How to Bid Janitorial Contracts: A Step-by-Step Guide to Winning Profitable Work

To learn how to bid janitorial contracts, follow one simple principle: price the hours the building really takes, not what you guess the client will pay. Walk the site, estimate time with production rates, cost the labour properly, then add supplies, overhead and profit.

Key takeaways

• Always walk the building before you bid, and measure cleanable square footage and fixtures.
• Estimate hours with production rates such as the ISSA cleaning times, then adjust for the site.
• Use your loaded labour cost (wages plus taxes, benefits, workers' compensation and supervision).
• Win on proof of quality, not only on price: show how you will inspect and report.

Before you bid: qualify the opportunity

Not every request for proposal is worth your time. So, before you spend hours on a bid, ask:

• Is the building a good fit for your crew size and equipment?
• Is it close to your other accounts, so travel time stays low?
• What is the scope: nightly cleaning only, or also floors, windows and day porter work?
• Why is the client changing contractors? Poor quality is an opportunity; price-only shoppers are a risk.
• How will quality be measured? If they don't know, that is your chance to stand out.

How to bid janitorial contracts in 8 steps

1. Do a site walkthrough

Walk every floor with the facility manager. Note the building type, floor surfaces, number of washrooms and fixtures, kitchens, high-traffic areas, special rooms and access hours. In addition, ask about current complaints; they tell you where the last contractor fell short.

2. Measure the cleanable area

Get the square footage from drawings or measure it, then subtract areas you won't clean. Count fixtures separately (toilets, urinals, sinks) because washrooms are priced by fixture, not by area.

3. Confirm the scope and frequency

Write down every task and how often it happens: nightly, weekly, monthly and periodic (carpet extraction, floor refinishing). A clear office cleaning checklist is a good base for your scope of work.

4. Estimate cleaning time with production rates

Production rates tell you how much area a cleaner covers per hour for a task. The industry reference is the ISSA cleaning times. For example, ISSA lists mopping with a 14-inch flat mop at about 5,355 square feet per hour, spot cleaning at about 1,000 square feet per hour, and restroom fixtures at about 3 minutes each.

Here is a simple nightly estimate for a 12,000 sq ft office:

Then adjust for the site: add time for clutter, stairs, long travel distances or older buildings, and subtract for open, simple layouts. Your own timed data beats any table once you have it.

5. Calculate your loaded labour cost

The wage is only part of the cost. Add employer payroll taxes, vacation pay, workers' compensation premiums (for example, WSIB in Ontario), benefits and a share of supervision. As a result, a cleaner paid $20 an hour often costs $26 to $30 an hour or more once loaded.

Nightly labour = 4.9 hours × $28 = $137.20

6. Add supplies, equipment and overhead

• Supplies: chemicals, liners, paper (unless the client supplies paper), usually 5 to 10% of labour.
• Equipment: vacuums, floor machines and their replacement over time.
• Overhead: insurance, office, vehicles, software, sales and management time.

7. Add profit and set the price

Add your target margin, then convert to a monthly price. For example:

• Labour: $137.20 per night
• Supplies (8%): $10.98
• Overhead (15%): $20.58
• Subtotal: $168.76
• Profit (15%): $25.31
• Price per night: about $194
• Monthly (22 nights): about $4,270

Finally, sanity-check the result against local market ranges. Our guide to commercial cleaning prices per square foot summarizes published Canadian rates.

8. Write a proposal that wins

A strong janitorial proposal includes:

1. A short summary of the client's problems and how you will solve them
2. The scope of work by area and frequency
3. Staffing: hours per night, supervision and backup cover
4. Quality control: how often you inspect, what standard you use, and what reports the client receives
5. Safety and compliance: WHMIS training, insurance and workers' compensation coverage
6. Price, payment terms and the contract start plan

The quality control section is where many bids are won. For example, promising monthly scored inspections on the APPA cleaning standards, with photo reports, gives the client something concrete to compare.

Common mistakes when you bid janitorial contracts

• Guessing hours instead of calculating them
• Forgetting loaded labour costs, so the margin disappears
• Ignoring periodic work such as floor care and high dusting
• Underbidding to win, then cutting hours and losing the account within a year
• No clear quality plan, so the client can only compare price

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate a janitorial bid?

Measure the cleanable area and fixtures, estimate hours with production rates, multiply by your loaded labour cost, then add supplies, overhead and profit, and convert to a monthly price.

What profit margin should a cleaning company aim for?

Many commercial cleaning companies target a net margin of roughly 10 to 20%, depending on size and overhead. Pricing too thin leaves no room for sick days, turnover or supply increases.

How long should a janitorial proposal be?

Usually 4 to 10 pages. Keep it specific: scope, staffing, quality control, safety and price. Facility managers skim, so put the summary first.

How do I win janitorial contracts without being the cheapest?

Show exactly how you will guarantee quality: a named supervisor, a scheduled inspection program, scored reports with photos, and a response time for complaints.

Bid smarter, then prove it

Knowing how to bid janitorial contracts gets you the work; delivering consistent quality keeps it. NeatScore lets you include scored APPA inspections and branded client reports in every proposal, then deliver them from day one. Start your free 7-day trial.