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When picking out a company that will be cleaning your office, it may get confusing to see different types of pricing. Hourly rates and rates determined by the square footage of your office are very common; but why don’t companies all use one or the other? The answer isn’t cut and dry – there are a lot of variables that go into how the company chooses to bill you.
Size of Facility
The size of your office will be a determining factor in how the cleaning service provider decides to charge you. Of course, the larger the office, the more expensive it will be to clean. But how exactly will it be priced? Most likely, the cleaning company will opt to charge by the square foot for big office spaces. Because of the larger space, this is typically the number of hours, equipment, and staff needed. The cleaning company will most likely judge the square footage and do a calculation to figure out how much time and equipment will be needed and then base the price off that calculation.
Larger spaces are often charged less per square foot but will, due to the size, be more per month. To save some money when you’re being charged by square foot, consider spaces in your office that won’t need cleaning, such as storage spaces, basements, or equipment rooms. You can opt not to have these areas cleaned, and save a bit of money on the overall cleaning price.
Geographic Area
Offices in metropolitan areas are likely more expensive to clean than offices in smaller towns. They’re may be larger and charged by square foot, while smaller offices in less populous areas will often be cheaper and charged by the hour.
That being said, you may be located in such a small area that there is not much competition for cleaning services. If this is the case, even your small office may be expensive to clean. You also may not be able to get quotes from different companies, and will likely be charged by the hour.
Do your best to get multiple quotes from companies, even if one charges per square foot and the other by the hour. This will help you figure out which company is going to give you the best deal (but remember, quality is also important!).
Type of Cleaning Needed
Whatever your size of office, the cleaning type you require will be a significant factor in how you are charged. Even if you have a smaller office, you may require additional services such as waxing floors, carpet washing, window cleaning, or bathroom cleaning. These will most likely be extra and sometimes charged by square foot.
Also, the cost will go up if you ask for cleaning past the typical vacuum and trash-takeout. You will be paying more because of the time and equipment needed if you, for example, request that the cleaning crew wipe down the desks, monitors, and keyboards of all of your 40 employees.
In addition to this, if you have a specialized facility, expect to be charged by the hour. This is most common with medical and healthcare facilities. Because of the level of detail and sanitation that are needed in this kind of office space, it will be more expensive and time-consuming to clean.
You’ll want to figure out how often to have your office cleaned, too. No matter the price structure, you should be able to get a discount on more frequent visits per week, since there won’t be as much mess accumulated between visits.
Things to Consider
Hourly versus square-foot pricing is a hard line to draw for many cleaning providers. It’s very situational. To make it easier on the company coming to quote you, clean before the walk-through to avoid a hefty initial deep-clean visit. In addition to this, measure your own space so you can avoid being accidentally overcharged if the company has to estimate your square footage.
Another factor that you may not think will influence cost is when you want the office cleaned. If you’re getting charged by the hour, it will cost you more to get your office cleaned during the normal work day, because the crew will most likely need to work slower to stay out of the way and not disturb your employees.
However your cleaning company decides to charge, the most important factor is that they are reliable, thorough, and bonded and insured. You want to spend your money on a service that will be worth every penny!
Exceptional Office Cleaning Services in Frederick County, MD
For more than a decade, Busy Bee Maids has kept offices throughout Frederick County, Maryland, spic and span. We work hard to find the most dependable, honest, hard-working employees so you can reap the rewards of their efforts. We offer a variety of business cleaning options, and can work with your schedule and budget. Call today for a free consultation!
