Office cleaning in Australia runs $32 to $56 per hour for contract commercial cleaning in 2026. Per-square-metre monthly contract rates range from $1.76 to $3.44 per square metre per month, with frequency and fit-out density determining where you land within that range. Small offices typically generate $215 to $520 per month. Medium offices on daily service generate $680 to $2,150 per month. One off end of lease office cleans are priced at $5.20 to $12 per square metre. Setting the right rate starts with calculating your true hourly cost: wages, super, insurance, equipment, and margin, then matching it to the market rate for the job type and frequency in your specific city or suburb.
How much should you charge for office cleaning in Australia?
Here is the problem with most advice on how to price office cleaning.
Someone asks how much to charge. They get an answer of $35 to $45 per hour. They book a job at $38. They spend three hours cleaning a 200 square metre office, use $8 in products, drive 25 minutes each way, and invoice $114.
Then they sit down and work out what they actually earned. After petrol, products, wear on the car and equipment, and the unpaid time spent booking and coordinating the job, they cleared maybe $60 on a four-hour commitment.
The hourly rate was in the market range. But the rate was never actually right for what the job cost them.
Pricing office cleaning profitably means knowing two numbers before you quote anything: your real cost per hour, and the market rate for the specific job in the specific location. Only when you know both of those numbers can you set a rate that is competitive and sustainable.
This guide gives you both. The real cost formula. The 2026 Australian market rates by city and job type. The per square metre pricing benchmarks. The quote structure that wins commercial contracts. And the specific Adelaide market data that applies if you operate in South Australia.
The Fundamental Rule Before Setting Any Price
Every office cleaning rate is built on one calculation that most operators skip.
Your minimum viable hourly charge-out rate.
This is the rate below which you lose money on every job, even when it looks profitable on the invoice. You cannot set a sustainable price without calculating it first.
How to Calculate Your True Cost Per Hour
| Cost Component | Monthly Cost | Hourly Cost (Based on 160 productive hrs/month) |
| Base wage (yourself or a cleaner) | $4,516 (Award min. $28.25/hr x 160hrs) | $28.25 |
| Superannuation (11.5%) | $519 | $3.24 |
| Workers’ compensation (approx 5% of wages) | $251 | $1.57 |
| Public liability insurance (allocated) | $100 to $200 | $0.63 to $1.25 |
| Vehicle, fuel, and travel costs | $300 to $600 | $1.88 to $3.75 |
| Cleaning products and consumables | $150 to $300 | $0.94 to $1.88 |
| Equipment maintenance and replacement | $100 to $200 | $0.63 to $1.25 |
| Business overhead (phone, software, admin) | $200 to $400 | $1.25 to $2.50 |
| Total Cost Per Hour | $38.19 to $43.69 |
At a 20% profit margin on top of this cost base:
$38.19 divided by 0.80 = $47.74 minimum charge-out rate
$43.69 divided by 0.80 = $54.61 minimum charge-out rate
This is why the Australian commercial office cleaning market rate is $32 to $56 per hour. The lower end of that range barely covers costs. The upper end of the range, applied to well scoped jobs with efficient routing, is where sustainable commercial cleaning operations live.
If you are quoting office cleaning jobs at $32 to $35 per hour, you are almost certainly not charging enough to cover your true costs, build equipment reserves, or pay yourself a sustainable income after overheads.
Australian Office Cleaning Rates 2026 — What the Market Pays
Contract office cleaning runs $32 to $56 per hour in 2026, with contract size, frequency, and after hours access setting the price.
Here is how that breaks down by market segment and job type.
Hourly Rates by City
Office cleaning rates vary between Australian cities, primarily because of labour market differences, operating cost variations, and local competition density.
| City | Standard Contract Hourly Rate | After Hours Rate |
| Sydney CBD | $45 to $65/hr | $55 to $80/hr |
| Melbourne CBD | $42 to $60/hr | $52 to $75/hr |
| Brisbane | $38 to $55/hr | $48 to $68/hr |
| Adelaide | $32 to $56/hr | $42 to $68/hr |
| Perth | $38 to $58/hr | $48 to $72/hr |
| Regional cities | $30 to $50/hr | $38 to $62/hr |
Adelaide sits at the lower to mid end of the national rate range. The city’s compact geography and lower operating costs mean cleaners complete more jobs per day than in Sydney or Melbourne, which compresses the competitive rate downward. This doesn’t mean you should price at the floor; it means your cost base is lower, and your sustainable margin at $40 to $50 per hour in Adelaide is comparable to a Melbourne operator charging $52 to $60.
Per Square Metre Monthly Contract Rates
Per square metre per month pricing applies to regular cleaning contracts where you quote a fixed monthly rate rather than an hourly rate. This model gives the client certainty and gives you predictable recurring revenue.
