Commercial cleaning costs $0.052–$0.185 per square foot per visit depending on building type — a standard office runs $0.088–$0.107, medical facilities run $0.15–$0.185. Here's what a 2,000 sq ft space actually costs per month at every service frequency.
Commercial cleaning is priced per square foot, per visit — then multiplied by how often you actually need someone in the building. That second part is where most people get their budget wrong: two buildings of the exact same size and type can have monthly bills that differ by 5x purely because one gets cleaned nightly and the other gets cleaned once a week.
Here's what the per-visit rate looks like across building types, based on current market pricing:
Since office space is what most people searching for commercial cleaning are actually pricing out, it's worth breaking out on its own. A standard office — desks, a break room, a couple of restrooms, some conference rooms — runs $0.088–$0.107 per square foot per visit. That covers trash, vacuuming and mopping, restroom sanitizing, and wiping down common surfaces. It does not cover deep carpet extraction, interior window washing, or anything you'd only need a few times a year — those get quoted separately.
This is the number people actually want, and it depends entirely on frequency:
For comparison, the same 2,000 sq ft space cleaned weekly runs $416–$520/month at warehouse rates or $1,200–$1,480/month at medical rates — the building type matters, but frequency moves the number a lot more.
Basic (janitorial)
Trash removal, vacuuming carpeted areas, sweeping and mopping hard floors, restroom cleaning and sanitizing, restocking paper products. This is what most weekly office contracts actually cover.
Standard — roughly 20–25% more than basic
Everything in basic, plus wiping down desks and work surfaces, cleaning the break room (microwave, counters, sink), dusting horizontal surfaces, and cleaning glass doors and partitions.
Premium — roughly 55–68% more than basic
Everything in standard, plus detailed dusting (blinds, ceiling vents, baseboards), interior window cleaning, floor waxing or carpet extraction, and a deeper restroom scrub. Most companies budget for premium service quarterly even if they're on a basic or standard weekly plan.
A day porter is different from a nightly cleaning crew — it's a person on-site during business hours handling restroom checks every 1–2 hours, lobby upkeep, spill response, and conference room turnover between meetings. This is common in high-traffic office buildings, retail, and medical facilities. Expect to pay $218–$265 per day, which comes out to roughly $4,800–$5,830/month for a standard 22-workday month.
Getting three quotes at wildly different prices is normal in this industry, and it usually means the companies aren't quoting the same scope of work. Before comparing numbers, ask each one:
Write down exactly what you want cleaned and how often *before* you request quotes — a one-page scope of work makes every bid comparable, instead of getting three numbers for three different levels of service. Ask for a 30-day trial period before committing to anything longer than a few months, and get a clause in writing that lets you walk away without penalty if the quality doesn't hold up.
How much does commercial cleaning cost per square foot?
Commercial cleaning runs $0.052–$0.185 per square foot per visit depending on building type. A standard office is $0.088–$0.107/sq ft, while medical facilities run $0.15–$0.185/sq ft because of stricter sanitation requirements.
How much does office cleaning cost per month?
For a 2,000 sq ft office at the standard office rate, weekly cleaning runs $704–$856/month, daily cleaning runs $3,820–$4,640/month, and monthly cleaning runs $176–$214.
Why is medical office cleaning so much more expensive?
Medical spaces run $0.15–$0.185/sq ft/visit — roughly 50–70% more than a standard office — because of stricter disinfection protocols, documentation requirements, and the extra time needed for terminal cleaning between exam rooms.
What's the difference between basic, standard, and premium commercial cleaning?
Basic covers trash, floors, and restrooms. Standard adds desk and surface wiping plus break room cleaning, for about 20–25% more than basic. Premium adds detailed dusting, interior windows, and deep floor care, for about 55–68% more than basic.
How much does a day porter cost?
A day porter runs $218–$265 per day, or roughly $4,800–$5,830 per month for a standard 22-workday schedule.
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