Key takeaways
- Most UK commercial cleaning is priced between £14 and £22 per operative hour, depending on region and scope.
- A typical small office lands around £180–£450 per month for a daily light clean.
- Price is driven by hours needed, not by floor area alone. Layout and clutter matter more than square footage.
- The cheapest quote is usually the one with the fewest hours in it. Always compare specifications, not prices.
Cleaning quotes are one of the hardest things to compare in facilities management. Two providers can quote for the same office and come back £200 a month apart, not because one is greedy but because one has priced 10 hours a week and the other has priced 6. Neither of them puts that on the front page.
This guide gives you the actual ranges we see in the UK market in 2026, explains what moves the number, and shows you how to compare quotes so you're buying the same thing from everyone you ask.
The headline rates
Commercial cleaning in the UK is almost always priced on labour. The provider works out how many operative hours the specification needs, multiplies by an hourly rate that covers wages, National Insurance, holiday cover, insurance, equipment, materials, supervision and margin, then presents it as a monthly figure.
If a quote works out below roughly £13 an hour, something is being left out. Once you account for the National Living Wage, employer's NI, holiday accrual and cover for sickness, there is very little room left. Providers who go lower typically cut hours, skip supervision, or don't cover absence — which is why the clean is fine in month one and poor by month four.
What typical offices actually pay
These are realistic monthly ranges for contract cleaning, excluding VAT, assuming an evening clean and consumables supplied separately.
| Office size | Typical scope | Monthly range |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 staff | 3 visits a week, 1.5 hrs | £180–£320 |
| 10–25 staff | 5 visits a week, 2 hrs | £380–£650 |
| 25–60 staff | 5 visits a week, 3–4 hrs | £650–£1,300 |
| 60–150 staff | 5 visits a week, 6–8 hrs | £1,300–£2,800 |
| Multi-floor / multi-site | Daily plus day janitor | £3,000+ |
Periodic work sits on top of these figures. Budget separately for carpet cleaning, hard floor maintenance, internal and external window cleaning and an annual or twice-yearly deep clean. Bundling them into the same contract is normally cheaper than buying them ad hoc.
What actually drives the price
Floor area is the number everyone quotes, but it's a weak predictor on its own. These are the things that genuinely change the hours:
- Number of washrooms and how heavily they're used
- Kitchens, breakout areas and how much washing-up is left
- Desk density and whether desks are cleared at night
- Hard floors versus carpet (hard floors take longer)
- Glass, partitions and reception areas
- Stairs, lifts and multiple floors
- Access times and security sign-in procedures
- Whether the site has a dedicated cleaning store and water supply
A 4,000 sq ft open-plan office with two washrooms and cleared desks can take half the time of a 3,000 sq ft site with cellular offices, four washrooms, a busy kitchen and a reception that has to look immaculate every morning.
How frequency changes the number
Frequency is the biggest lever you control. Moving from five days to three days doesn't cut the cost by 40% — some tasks still need doing on every visit and the operative still has to travel — but it typically saves 25–30%.
A sensible middle ground for offices under about 25 people is daily washroom and kitchen attention with alternate-day desks and floors. You keep the areas that generate complaints spotless and spend less on the areas nobody notices.
Costs people forget
- ConsumablesToilet roll, hand towel, soap and bin liners are usually quoted separately. For a 25-person office, budget roughly £40–£90 a month. Ask whether it's managed (topped up automatically) or delivered.
- Sanitary wasteLegally required, priced per unit per collection. Typically £6–£12 per unit per service.
- Periodic deep cleaningOnce or twice a year. A small office deep clean starts around £350–£600.
- Window cleaningUsually a separate schedule. Ground floor frontage might be £30–£70 a visit; a full building considerably more.
- Cover and one-offsAsk what happens when your regular operative is off sick and whether cover is included or charged.
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask every provider for the same three things and the comparison becomes simple:
- The number of operative hours per week
- A written task list with frequencies
- What is included versus chargeable
If a provider won't put hours in writing, that's your answer. A specification also protects you later: when standards slip, you have something objective to point at instead of a conversation about whether the office "feels" clean.
We walk the building with you, write the specification, tell you the hours it needs and give you a fixed monthly price. You can hand that specification to any other provider and get a genuine like-for-like comparison. We'd rather win on service than on hiding hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to employ a cleaner directly?
On paper sometimes, but you take on recruitment, wages, NI, holiday pay, sickness cover, training, insurance, equipment and materials, plus the risk when they leave. Most businesses under 100 staff find a contract works out similar in cost with none of the admin.
Should cleaning happen during or outside working hours?
Outside, for most offices. Evening cleans mean staff arrive to a clean building with no disruption. Larger or public-facing sites often add a daytime janitor for washrooms and spills.
How long should a cleaning contract run?
Rolling monthly or annual agreements are both common. Be wary of long tie-ins with weak exit terms — a good provider doesn't need to lock you in.
Do prices rise every year?
Expect a review linked to the National Living Wage, which rises each April. A reputable provider tells you in advance and explains the increase rather than slipping it onto an invoice.
More reading
Other guides from AMA
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