How to Write a Commercial Cleaning Quote?

A commercial cleaning quote is a formal written document that specifies the scope of services, pricing, terms, and conditions offered by a cleaning company to a prospective client. A well-structured quote increases conversion rates, protects both parties legally, and establishes clear expectations before a cleaning contract is executed.

Most lost commercial cleaning contracts are not lost on price — they are lost because the quote failed to demonstrate understanding of the site, lacked a detailed scope of work, or did not present the company credibly. A professional quote closes this gap by addressing what the client actually needs before they ask.

The 6-Step Commercial Cleaning Quote Process

Step	Stage	Key Actions	Output
1	Site Assessment	Visit premises; measure area; identify surfaces; note compliance needs	Site assessment notes or checklist
2	Define Scope of Work	List every task, area, frequency; specify inclusions and exclusions	Written scope of work document
3	Calculate Costs	Labour (Award-compliant) + consumables + equipment + overhead + margin	Costing spreadsheet
4	Structure Quote Document	ABN, scope, pricing, GST, validity period, insurance, accreditations	Branded PDF quote
5	Present and Follow Up	Send PDF; follow up in 48–72 hrs; be prepared to revise scope or price	Email with quote attached
6	Convert and Contract	Issue formal service agreement upon acceptance; retain signed copy	Signed cleaning contract

Step 1: Conduct a Site Assessment

A site assessment is the foundation of an accurate commercial cleaning quote. Quotes written without a site visit are consistently underpriced because they cannot account for the actual floor area, amenity count, surface types, access restrictions, or compliance requirements that determine the true labour and materials cost.

During the site visit, measure the total floor area in square metres by zone — office, reception, kitchen, bathrooms, meeting rooms, and common areas. Identify the floor surface types in each area, as carpet, polished concrete, vinyl, and tiles each require different equipment, chemicals, and time. Count all bathrooms, WCs, kitchenettes, and breakrooms separately, as these are the most labour-intensive areas per square metre and the most likely source of quoting errors.

Ask the client about the site’s compliance obligations. A medical clinic regulated under NHMRC infection control guidelines requires APVMA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants and documented cleaning protocols — a materially different service specification from a standard office. A food production facility regulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) requires food-safe, residue-free chemical protocols that affect both product selection and labour time. An aged care facility must meet the Aged Care Quality Standards administered by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Never quote a commercial cleaning contract without conducting a site assessment. A 500 sqm office with two amenity blocks and a commercial kitchen will take three times longer per visit than a 500 sqm open-plan office with one bathroom and no kitchen. Floor area alone does not determine labour cost.

Site Assessment Checklist

Assessment Item	How to Capture	Why It Matters for Quoting
Total floor area	Measure in sqm per zone	Drives time estimate and per-sqm pricing
Floor types	Carpet, vinyl, tiles, concrete, timber	Determines equipment and chemicals required
Number of bathrooms / WCs	Count individual amenities	Bathrooms are most time-intensive; drives cost
Number of kitchenettes / break rooms	Count and inspect condition	Kitchen areas increase labour time significantly
Number of workstations / desks	Count or estimate	Bin replacement and surface wipe frequency
Meeting rooms	Count; note table/chair surfaces	Wipedown and vacuuming per visit
Glass partitions / windows	Note height and accessibility	Spot-cleaning included; full clean is add-on
Access and security	Key, fob, alarm, after-hours entry	Affects scheduling; may require supervision
Compliance requirements	Healthcare, food, aged care, lab	Determines chemical spec and staff certifications
Waste and recycling stations	Count bin units; note type	Bin liner size, frequency, and segregation needs
Special soiling or hazards	Grease, chemicals, biohazard	May trigger industrial or specialist pricing
Current cleaning provider	Frequency, pain points, budget hints	Helps position scope competitively

During the site assessment, also note the current cleaning provider if one is in place, and ask the client what they are dissatisfied with. Pain points from the existing arrangement — inconsistent quality, after-hours access issues, or failure to follow a specification — are your best guide to what the winning scope of work should address.

