk through how it is used and what you need, and send you a scope of works with the quote so you can see exactly what you are paying for.