What should you charge per square foot for commercial cleaning? Here are the 2026 industry benchmarks by building type — backed by ISSA production rates and BLS labor data.
Most commercial cleaning contracts are priced per square foot — it's the fastest way for both cleaners and clients to compare pricing. But not all square footage is equal.
A 10,000 sqft medical clinic takes much longer to clean than a 10,000 sqft warehouse. That's why per-sqft rates vary dramatically by building type, cleaning frequency, and local labor costs.
The rates below are calculated using ISSA 612 production rates (labor hours per sqft) × BLS median wage data × standard overhead and profit margins.
Per-visit rates (standard service level):
→ General Office: $0.08–$0.18 per sqft/visit
→ Medical / Clinic: $0.15–$0.30 per sqft/visit
→ School / University: $0.07–$0.15 per sqft/visit
→ Retail / Storefront: $0.06–$0.14 per sqft/visit
→ Restaurant: $0.12–$0.25 per sqft/visit
→ Church / Worship: $0.08–$0.16 per sqft/visit
→ Warehouse / Industrial: $0.04–$0.10 per sqft/visit
→ Gym / Fitness: $0.10–$0.20 per sqft/visit
Monthly rates (5x/week cleaning):
→ General Office: $1.70–$3.90 per sqft/month
→ Medical / Clinic: $3.25–$6.50 per sqft/month
→ School: $1.52–$3.25 per sqft/month
→ Retail: $1.30–$3.04 per sqft/month
→ Restaurant: $2.60–$5.40 per sqft/month
→ Warehouse: $0.87–$2.17 per sqft/month
Note: Lower-cost metros (Dallas, Memphis) typically fall near the bottom of each range. Higher-cost metros (NYC, San Francisco) fall near the top.
The per-sqft rate difference between building types comes down to one factor: production rate — how fast a cleaner can work.
Office production rate: ~4,200 sqft/hour. Open floor plans, standard furniture, light soil. A cleaner moves fast.
Medical production rate: ~2,200 sqft/hour. Infection control protocols, hazardous waste handling, fixture-intensive exam rooms, and strict documentation requirements. A cleaner moves at half the speed.
Warehouse production rate: ~6,000 sqft/hour. Wide-open concrete floors, minimal fixtures, no restrooms to speak of. Fastest building type to clean.
The math is simple: slower production rate = more labor hours = higher cost per sqft.
This is why building type is the first question you should ask when pricing a job. Two 10,000 sqft buildings can have wildly different cleaning costs.
Step 1: Find the ISSA production rate for the building type.
Example: Office = 4,200 sqft/hour
Step 2: Calculate hours per visit.
10,000 sqft ÷ 4,200 sqft/hr = 2.38 hours
Step 3: Apply your loaded labor rate.
$18.00/hr loaded × 2.38 hours = $42.84 in labor per visit
Step 4: Add overhead (12%) and profit (15%).
$42.84 × 1.27 = $54.41 per visit
Step 5: Calculate per-sqft rate.
$54.41 ÷ 10,000 sqft = $0.0054/sqft per visit → round to $0.054/sqft
Step 6: For monthly rate, multiply by visits/month.
$54.41 × 21.7 = $1,180.70/month → $0.118/sqft/month
This gives you a defensible, data-backed rate you can present to any client. Adjust up or down based on building condition, scope, and market competition.
Our free calculator produces per-square-foot rates for any building type and size. Enter your building details, local wage, and overhead — and get per-visit and monthly pricing with a full breakdown.
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