Step 2: Define the Scope of Work

The scope of work is the single most important component of a commercial cleaning quote. It is the document that defines exactly what will be delivered, how often, and in which areas of the premises. A vague scope — such as ‘general cleaning as required’ — creates disputes when client expectations diverge from what the cleaner understood. A detailed scope eliminates ambiguity, provides the basis for quality audits, and protects the cleaning company in the event of a dispute.

The scope should be structured by task and frequency. Every task that will be performed on a daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or quarterly basis should be listed explicitly, along with the area or rooms it covers. Exclusions — tasks or areas not included in the base price — should also be clearly stated to prevent scope creep and uncompensated work.

Replace any phrase like ‘general cleaning’ or ‘as required’ with a specific, measurable task. ‘Clean and disinfect all toilets, urinals, basins, and mirrors in Bathrooms 1 and 2 — daily’ is unambiguous. ‘General bathroom maintenance as needed’ is not, and will be interpreted differently by the client and the cleaner.

Standard Commercial Cleaning Scope: Task and Frequency Reference

Task	Frequency	Area / Notes
Vacuum all carpeted areas and rugs	Daily	All offices, corridors, meeting rooms
Mop all hard floor areas	Daily	Kitchen, bathrooms, reception, hallways
Clean and disinfect all toilets and basins	Daily	All restrooms; APVMA-grade disinfectant
Wipe down kitchen benches and appliances	Daily	Kitchenette and breakroom surfaces
Empty and replace all bin liners	Daily	All workstations and common areas
Spot-clean glass partitions (desk height)	Daily	Reception and office glass panels
Wipe meeting room tables and chairs	Daily	All meeting and boardroom furniture
Dust horizontal surfaces and skirting boards	Weekly	Desks, shelves, windowsills, skirting
Clean kitchen sink and taps	Daily	Kitchenette; de-scale monthly
Clean inside microwave	Weekly	Breakroom appliances
Sanitise door handles and light switches	Daily	High-touch surfaces; infection control
Vacuum upholstered furniture	Fortnightly	Reception seating and lounge areas
Strip and seal hard floors	Quarterly	Vinyl and polished concrete areas
Carpet steam extraction	6-monthly	All carpeted areas; additional charge
External window cleaning	Quarterly	Building facade; quoted separately

For regulated environments, the scope of work must also reference the applicable standard or protocol. For example: ‘Disinfect all clinical contact surfaces using a hospital-grade disinfectant registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) — daily’ communicates both the task and the compliance standard in a single line. This level of specificity is expected by healthcare facility managers and aged care procurement teams.

Step 3: Calculate Your Costs

Accurate cost calculation is where most quoting errors occur. The most common mistake is pricing labour at the base award rate without accounting for penalty rates, superannuation, workers’ compensation, and overhead — resulting in a quote that appears competitive but is loss-making once all costs are applied.

Begin with the labour cost. Calculate the time required to complete the full scope of work based on your site assessment, then apply the correct Cleaning Services Award 2020 rate for the shift type. Most commercial office cleaning is performed in the evening after business hours — meaning the 17.5% evening shift loading applies under the Award on top of the base rate. A Level 1 casual cleaner working an evening shift costs a minimum of $35.40 per hour, not $24.10.

Add superannuation at 11.5% of ordinary time earnings, workers’ compensation at the applicable state rate, equipment depreciation, consumables, vehicle costs, and a proportional share of fixed overheads including insurance, administration, and management time. Apply your target profit margin on top of the total cost to arrive at the selling price. Add GST at 10% if your business is registered — which is mandatory once annual turnover exceeds $75,000.

Build a 10 to 15 percent time buffer into every new site estimate. First-time cleans and unfamiliar sites always take longer than subsequent visits. A site that takes 4 hours on the first clean typically settles to 3 hours after the second or third visit once the cleaner knows the layout and has established a routine. Price for the first few visits at the higher estimate, then review.

