Price per square foot should be an output
A square-foot price helps compare bids, track a portfolio, and flag an estimate for review. It is a weak starting point when buildings have different restrooms, flooring, occupancy, security, cleaning windows, or service expectations. Build from labor and cost first, then divide the finished monthly price by cleanable area.
This sequence keeps a convenient benchmark from becoming an unsupported guess. The final ratio summarizes the model; it does not explain why the work costs what it does.
Measure cleanable area
Gross building area may include mechanical rooms, tenant-controlled space, shafts, storage, or areas outside the contract. Cleanable square footage is the portion the crew will actually service. Confirm it during the walkthrough and separate spaces with a different task mix.
A 20,000-square-foot office with 17,000 cleanable square feet should not be priced as though every foot receives identical work. Record carpet, hard floor, restrooms, break rooms, private offices, public areas, and periodic services separately.
Convert production into monthly hours
Divide cleanable square footage by an effective whole-building production assumption to estimate hours per visit. Multiply by visits per week and 4.33 average weeks per month. At 20,000 square feet and 3,500 square feet per labor hour, the plan begins at about 5.7 hours per visit.
Production is not universal. ISSA notes that the standard of clean, scope, facility type, tools, training, and whether work is daily or restorative affect workloading. Replace planning assumptions with task-level time studies and actual job results.
Build the selling price
Multiply monthly hours by wage and labor burden. Add chemicals, supplies, equipment, travel, supervision, insurance, administration, and other job costs. Apply target margin by dividing cost by one minus the margin rather than adding that percentage as markup.
A $4,000 monthly operating cost at a 20% target margin requires a $5,000 price. On 20,000 cleanable square feet, that is $0.25 per square foot per month. Always label whether a comparison rate is per visit, month, or year.
Compare matching scopes
Check whether a benchmark includes consumables, periodic floor work, porter coverage, equipment, management, taxes, and startup. A lower figure may describe a narrower contract rather than a more efficient company.
Track completed work by facility type, size, frequency, budgeted hours, actual hours, and achieved margin. An internal range becomes more useful than a national average because it reflects your crews, market, tools, and service promise.
Pressure-test the proposal
Model slower production, wage changes, added visits, supply variance, and a lower achieved margin. Document exclusions and optional work so the customer can compare the base offer without assuming periodic services are included.
Use the Veltex benchmark report to explore facility scenarios, then move the chosen assumptions into the bid calculator. The proposal should preserve the scope, frequency, price, and exclusions behind the approved estimate.