Getting a commercial cleaning quote can feel opaque. One company quotes per hour, another per visit, a third gives you a monthly figure, and someone on a forum mentions "per square foot". This guide explains how commercial cleaning rates work in Manchester so you can compare quotes properly and understand what you're paying for.
The four ways commercial cleaning is priced
1. Hourly rate
The simplest model: a rate per cleaner per hour, typically £15–£22 in Manchester for a professional company with employed, insured staff. Hourly pricing suits small or variable jobs and short-term cover. The risk is that you're paying for time, not outcome — so make sure the specification and the expected hours per visit are written down.
2. Per visit
A fixed price each time the cleaners attend, based on your specification and the estimated time. This is the most common model for small offices, shops and pubs on two- or three-visit-a-week schedules. You know exactly what each visit costs, and the company carries the risk if it takes longer.
3. Monthly contract
For daily cleaning, most companies quote a fixed monthly fee covering all visits, supervision, equipment and often consumables. This is what most office cleaning contracts in Manchester look like. A 2,000 sq ft office cleaned five evenings a week for 1.5 hours might cost roughly £550–£750 per month, depending on specification.
4. Per square foot / square metre
Used mainly for large premises, tenders and one-off deep cleans or builders' cleans. Rates vary widely — from a few pence per square foot per visit for light daily cleaning of open-plan space to £1–£3 per square foot for a full deep clean. It's a useful sanity check but rarely the whole story, because a 5,000 sq ft warehouse and a 5,000 sq ft dental practice need very different work.
What drives the price up or down?
- Frequency. Daily cleaning costs more per month but less per visit than weekly, because a daily-cleaned space is quicker to clean.
- Specification. Emptying bins and vacuuming is quick; sanitising 40 desks, cleaning three kitchens and restocking six washrooms is not.
- Washrooms. The single biggest time factor in most commercial premises. Count them.
- Hours of access. Cleaning during working hours is cheaper to staff than a 4am start or a midnight finish.
- Floor types. Hard floors that need machine scrubbing or buffing take longer than carpet.
- Consumables. Toilet roll, soap, bin liners and paper towels — ask whether they're included or itemised.
- Compliance. Sites needing enhanced DBS checks, inductions or specialist infection-control procedures cost more to staff.
- Periodic tasks. Quarterly carpet cleaning, window cleaning and deep cleans can be built into the monthly fee or quoted separately.
Comparing quotes fairly
Ask each company for the same three things: the written specification (what gets cleaned, how often), the estimated cleaner-hours per visit, and what's excluded. If one quote is much lower, it's almost always fewer hours or a thinner specification — not a more efficient company. Read our guide to choosing a contract cleaning company for the questions to ask.
About the author: this article was written by the team at Danitam Multi Resource Cleaning Services, professional cleaners based in Wythenshawe, Manchester, providing domestic, commercial and specialist cleaning across Greater Manchester. Guide prices are correct at the time of publication and are reviewed regularly.