Winning commercial cleaning contracts comes down to one skill: bidding accurately. This guide walks you through the entire process — from the initial site survey to delivering a professional proposal.
Every cleaning business lives or dies by its bids. Underbid and you lose money on every visit. Overbid and you lose the contract to a competitor. According to BSCAI (Building Service Contractors Association International), the average commercial cleaning company wins 20–30% of the contracts it bids on.
The companies that consistently win at higher rates share one thing: a systematic, data-driven bidding process. They don't guess — they calculate. This guide breaks down that exact process step by step.
Before you invest time in a bid, make sure it's worth pursuing.
Ask these questions:
→ What's the building size and type? (You need this for production rate estimates)
→ What's the cleaning frequency? (1x, 3x, 5x per week, or daily?)
→ Is there a current cleaning company? Why are they switching?
→ What's the budget range? (Some clients won't share this — that's okay)
→ When does the contract start?
→ Who makes the final decision?
Red flags to watch for:
→ Client won't let you do a walk-through (they want a blind bid — risky)
→ They're shopping 10+ vendors (price-only decision, race to the bottom)
→ The building has unusual requirements they haven't disclosed
Qualifying saves you from wasting 3–5 hours on bids you'll never win.
The walk-through is where you gather every data point that determines your bid. Bring a measuring tool (laser measurer is $30 on Amazon), a camera, and a notepad.
Measure and document:
→ Total square footage (ask for floor plans if available)
→ Room-by-room breakdown: offices, restrooms, lobbies, break rooms, conference rooms
→ Floor types: carpet vs. hard floor percentage (this affects cleaning time significantly)
→ Restroom fixture count: toilets, urinals, sinks per restroom
→ Special areas: server rooms (don't clean), kitchens (extra time), loading docks
Note environmental factors:
→ Foot traffic level (hospital lobby vs. back office)
→ Current cleanliness condition
→ Access restrictions (security badges, after-hours only)
→ Parking and loading for equipment
Ask the facility manager:
→ What cleaning tasks are required? (Vacuuming, mopping, restroom sanitation, trash, dusting, windows?)
→ Any special requirements? (Green cleaning products, infection control, HIPAA compliance?)
→ What time can cleaning crews be on-site?
Take photos of everything. You'll reference them when building the scope of work.
This is where science replaces guesswork. The ISSA 612 Cleaning Times standard provides benchmark production rates — how many square feet one cleaner can service per hour by area type.
Key ISSA production rates (sqft/hour):
→ General Office: 4,200
→ Restrooms: 1,000 (fixture-intensive)
→ Lobbies & Corridors: 5,500
→ Break Rooms / Cafeteria: 3,200
→ Medical / Clinical: 2,200
→ Classrooms: 3,800
→ Warehouse: 6,000
Example calculation for a 15,000 sqft office:
→ Office area (10,000 sqft): 10,000 ÷ 4,200 = 2.38 hours
→ Restrooms (1,200 sqft, 4 restrooms): 1,200 ÷ 1,000 = 1.20 hours
→ Lobby (1,500 sqft): 1,500 ÷ 5,500 = 0.27 hours
→ Break room (800 sqft): 800 ÷ 3,200 = 0.25 hours
→ Conference rooms (1,500 sqft): 1,500 ÷ 3,500 = 0.43 hours
→ Total per visit: 4.53 hours
At 5x/week: 4.53 × 21.7 visits/month = 98.3 labor hours/month
This number is the foundation of your entire bid.
Calculate Automatically with the Free Bid Calculator →Every bid has four cost layers:
1. Direct Labor Cost
Labor hours × fully-loaded hourly rate. The loaded rate includes base wage + employer taxes + workers' comp. In our example: 98.3 hours × $18.50 loaded rate = $1,818.55/month.
2. Supplies & Equipment
Chemicals, paper products, trash liners, equipment wear. Typically 3–5% of the contract value. Estimate: $80–$130/month for this building.
3. Overhead
Insurance, vehicle costs, admin time, software, uniforms. Typically 8–15% of revenue. Estimate: $250–$350/month.
4. Profit Margin
Your take-home. Industry standard is 10–20%. At 15% margin on this job: ~$380/month.
Total monthly bid: $2,529–$2,679
This gives you a defensible price range. You can adjust within the range based on market conditions, competition, and how much you want the contract.
A professional proposal is what separates the $3,000/month cleaning company from the $1,500/month one. Include:
1. Cover page — Your company name, logo, the building name, and date.
2. Scope of work — Room-by-room task list with frequencies. Example: "Restrooms (4): Sanitize fixtures, refill dispensers, mop floors, empty trash — 5x per week."
3. Pricing — Monthly cost, clearly stated. Optional: show annual cost and any volume discount for multi-year commitment.
4. About your company — Insurance certificates, years in business, relevant experience, references.
5. Terms — Payment schedule (Net 15 or Net 30), contract length, cancellation policy, scope change process.
Pro tip: Deliver the proposal in person when possible. Walk through it with the decision-maker. This personal touch wins more contracts than email delivery.
Most cleaning contracts are NOT won on the first submission. Follow up is where deals close.
48 hours after submission: Call or email to confirm receipt and ask if they have questions.
1 week after: Follow up with a short email: "Just checking in — happy to schedule a call to walk through the proposal."
2 weeks after: If no response, send a final follow-up with a clear deadline: "This pricing is valid through [date]."
If you lose the bid: Always ask why. "I appreciate the opportunity. Would you mind sharing what the deciding factor was?" This feedback is gold for improving future bids.
If you win: Get the contract signed, schedule a start date, and do a pre-start walk-through with your cleaning crew. Set expectations on both sides.
The bidding process above is exactly what our free calculator automates. Enter the building type, square footage, room breakdown, and your cost inputs — and get a professional bid in minutes instead of hours.
Built on ISSA 612 production rates. No signup required.
Try the Free Bid Calculator →Our free janitorial bid calculator uses real ISSA production rates. No sign-up required.