A cleaning services quotation differs from the trades in a fundamental way: you are usually not quoting a job, you are quoting a recurring commitment. The number has to work every month for a year, not once.
How the price is built
Three inputs, in this order:
- Time on site. Estimated from the area, the surface types and the standard required. Walk the site before quoting, always.
- Staff cost for that time, at the real cost including statutory contributions, not the hourly wage.
- Consumables and equipment, either included and priced in, or excluded and billed separately.
Quoting per square metre without walking the site is how a contract loses money. Two offices of identical size can differ by half again in time, depending on partitioning, kitchen use, bathroom count and floor type.
What belongs on a cleaning services quotation
| Item | Detail to state |
|---|---|
| Scope of areas | Floors, offices, bathrooms, kitchen, reception, listed individually |
| Frequency | Daily, three times weekly, weekly, and on which days |
| Hours on site | Per visit. This is what you are actually selling |
| Staff numbers | How many cleaners attend |
| Consumables | Included or excluded, stated plainly |
| Deep clean cycle | Windows, carpets, upholstery: usually quarterly and priced separately |
| Monthly total | Excluding and including VAT |
The exclusions that protect the margin
- Consumables: toilet paper, hand soap, bin liners, unless included and stated
- Deep cleaning of carpets, upholstery and high-level windows
- Post-construction or post-event cleaning
- Any additional area added after the contract starts
- Access outside agreed hours, and any wait time caused by access failure
The last one matters more than it sounds. A team standing outside for forty minutes because nobody had the key is paid time that nobody has priced.
Contract terms
Because this is recurring income, the agreement matters more than the quote:
- Notice period on both sides, commonly one calendar month
- Annual review date, so a rate increase is expected rather than negotiated under pressure
- Invoicing in advance, at the start of each month
- What happens over public holidays and the December shutdown
Cleaning contracts decay quietly. The scope grows one room at a time, the rate stays where it was, and three years later the contract is unprofitable. The review date is the defence.
Common questions
Should I quote per square metre?
Use it as a sanity check, not as the price. Time on site is what you actually incur.
Should consumables be included?
Including them is simpler to sell and easier to get wrong. If you include them, cap the monthly allowance.
Invoice in advance or arrears?
In advance. You are reserving staff capacity for that month.
Quote the contract once, then set it up as a recurring invoice.
Create a professional quotationDisclaimer: This content is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Always confirm important requirements with SARS, the relevant authority or a qualified professional.
