Short answer
Commercial cleaning is priced mostly on labor time, and labor time comes from your square footage and layout, the number of restrooms and fixtures, your floor types, how often you want service, how busy the building is and what shape it's in. Supplies, extras like carpet or window cleaning, and your cleaning window add to it. In Texas, janitorial service is also subject to sales tax unless you're an exempt buyer.
We don't publish commercial prices. A posted number can't account for your restrooms, your floors or your hours. What we can do is show you what goes into a quote, so you can read one and compare them fairly.
Labor is most of the cost
ISSA, the cleaning industry's trade association, puts it simply in its guide to pricing commercial cleaning: labor is the biggest expense. ISSA counts wages, overtime, taxes, insurance and training in that labor cost. Supplies, equipment and overhead like fuel and admin come on top.
So almost everything below comes back to one question. How many hours does it take to clean your building well, on your schedule?
What drives the hours
Square footage and layout
Size matters, but layout matters almost as much. One big open floor goes fast. The same square footage split into twenty private offices, each with its own trash can and doorway, takes longer.
Restrooms and fixtures
Restrooms take a lot of time for their size. ISSA's article on cleaning times works an example of 3 minutes per fixture for a full restroom clean, including trash, fixtures, mirrors, partitions, supplies, dusting and mopping. A building with 10 fixtures needs about 30 minutes for restrooms alone, every visit.
Floors
Carpet, tile, sealed concrete and wood each clean differently. The same ISSA article uses a production rate of 5,355 square feet per hour for wet mopping with a 14-inch flat mop. Real buildings are slower than that, because of furniture, corners and spots that need scrubbing. Detailed floor work like stripping and refinishing is usually priced as a separate project.
How often you want service
More visits mean more total hours, but each visit can be shorter, because there's less buildup between them. Less frequent service can mean longer visits, especially for restrooms and break rooms.
Traffic
Fifty people and a waiting room full of visitors make more trash, more restroom use and more floor dirt than ten people at desks.
Condition at the start
A building that hasn't been cleaned well in months needs a heavy first visit. That's why a quote often has a one-time deep clean first, then the regular rate.
Your cleaning window
A wide window after close is the easiest to staff. A tight window, like 7 to 8 PM only, may need a bigger crew for less time. Weekend-only or very early hours can also cost more.
Access and security
Badge rules, escorted entry, freight elevator schedules and alarm procedures all add time.
What adds to the base price
- Consumables. Toilet paper, paper towels, liners and hand soap. If the cleaning company supplies them, they're part of the bill. The Texas Comptroller's rule says tax is then due on the total charge, paper products included.
- Periodic work. Carpet cleaning, interior and exterior windows, high dusting, upholstery.
- One-time jobs. Deep cleans, move-outs, post-construction and post-event cleanups.
- Special requirements. A specific disinfectant your business requires, or extra steps for medical offices, child care or food areas.
Insurance is part of the price
Carrying general liability and workers' comp costs a cleaning company money every month. In Texas, the Department of Insurance says most private employers can choose not to carry workers' comp. A bid from a company without it can come in lower. Decide whether that's a risk you want, and ask every bidder for a certificate of insurance.
Texas sales tax
Texas law lists building cleaning and janitorial work as a taxable real property service. The Comptroller's sales tax page gives a state rate of 6.25 percent, and local taxing jurisdictions can add up to 2 percent, for a maximum combined rate of 8.25 percent.
Some buyers are exempt. The Comptroller says Texas public schools, colleges and universities have a dual exemption, and nonprofits that have qualified with the Comptroller, churches included, can give the seller a completed Form 01-339. If that's you, give your cleaning company the certificate before the first invoice.
How to compare quotes
- Make sure every quote covers the same scope, task by task. Our contract and scope guide has a sample matrix.
- Compare the same unit: per visit or per month.
- Check visits per week and the expected hours if the company will share them.
- Check whether consumables and sales tax are included or added.
- Check insurance, including workers' comp.
- Then compare totals.
Ways to lower the cost
- Move some tasks from weekly to monthly.
- Have staff wipe the break room on light days.
- Add a short restroom-only visit instead of a full extra night.
- Schedule cleaning right after your busiest days instead of spreading visits evenly.
- Supply your own paper goods if you can buy them cheaper.
- Keep desks clear so the crew can wipe them fast.
How we quote at V&V
We walk your building first, then send a written quote with the scope attached: each task, how often, visits per week, who supplies what, and what's not included. We carry general liability and workers' comp. We're family-run and have cleaned around DFW since 2009. Request a walkthrough when you're ready to compare.
Common questions
Why won't cleaning companies give a price over the phone?
Because square footage hides too much. Restroom count, floor types, traffic and the condition of the building change the hours a lot. A company that prices without seeing the building is either padding the number or planning to cut time later.
Is commercial cleaning charged per square foot?
Some companies quote that way, but the cost underneath is labor hours. Two buildings with the same square footage can need very different hours, so per-square-foot prices only make sense after a walkthrough.
Do I pay sales tax on janitorial service in Texas?
Usually, yes. Texas law lists building cleaning and janitorial work as a taxable real property service. The state rate is 6.25 percent and local jurisdictions can add up to 2 percent. Public schools and qualifying nonprofits can give the company an exemption certificate instead.
How can we lower our cleaning cost without letting the building go?
Move some tasks from weekly to monthly, have staff handle the break room on light days, add a short restroom-only visit instead of a full extra night, and schedule cleaning right after your busiest days.
Why is the first clean more expensive?
Buildup. If a building hasn't had a real cleaning in months, the first visit takes much longer. Many companies quote a one-time deep clean first and then the regular rate.
Need a cleaning crew for your building?
V&V cleans offices, clinics, schools and churches across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Sources
- ISSA: How to Calculate Commercial Cleaning Rates (1 Jul 2025) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- ISSA: How to Calculate Cleaning Times (Brant Insero, 1 Jun 2022) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Tax Code Sec. 151.0048, Real property service (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- 34 Tex. Admin. Code Sec. 3.356, Real Property Service (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller: Sales and use tax (state rate and local rates) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller Pub. 96-122: Nonprofit and Exempt Organizations, Purchases and Sales (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Workers' compensation insurance coverage (employers) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)