It doesn’t matter if you are someone looking for a cleaning service for your residential or commercial property, or someone who has just started their own cleaning service, you might be wondering how do cleaning services charge?
There is some variance between cleaning companies on their rates and how they acclimate these rates but generally, there are a few methods that most cleaning companies use to create their base rates.
This guide will break down the most common ways that cleaning companies charge for their commercial cleaning rates as well as their other services.
4 Main Methods for Calculating Cleaning Rates
When it comes to calculating cleaning rates, standardly speaking there are 5 main methods that cleaning companies implement, they are the hourly rate, square-foot method, per-room rate, and a flat fee.
- The Hourly rate
The hourly rate for cleaning companies will usually involve two working parts: the average hourly rate and a base flat rate as well.
The average hourly rate would be based on the minimum wage of your location, so it can vary depending on where you live. Another factor that can cause variance is the skill level and experience of the cleaner. Cleaning companies should always strive to ensure that their employees are getting a fair wage for their work based on their experience and skill level.
The base rate would factor in things such as labour, overhead, cleaning supplies and other back-end of house things. An appropriate hourly rate would start around $25-50 per hour for a standard level cleaner.
- The Square-foot method
The square footage method is contingent on the size or square footage of the property, regardless of if it’s a residential or commercial property. This method of pricing requires the cleaning company to decide on a rate they believe is fair per square foot.
This method is particularly more popular with commercial clients. The square footage rate includes and accounts for all labour, supplies, overhead and margins within the price.
- The Per-Room rate
The term room rate often gets a little confusing for some. It’s not referring to the number of rooms regardless of their function but is actually referring to the individual number of different kinds of rooms. So the pricing for a bathroom will be different than a kitchen which would also differ from the price of a bedroom.
This method is based on how long a cleaner estimates it will take to clean a particular room. A kitchen would take longer than a bathroom which would lead to a difference in price.
- The Flat Fee
With the flat fee method, this one is calculated off of value rather than time spent. Flat fee pricing is centred around solving a problem and mitigating any discrepancies that can arise between the cleaning company and the client.
There are two additional factors that are built into the calculation of flat fees, the first is frequency. A cleaning company may charge a little higher if they are going to be cleaning on a semi-regular or infrequent basis. The second factor will be the kind of cleaning, whether it would be a specific kind of cleaning like a deep clean or a disinfection service.
Other Factors that influence cleaning prices
There can be some additional factors that can alter or cause fluctuations in the price.
Some factors can include:
- Location
- Experience
- Frequency of cleanings
- Size and state of the property
But the most important factor that can modify the method of cleaning service charges is the type of cleaning that is being requested. There are four main types of cleaning services, which include:
- Resident and Commercial cleaning
- Move out Cleaning
- Disinfecting cleaning
- Standard or deep cleaning
A good cleaning service company will be able to create a custom cleaning service that solves all problems and satisfies any requests they may have. Some clients may want extra services such as window cleaning, cleaning of soft materials like curtains and couches, speciality requests for certain cleaning products (like eco-friendly, non-toxic, etc.) or even laundry services to be completed from time to time. All these additional services can be added on top of the cleaning rate method they use.
In conclusion
A good cleaning company will do a few things with you right from the start, they should always come out and do an initial walkthrough and consultation to see your property. From there they should be able to assess the scope of the job and formulate a rough estimate on that same day, pricing should always be clear and transparent, a good cleaning service provider understands this.
