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Commercial cleaning cost in Chicago
A 10,000 sq ft office cleaned 5 nights a week costs about $1,710–$2,910 a month in Chicago, or $0.17–$0.29 per square foot. Use the calculator for your own building: it prices cleaning hours from the Chicago janitor wage.
Estimated cost for a 10,000 sq ft office, 5 nights a week, in Chicago
$1,710–$2,910a month for routine cleaning
- Per visit
- $79–$135
- Per year
- $20,510–$34,860
- Per sq ft, per month
- $0.17–$0.29
- Cleaning hours per visit
- 2.5–3.2
- Visits per month
- 21.7
- Price per cleaning hour
- $32–$42
Where the money goes
Middle of the range: $2,310 a month
- Cleaner wages$1,130
- Supervision and inspections$115
- Payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance$310
- Supplies and equipment$125
- Overhead: admin, vehicles, sales$325
- Profit$300
Assumes about 6 restroom fixtures, office production rates and the janitor wage for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro. Not included: restroom paper and soap, carpet extraction, floor stripping and waxing, windows, and day porters. How the estimate is built
An estimate isn't a quote. Send these details to contractors who clean offices and compare real prices.
Office cleaning prices in Chicago
Monthly cost of routine cleaning by office size and visits per week, at the Chicago median janitor wage of $18.49 an hour. Routine cleaning covers trash, restrooms, vacuuming, mopping, dusting and break rooms.
| Size | Once a week | 3 times a week | 5 nights a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,500 sq ft | $140–$230 | $415–$610 | $690–$980 |
| 5,000 sq ft | $230–$390 | $605–$1,010 | $970–$1,620 |
| 10,000 sq ft | $410–$700 | $1,070–$1,820 | $1,710–$2,910 |
| 25,000 sq ft | $920–$1,600 | $2,390–$4,120 | $3,830–$6,580 |
| 50,000 sq ft | $1,750–$3,040 | $4,520–$7,810 | $7,230–$12,470 |
By type of facility
Medical offices, schools and gyms take longer per square foot than offices; warehouses take far less.
| Facility, 10,000 sq ft | Per sq ft a month, 5 nights a week | Per month, 5 nights a week | Per month, 3 times a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | $0.17–$0.29 | $1,710–$2,910 | $1,070–$1,820 |
| Medical or dental | $0.30–$0.50 | $2,960–$5,030 | $1,840–$3,140 |
| School or daycare | $0.25–$0.43 | $2,510–$4,290 | $1,570–$2,680 |
| Retail or restaurant | $0.19–$0.33 | $1,890–$3,260 | $1,180–$2,040 |
| Warehouse or industrial | $0.091–$0.15 | $905–$1,520 | $565–$950 |
| Church | $0.14–$0.24 | $1,430–$2,420 | $890–$1,510 |
| Gym | $0.27–$0.45 | $2,650–$4,550 | $1,660–$2,840 |
| Apartment or HOA common areas | $0.13–$0.23 | $1,330–$2,290 | $830–$1,430 |
What Chicago contractors publish
A few Chicago contractors publish prices. Use them, and the local wage, as a cross-check:
- Commercial and office cleaning: "Only $31 per hour." Published by Master Green Cleaning.
- Retail store cleaning in Chicago "typically costs between $100 and $180 per visit." Published by Quick Cleaning.
- New-client offer for recurring service of $500 per month or more. Published by TopTier Cleaning Solutions.
Wage: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 37-2011 Janitors and Cleaners, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN; 70,000 janitors employed, mean $19.90 an hour.
Illinois rules that affect the price
Sales tax
Janitorial services are generally not subject to Illinois sales tax, because no tangible property normally changes hands; supplies transferred to the customer can create Service Occupation Tax. Source
Workers' compensation
Illinois requires most employers to carry workers' compensation insurance. The Workers' Compensation Commission has an employer coverage search. Check coverage
How the Chicago figures are built
The same method contractors use to bid, with the Chicago wage. See every assumption.
- 1Hours per visitA 10,000 sq ft office with mixed floors and about 6 restroom fixtures takes 2.5–3.2 cleaning hours a visit.
- 2Loaded labor costThe median janitor wage in Chicago is $18.49/hr. With payroll costs and supervision, an hour of cleaning costs the contractor about $25.42.
- 3Price per hourLabor is 60–80% of the price once supplies, overhead and profit are added, so the price comes to $32–$42 per cleaning hour.
- 4Per monthAt 5 nights a week (21.7 visits a month): $1,710–$2,910, or $0.17–$0.29 per square foot a month.
Cleaning cost questions in Chicago
How do you calculate a commercial cleaning rate?
Work out the cleaning hours per visit from the square footage and a production rate for the facility type (about 4,500 sq ft an hour for an office), add 3 minutes per restroom fixture, and multiply by visits per month. Price each hour at the local janitor wage plus about 25% for payroll taxes, workers' comp and insurance and 10% for supervision, then divide by the share of the price that labor makes up (roughly 60–80%) to cover supplies, overhead and profit. In Chicago that works out to $32–$42 per cleaning hour.
How much does commercial cleaning cost per square foot?
For a 10,000 sq ft office in Chicago, about $0.17–$0.29 per square foot a month when it's cleaned 5 nights a week, and $0.11–$0.18 at 3 times a week. Per visit, that is about $0.008–$0.013 per square foot. Medical offices, gyms and schools cost more per square foot; warehouses cost much less.
What does it cost to clean a 10,000 sq ft warehouse?
Routine cleaning of a 10,000 sq ft warehouse in Chicago runs about $215–$365 a month once a week, or $905–$1,520 at 5 nights a week. Open floor is quick to sweep or scrub by machine, so offices, break rooms and restrooms take most of the time. Scrubbing the whole floor or degreasing is usually quoted separately.
How long does it take to clean a 2,000 sq ft office?
About 30 minutes of routine cleaning, including a couple of restroom fixtures, for one experienced cleaner. Most contractors bill a minimum visit of about an hour, so a 2,000 sq ft office cleaned twice a week typically costs $275–$365 a month in Chicago.
How much should 2 hours of commercial cleaning cost?
At $32–$42 per cleaning hour in Chicago, two hours cost about $64–$85. One-time or emergency visits are often priced higher than recurring service.
Is it cheaper to clean 3 times a week instead of 5?
Yes, about 38% cheaper rather than the 40% you'd expect from two fewer visits. For a 10,000 sq ft office in Chicago, 3 visits a week cost $1,070–$1,820 a month against $1,710–$2,910 for 5, because each visit takes a little longer when more dirt builds up between visits.
Is commercial cleaning taxed in Illinois?
Janitorial services are generally not subject to Illinois sales tax, because no tangible property normally changes hands; supplies transferred to the customer can create Service Occupation Tax.
Do cleaning contractors in Illinois need workers' comp?
Illinois requires most employers to carry workers' compensation insurance. The Workers' Compensation Commission has an employer coverage search.