Cost Components for Commercial Cleaning Quotes

Cost Component	Estimated Rate / Amount	Notes
Labour — Level 1 casual cleaner (evening)	$30.13 + 17.5% loading = $35.40/hr	Cleaning Services Award 2020; evening shift loading applied
Labour — supervisor / leading hand	$33.13 + loading/hr	Level 3 Award rate; applicable for sites >10 staff
Superannuation (11.5% of ord. time earnings)	$3.47 – $4.07/hr	Employer obligation; add to labour cost model
Workers’ compensation insurance	$1.20 – $2.40/hr	State-based; rate varies with claims history
Cleaning chemicals and consumables	$2 – $5 per visit (small site)	Per-site cost; scales with floor area
Bin liners and hygiene supplies	$1 – $3 per visit	If supplied; itemise in quote or include in rate
Equipment depreciation	$0.50 – $2.00/hr	Vacuum, mop, scrubber; pro-rata replacement cost
Vehicle and travel	$0.88/km (ATO rate) or fixed	Log travel to each site; claim via ATO cents-per-km
Public liability insurance (portion)	$0.30 – $0.80/hr	Allocated from annual premium across billable hours
Administration and management overhead	10 – 15% of labour cost	Scheduling, invoicing, HR, quality audit time
Profit margin	15 – 30% on total cost	Target margin before applying GST

Labour typically represents 50 to 65 percent of total revenue in commercial cleaning. Businesses that achieve the upper end of their target margin range do so through efficient scheduling — minimising travel time between sites, aligning shift times to avoid unnecessary penalty rate exposure, and maintaining low staff turnover to preserve site familiarity and productivity.

Step 4: Structure the Quote Document

A commercial cleaning quote is a business document that reflects the professionalism and credibility of your company. Clients — particularly facilities managers, commercial property managers, and procurement teams — evaluate the quality of the quote as a proxy for the quality of the service. A poorly structured, incomplete, or vague quote signals operational immaturity.

The quote should be presented as a branded PDF with your company logo, colours, and contact information on the header. It should be easy to navigate, with the scope of work presented as a separate schedule attached to the pricing page. This allows the client to review the scope independently and ask specific questions rather than processing everything on a single dense page.

Commercial Cleaning Quote: Required and Recommended Elements

Quote Element	Priority	Notes
Business name and trading name	Essential	Must match ABN registration
Australian Business Number (ABN)	Essential	Required on all tax invoices over $75
Business address and contact details	Essential	Physical address builds credibility
Quote number and issue date	Essential	Enables tracking; reference for contract
Quote validity period	Essential	Typically 30 days; prevents pricing disputes
Client name, business name, site address	Essential	Confirms correct party and premises
Detailed scope of work	Essential	Attached as schedule; task and frequency list
Service frequency	Essential	Daily / weekly / fortnightly; specify days
Pricing — itemised or total	Essential	Itemised preferred; shows transparency
GST amount (if registered)	Essential	Required on tax invoices if GST-registered
Payment terms	Essential	E.g. net 14 days; direct debit preferred
Public liability insurance — cert of currency	Recommended	Shows $10M+ cover; builds client trust
Workers’ compensation — cert of currency	Recommended	Required by most commercial clients
BSCAA membership or ISO 9001 cert	Optional	Differentiates from non-accredited competitors
Company overview (2–3 sentences)	Optional	Builds brand familiarity; not a sales pitch
References or testimonials	Optional	Particularly effective for large contracts

Including a copy of your current certificate of currency for public liability insurance and workers’ compensation is one of the most effective trust signals in a commercial cleaning quote. It demonstrates that you meet the standard most commercial leases and facilities management agreements require, and it removes a follow-up question that would otherwise delay the decision.

BSCAA (Building Service Contractors Association of Australia) membership and ISO 9001 quality management certification are recognised differentiators in commercial cleaning tenders and formal procurement processes. Government and institutional clients frequently require one or both as minimum qualifications. Including evidence of these accreditations in the quote positions your business at the top of the evaluation criteria before pricing is even considered.

