An office that cleans with its own employee pays for hours, payroll costs, supplies, supervision and cover for absences. An office that hires a cleaning company pays one monthly price that covers those costs. Neither is always cheaper, and this guide shows what to count so you can decide.
What an in-house cleaner costs
Count each of these, not only the wage:
- Wages for every hour of cleaning, plus travel or idle time
- Employer payroll taxes, workers’ compensation and paid sick leave
- Supplies and equipment
- Cover when the employee is sick or on leave
- Your own time for supervision and checking the work
As a rule, payroll taxes, workers’ compensation and leave add well over 15 percent on top of the wage. The exact figures depend on your insurer and your payroll.
What a cleaning company price includes
A company price covers the supervisor, the supplies and equipment, insurance, background checks, a quality inspection, cover when a cleaner is away, and the time you would otherwise spend managing the work.
When an in-house cleaner makes sense
Hiring your own cleaner works best when there are enough hours to keep one person busy, which usually means a full-time month of about 160 hours. Below that, you pay for idle time or hire a part-time cleaner who is hard to keep and harder to replace.
When a cleaning company makes sense
- You need fewer than about 30 hours of cleaning a month
- You want one invoice, with insurance and cover included
- You would rather not manage payroll, supplies and absences
- You want a written checklist you can hold the vendor to
Write the checklist first
Whichever you choose, write down the tasks first. Our office cleaning checklist is a starting point, and you can request a quote with your email address to see what a cleaning company would charge for your space.
More on switching providers
- How to Switch Commercial Cleaning Companies Without a Gap
- How to Tell Whether Your Cleaning Service Is Doing a Good Job
- What a Commercial Cleaning Contract Should Say
- Eight Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Commercial Cleaning Company
- How to Check a Cleaning Company's References in 10 Minutes
- Commercial Cleaning in Orange County, California
Related pages and guides
- Commercial cleaning in Orange County
- Small office cleaning
- Request a quote
- What office cleaning costs in Orange County
- How an office cleaning quote is built
Ready for a price? Request your quote, and we reply by email with a price and a written checklist.