Is it cheaper to pay per hour or per visit?

Neither is cheaper in itself. Per hour suits sites where the work changes; per visit suits a stable routine. What matters is that the hours or tasks behind the price are written down so you can check them.

Why do quotes for the same office differ so much?

Usually because each company has priced a different job. One may include kitchens, glass and consumables while another does not. Give every company the same written scope and the gap tends to narrow.

Should consumables be in the cleaning price?

They can be in or out, as long as you know which. If the cleaner supplies hand towel, toilet paper, soap and bin liners, ask whether they are charged at cost, marked up or included in a fixed fee.

Can I get a firm price without a site visit?

For a small, simple office a company may quote from a floor plan and a description. For anything larger, a walk-through usually gives a more accurate quote and fewer surprises later.

How much should office cleaning be? What drives the price

There is no single right figure for office cleaning, because the price depends on what is cleaned, how often, and when. The useful question is not “what is the going rate” but “what exactly am I paying for”. This guide explains how cleaning companies in Sydney and Melbourne put a price together, what moves it, and how to compare quotes so you are judging the same job.

The three ways office cleaning is priced

Most commercial cleaning quotes use one of three bases. Some combine them.

Basis	How it works	Suits
Per hour	You pay for an agreed number of cleaner hours per visit or per week.	Sites where the work varies, or where you want flexibility.
Per visit	A fixed fee for each clean, based on an agreed list of tasks.	Offices with a stable layout and routine.
Per square metre	A rate applied to the floor area being cleaned, often for larger sites.	Large or multi-floor premises with consistent fit-out.

Each method can be fair. Each can also hide a short job. An hourly price is only meaningful if you know how many hours are being allocated. A per-visit price is only meaningful if you know what the visit covers. A square metre rate is only meaningful if the company has measured the same area you have, and knows whether that area is open plan, offices, kitchens or bathrooms.

Many quotes are calculated by the hour behind the scenes, then presented as a monthly or per-visit figure. It is reasonable to ask how many hours a company has allowed for each visit. A company that can answer that clearly has thought about your site.

What moves the price

Size and layout

More floor area takes longer. So does a layout broken into small offices, compared with an open floor. Bathrooms, kitchens and glass take more time per square metre than carpeted work areas, so two offices of the same size can price quite differently.

Frequency

Daily cleaning costs more per week than twice weekly, but each visit may be shorter because less builds up between them. Some sites mix frequencies: bins and kitchens daily, vacuuming every second day, glass and skirting monthly.

Hours of access

Cleaning before opening or after close is the norm for offices. Very early starts, late nights, weekends and public holidays can cost more, because the cleaner is paid more for those hours. Tight access windows can also mean more cleaners for less time, which changes the cost.

Fit-out and surfaces

Glass partitions, hard floors that need mopping, stone benches, timber and specialist flooring all affect time and products. Shared end-of-trip facilities, showers and lockers add work.

Consumables

Hand towel, toilet paper, soap and bin liners can be supplied by the cleaner or bought by you. Either is fine. The quote should say which, and if the cleaner supplies them, whether they are billed at cost, with a margin, or built into the fee.

Periodic work

Carpet steam cleaning, high windows, deep cleans of kitchens and floor treatments are often priced separately from the regular clean. Ask for them as separate lines so they do not blur the regular price.

What a written scope must contain

The only way to compare quotes like for like is to give every company the same written scope, and to ask them to price against it. A good scope lists:

Every area. Work areas, meeting rooms, reception, kitchens, bathrooms, stairwells, lifts, entries, storerooms, outdoor areas if relevant.
Every task in each area. For example: desks wiped, bins emptied and relined, floors vacuumed, floors mopped, glass spot cleaned, toilets cleaned and disinfected, consumables restocked.
How often each task is done. Daily, each visit, weekly, monthly or quarterly.
When the cleaning happens. Days, start times and any times the site is off limits.
Access and security. Keys or swipe cards, alarm codes, who locks up and how that is handled.
Consumables. Who supplies them and how they are charged.
Periodic and extra work. Listed separately with its own price.
How problems are raised. Who you contact when something is missed, and what happens next.

If you do not have a scope, a cleaning company can draft one with you on a walk-through. Ask for it in writing, attached to the quote, before anything starts. You can then send the same document to other companies so they are pricing the same thing. On our commercial cleaning page you can see the kind of scope we start from.

Why the cheapest quote usually has the thinnest scope

A quote well below the others is rarely a bargain on the same job. More often, one of these is true:

Fewer hours. The company has allowed less time per visit than the work needs, so tasks get skipped or rushed.
A shorter list. Kitchens, glass, consumables or periodic tasks have been left out, or quietly reduced to “as needed”.
Different frequency. Tasks you expected daily are priced weekly.
Extras billed later. The base price is low and the things you assumed were included are charged on top.
Labour costs not covered. Most of a cleaning price is people’s time. A price that looks too low to cover the hours at a fair wage, plus super, insurance and supervision, is worth asking about directly.

None of this means the most expensive quote is right either. It means the price only makes sense alongside the scope. When one quote stands out, ask the company to show you the hours and tasks it has allowed, and compare them line by line with the others.

Questions to ask with every quote

How many cleaner hours have you allowed per visit?
Which tasks are in each visit, and which are weekly, monthly or extra?
Are consumables included, and how are they charged?
What happens to the price for public holidays or extra cleans?
Who do I contact if something is missed, and how is it fixed?
How much notice is needed to change or end the agreement?
Is the price fixed for a period, and how are increases handled?

Write the answers next to each quote. It turns a pile of numbers into something you can actually compare.

Getting an accurate figure for your office

The fastest way to an accurate price is a short description of your site, its rough floor area, how often you want it cleaned and when, followed by a walk-through where needed. Bring your list of areas and tasks, or ask the company to draft one with you. If you would like a written quote with the scope attached, you can request one here.