Step 5: Present and Follow Up

Sending the quote as a professionally formatted PDF via email is the standard for commercial cleaning in Australia. The email accompanying the quote should be brief — two to three sentences confirming what has been attached, noting the quote validity period, and inviting the client to contact you with questions. Long covering emails are not read.

Follow up within 48 to 72 hours of sending the quote. Research by CRM platforms including HubSpot consistently shows that follow-up contact within the first 72 hours of a quote submission significantly increases conversion rates for service businesses. At the follow-up stage, ask a specific question — ‘Did you have a chance to review the scope of work?’ — rather than a general ‘just checking in.’ A specific question invites a specific response and keeps the conversation moving forward.

Be prepared to revise the scope or price in response to client feedback. Most commercial cleaning contracts are not awarded on the first version of a quote. A client who asks for a lower price is often signalling that the scope needs adjustment — they may not need daily carpet vacuuming, or they may be willing to reduce bathroom cleaning from daily to three times per week. A revised scope with a revised price is not a discount — it is a professional response to a legitimate requirement.

The fastest path to losing a commercial cleaning contract is to lower the price without changing the scope. It signals that your original price was inflated, undermines trust, and commits you to delivering the same work for less money. Always adjust scope and price together.

Step 6: Convert the Quote into a Contract

A quote is an offer. A cleaning contract is a binding agreement. Once a client accepts your quote, the next step is to issue a formal service agreement — not to simply begin work. Operating without a signed contract exposes both parties to significant risk in the event of a dispute over scope, quality, payment, or termination.

A commercial cleaning contract should include: the agreed scope of work as a schedule; service commencement date and frequency; payment terms and invoicing schedule; a process for scope variations; performance standards and audit rights; insurance requirements; and termination provisions including notice periods. Most commercial cleaning companies in Australia use a 30 to 90 day notice period for termination by either party.

For larger contracts — typically those exceeding $2,000 per month — engaging a commercial solicitor to review the contract template is a prudent investment. Boilerplate cleaning contracts available online frequently omit critical provisions such as indemnity clauses, liability caps, and data security obligations for cleaners accessing secure premises.

How to Structure Pricing in a Commercial Cleaning Quote

The pricing section of a commercial cleaning quote can be structured in several ways. The most appropriate structure depends on the nature of the engagement, the client’s preference, and the predictability of the work scope.

Pricing Structure	Best For	Key Consideration
Monthly retainer (fixed)	Ongoing regular contracts	Revenue predictability; budget certainty for client; most common commercial structure
Per-visit rate	Irregular or on-call cleaning	Simple to understand; less predictable for both parties
Hourly rate for cleaners	Variable scope or small jobs	Transparent; risk of client questioning time spent
Per-square-metre rate	Large floor areas (warehouses, retail)	Easy to adjust as tenancy changes; clear and fair
Annual contract (lump sum)	Long-term government or large clients	Requires accurate cost modelling; provides maximum stability
Project rate (one-off)	End-of-lease, post-construction	Fixed price for defined scope; buffer for unknowns essential

Monthly retainer pricing is the most common structure for ongoing commercial cleaning contracts in Australia. It converts a variable labour cost into a fixed monthly line item for the client, which is easier to budget and approve. For the cleaning business, it creates predictable recurring revenue and simplifies scheduling.

When using a monthly retainer, clearly state what the retainer includes and what it excludes. Consumables, specialist services, and public holiday work should be identified as additional charges outside the retainer. This prevents margin erosion from scope creep and ensures the client understands the pricing architecture.

Additional Charges to Include in Every Quote

All commercial cleaning quotes should contain an additional charges section that discloses rates for services or conditions not covered by the base retainer or standard scope. Failing to disclose these charges upfront leads to disputes and erodes client trust when they appear on invoices.

