Short answer: in Austin, recurring commercial cleaning five nights a week typically runs about $0.12 to $0.25 per square foot per month for offices, $0.20 to $0.45 for medical and dental clinics, $0.22 to $0.30 for childcare centers, and $0.10 to $0.18 for warehouses. Gyms cleaned seven nights a week run about $0.15 to $0.32. For a 10,000 square foot office cleaned five nights a week, that comes to roughly $1,200 to $2,500 a month, plus Texas sales tax.
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Typical monthly cost by building type
| Building | Cleaned | Typical monthly range |
|---|---|---|
| Office, 5,000 sq ft | 5 nights a week | $750–$1,250 |
| Office, 10,000 sq ft | 5 nights a week | $1,200–$2,500 |
| Medical or dental clinic, 5,000 sq ft | 5 nights a week | $1,000–$2,250 |
| Childcare center, 10,000 sq ft | 5 nights a week | $2,200–$3,000 |
| Warehouse, 10,000 sq ft | 5 nights a week | $1,000–$1,800 |
| Gym, 10,000 sq ft | 7 nights a week | $1,500–$3,200 |
Budget for one more thing: Texas charges sales tax on janitorial services, so expect 8.25% on top of the price in Austin and most of Texas.
What moves the price
- How often you need cleaning. The biggest factor after square footage.
- Type of building. Clinics and childcare centers have more restrooms, sinks and touch points per square foot than offices, and they need more careful disinfecting.
- Restrooms and break rooms. They take the most time per square foot in almost every building.
- Flooring and how full the space is. Carpet, tile and sealed concrete clean at different speeds, and a room with 30 desks takes far longer than an empty one.
- Supplies. Whether the cleaning company provides paper towels, toilet paper and soap, or you do.
How cleaning is actually priced
Cleaning is priced on the time your building takes, task by task, not on the number of visits. That’s why one of the most common assumptions about cleaning costs is wrong.
Many owners figure that if they switch from five nights a week to once a week, they’ll pay about a fifth as much. They won’t. Emptying the trash takes about the same time whether it happens nightly or weekly. But vacuuming, mopping and restrooms take much longer when a full week of buildup is waiting. A once-a-week visit takes roughly a third longer than a nightly one. Fewer visits still cost less in total, just not as much less as people expect.
Companies build quotes in different ways. Some count the labor hours they expect to spend. Others use published industry rates for how much space a cleaner covers in an hour. At BrightWorks, we run your building through more than one method and compare the results, so one bad assumption doesn’t end up in your price.
A good quote also leaves out what you don’t need. A storage room nobody walks through doesn’t need mopping every night. We’d rather build your scope around how your building is really used, and point out anything you might be missing, than pad the bill.
Why quotes vary so much
There’s no Kelley Blue Book for commercial cleaning. When you buy a car, you can look up a fair price before you walk in. With cleaning, every company prices a little differently, and most won’t publish numbers at all. The only way to find a baseline has usually been to sit through several sales calls, which is the last thing most business owners want to do. That’s why we put our ranges and our estimator online.
Be careful with the quote that comes in far below everyone else’s. A price that low usually means something is missing. Sometimes it’s insurance. Sometimes it’s the hours: the company is pricing two hours of work for a building that takes four, and the corners get cut later. You rarely find out which until something goes wrong.
The three kinds of cleaning companies, and what to ask each
Most Austin businesses end up choosing between three kinds of cleaning companies. Each has real strengths, and each has its own questions worth asking.
1. Small owner-operators
Often someone who cleaned for another company and started their own, with a handful of accounts. Many are hardworking, genuinely good people, and the owner often cleans your building personally at first. The common problem is what happens next: as they grow, the work gets handed to others and quality can drop. Smaller operators also may not carry full insurance or use a written contract that protects you if something gets damaged.
Ask: Who will clean my building six months from now? Can you send your certificate of insurance? Is there a written contract?
2. Mid-size local companies
Big enough to have systems, insurance and backup crews, small enough that the owner still knows your building. This is where BrightWorks fits. The risk with any mid-size company is growing faster than its management can keep up.
Ask: Who is my point of contact, and do they actually visit my building? What do you send me in writing each month?
3. National franchises
The big brand names. Their strength is the system: standard procedures for everything, structured training, and usually a smooth onboarding. The tradeoff is that the brand sells the contract, but a local franchise owner does the work, and quality depends heavily on which franchisee you get.
Ask: Who exactly will clean my building, the brand or a franchise owner? Who do I call when something goes wrong, and can they fix it themselves?
How to tell an honest cleaning company from one that only sounds honest
Commercial cleaning isn’t regulated the way plumbing or electrical work is. Almost anyone can start a cleaning company, and nearly every company markets itself the same way: a dedicated account manager, regular quality checks, “we’ll make it right.” The honest companies and the dishonest ones use the same words. So judge them on proof, not promises. Whatever kind of company you talk to, ask:
- Can you send your certificate of insurance? A real company sends it quickly, with liability coverage and workers’ comp listed.
- Is there a written contract, and how do I get out of it if you don’t perform? Watch for long terms with no way out if service slips.
- Who actually shows up to clean? The same crew every night, or whoever is available this week?
- How many hours is my building priced for? If one quote is much lower than the rest, this is usually why.
- What happens when you miss something? Ask how you’ll find out, and who you call.
- What will you send me each month? “An account manager stops by” isn’t an answer. Ask what you get in writing.
What a monthly report should include
At BrightWorks, every recurring client gets the 5-10-15 Report each month. It lists every issue the client raised and what we did about it, what’s still open and why, anything our crew or our owner noticed that the client hasn’t, and anything we think we should be doing better, including our own misses. Whoever you hire, ask for something like it. If a company won’t put its work in writing, that tells you a lot.
A bad experience doesn’t mean they’re all the same
Many of the business owners we meet have been through several cleaning companies and assume the next one will be the same. It’s a fair assumption. But there are companies that treat you with respect, keep their word, and want to keep your business for years. The questions above are how you find them. Our first client, an early childhood center in Cedar Park, is still with us more than three years later, paying the same price they paid when we started.
When we’re not the right fit
If you need one cleaning vendor for dozens of locations across several states, a national franchise may suit you better. We’re built for businesses in Austin and Central Texas that want one local contact for cleaning and repairs.
Common questions
How much does office cleaning cost in Austin?
About $0.12 to $0.25 per square foot per month for cleaning five nights a week. A 10,000 square foot office typically runs $1,200 to $2,500 a month, plus 8.25% sales tax.
Is commercial cleaning taxed in Texas?
Yes. Texas taxes janitorial services, and in Austin and most of Texas the rate is 8.25%. Ask whether a quote includes tax or adds it on top.
Is cleaning once a week much cheaper than five nights a week?
Cheaper in total, but not one-fifth the price. A once-a-week visit takes roughly a third longer than a nightly one, because a week of buildup takes longer to clean.
Why is one cleaning quote so much lower than the others?
Usually because something is missing: insurance, enough hours to do the job, or both. Ask for the certificate of insurance and how many hours a night your building is priced for.
What does BrightWorks charge?
Our cleaning prices are set at the Austin market average for your type of building. Recurring cleaning starts at $750 a month, and every price is confirmed with a free walkthrough. Try the estimator for a budgeting range.
About the author. Bryan Bone is the founder and President of BrightWorks Facility Services, an owner-run commercial cleaning and facility maintenance company in Austin, Texas, founded in February 2023. Before BrightWorks, he worked across sales, operations and finance for small businesses in Houston, then in sales at an investment firm in Austin.
Estimate your monthly cost or request a free walkthrough. Questions? Call 512-775-4342.