Additional Charge Item	Rate / Basis	Notes
After-hours / evening cleaning	17.5% loading on base rate	Cleaning Services Award 2020; weekdays after 6pm
Saturday work	25% loading on base rate	Award penalty; applies to all employee types
Sunday work	50% loading on base rate	Award penalty; applies to all employee types
Public holiday work	125% loading (225% total)	Most expensive shift; disclose clearly in quote
Minimum call-out fee	2–4 hour minimum	Covers travel and setup; applies to ad-hoc requests
Carpet steam cleaning	$3 – $6 per sqm or fixed per room	Quoted separately; specialist equipment required
Window cleaning (internal)	Per pane or project rate	Ground floor included; higher floors add-on
Floor stripping and sealing	$8 – $20 per sqm	Quarterly or annual; vinyl and polished concrete
Post-construction or builders’ clean	Fixed project rate	Always quote post-site visit; time and materials
Consumables (toilet paper, soap, liners)	At cost + 10–20% margin	Itemise clearly or include in retainer with note
Waste removal (beyond standard bins)	Per collection / weight	Regulated disposal; environmental levy may apply

After-hours and weekend rates based on the Cleaning Services Award 2020 are not optional charges — they are legally mandated pass-through costs. Clients who are surprised by these rates at invoice stage indicate that the quote did not explain the pricing structure adequately. Always disclose penalty rate obligations in the quote, even if the client is unlikely to request weekend cleaning initially.

Common Mistakes in Commercial Cleaning Quotes

Most commercial cleaning businesses lose revenue not because their service is poor, but because their quotes are inaccurate, incomplete, or poorly presented. The following mistakes account for the majority of quoting problems encountered by cleaning operators in Australia.

Common Mistake	Risk Level	How to Avoid It
Underestimating labour time	High	Build 10–15% buffer on all new site time estimates; use first clean as calibration
No written scope of work	High	Always attach a task and frequency schedule; vague quotes create disputes
Ignoring Award penalty rates	High	Apply evening loading (17.5%) and weekend rates to all after-hours quotes
Not accounting for super and workers’ comp	High	True labour cost is ~19–23% above base award rate; price accordingly
Quoting a rate that excludes GST without noting it	Medium	State ‘all prices exclude GST’ or show GST separately; avoid ambiguity
No quote validity period	Medium	Set 30-day validity; protects against material cost changes
Omitting public holiday rates	Medium	Disclose 225% rate applies; include in additional charges section
Failing to follow up	Medium	Follow up within 48–72 hours; most conversions occur at first follow-up
Quoting without a site visit	High	Remote quotes are consistently underpriced; always conduct a site assessment
Accepting verbal scope changes post-award	Medium	Issue a variation quote for any change to scope, frequency, or access conditions

The most consistently costly mistake is quoting without a site visit. Cleaning businesses that rely on floor plans, photos, or client-provided information to quote remotely routinely underprice jobs by 20 to 40 percent. The labour cost of conducting a 30 to 60 minute site assessment is recovered within the first invoice of any correctly priced contract.

A detailed written scope of work is the single most effective risk management tool in a commercial cleaning quote. It eliminates scope disputes, provides the basis for quality audits, protects the cleaning company in contractual disagreements, and demonstrates professionalism to every client who receives it. It takes 30 minutes to write and pays dividends for the life of the contract.

Using Software to Manage Commercial Cleaning Quotes

Purpose-built field service management and quoting platforms significantly improve the speed, accuracy, and conversion rate of commercial cleaning quotes. Platforms used widely in the Australian cleaning industry include ServiceM8, Jobber, simPRO, and Fergus. These tools provide quote templates, digital scope-of-work builders, automated follow-up reminders, and integration with accounting software such as Xero and MYOB.

For businesses quoting large commercial contracts or responding to formal tenders — such as those published on AusTender for federal government facilities, or VendorPanel and GETS for state government and local council contracts — dedicated proposal software such as PandaDoc or Proposify provides professional templates with e-signature capability, quote analytics, and version tracking.

Quoting software that integrates with payroll platforms such as Tanda, Employment Hero, or KeyPay allows labour costs to be calculated automatically based on Award rates and shift times, reducing the risk of quoting below the true cost of employment. This integration is particularly valuable for businesses managing multiple sites with varying shift structures and Award classifications.