Regular contract cleaning sits at $1.76 to $3.44 per square metre per month, with the rate set by frequency, fit out density, and access.
| Office Type and Frequency | Per Square Metre Per Month |
| Small simple office, weekly service | $1.76 to $2.20/m2/month |
| Medium office, three times weekly | $2.20 to $2.80/m2/month |
| Large corporate, daily service | $2.80 to $3.44/m2/month |
| Medical or clinical environment | $3.50 to $5.00/m2/month (premium) |
| Complex multi tenancy building, daily | $3.00 to $4.50/m2/month |
Typical Monthly Revenue by Office Size
Small offices typically pay $215 to $520 a month. Medium offices on daily service pay $680 to $2,150 a month.
| Office Size | Frequency | Typical Monthly Revenue |
| Small (50 to 150m2) | Weekly | $215 to $350/month |
| Small (50 to 150m2) | Twice weekly | $350 to $520/month |
| Medium (150 to 400m2) | Three times weekly | $680 to $1,100/month |
| Medium (150 to 400m2) | Daily | $1,100 to $1,800/month |
| Large (400 to 800m2) | Daily | $1,800 to $2,800/month |
| Large corporate (800m2 plus) | Daily | $2,800 to $5,000 plus/month |
The Commercial Office Cleaning Pricing Formula
Here is the formula that produces a defensible, profitable quote for any office cleaning job in Australia.
Step 1: Establish the Time Required
Walk the property or get an accurate description. Count every area to be cleaned: offices, meeting rooms, reception, kitchen, bathrooms, corridors, and any specialist zones. Estimate the cleaning time for each area based on your experience, then add them together.
For a rough initial estimate before a site visit, use these benchmarks:
| Area Type | Approximate Time Per Session |
| Standard office (10 to 20m2) | 5 to 8 minutes |
| Open plan work area (50m2) | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Reception area | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Commercial bathroom (per bathroom) | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Kitchen or breakroom | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Corridor and common areas (per 50m2) | 8 to 12 minutes |
| Meeting room (per room) | 5 to 10 minutes |
Add 10 to 15% to your estimated time for setup, pack down, and the inevitable small tasks that take longer than estimated on any unfamiliar site.
Step 2: Apply Your Charge Out Rate
Multiply the total estimated time in hours by your charge out rate.
Total Time (hours) multiplied by Charge Out Rate = Base Service Price
Example: A 250m2 Adelaide office estimated at 2.5 hours of cleaning time, charged at $48 per hour.
2.5 hours x $48 = $120 base service price per visit.
Step 3: Add the Access Surcharge Where It Applies
Most tenanted offices can only be cleaned before 7 am or after 6 pm, and the Cleaning Services Award applies penalty loadings to early, late, and weekend work. Contractors either quote a loaded rate or an averaged contract price.
Most Adelaide and national commercial cleaning providers handle after hours penalty rates in one of two ways. They charge a loaded hourly rate for after hours work that is already penalty inclusive. Or they calculate an average monthly contract price that absorbs the penalty loadings across all services and presents a single monthly fee.
The penalty loadings under the Cleaning Services Award 2020 that apply to after hours commercial cleaning:
| Shift Type | Penalty Loading |
| Evening shift (finishing after 6 pm and before midnight) | 15% loading |
| Night shift (finishing between midnight and 6 am) | 30% loading |
| Saturday | 50% loading |
| Sunday | 100% loading |
| Public holiday | 150% loading |
If you quote $48 per hour for a job that starts after 6 pm on a weekday, the award compliant rate is $48 multiplied by 1.15 = $55.20 per hour for an evening shift clean.
Build these loadings into your contract pricing from the start. Adding them later when the client queries the invoice creates friction. Stating them upfront as part of a transparent pricing structure is professional and protects you from underearning on the most common commercial cleaning schedule.
Step 4: Add the Contract Frequency Adjustment
Regular clients who book weekly or fortnightly should pay less per visit than ad hoc clients, because regular contracts reduce your booking overhead, eliminate travel randomness, and give you predictable cash flow that justifies a slightly lower margin per hour.
A reasonable contract discount structure:
| Frequency | Adjustment |
| Ad hoc or one off | Full rate, no discount |
| Monthly | Base rate applies |
| Fortnightly | 5% below base rate per visit |
| Weekly | 8 to 10% below base rate per visit |
| Three times weekly or daily | 12 to 15% below base rate per visit |
The discount reflects reduced overhead and scheduling efficiency, not reduced value. Make this explicit when presenting pricing. Clients who understand why the rate is lower for regular bookings see it as fair, not arbitrary.
Step 5: Add a Minimum Call Out Fee
Every commercial job has a minimum revenue requirement regardless of how small the job is. Travel time, setup, and the administrative overhead of a booking cost the same whether you are cleaning a 50m2 office or a 500m2 one.
Most Adelaide commercial cleaning operators apply a minimum call out of $80 to $150 for any commercial job. State this clearly in your pricing. A client who books a 45-minute clean and pays the minimum call-out fee understands the value of your time, rather than treating it as infinitely scalable downward.
How to Price Specific Office Cleaning Job Types
Standard Regular Contract Office Cleaning
This is the core revenue model for most commercial cleaning operations. A regular contract with a fixed visit schedule and a fixed monthly price.
How to present it: Monthly fee (or per visit fee multiplied by visits per month). After hours loading built into the rate. Scope of work clearly stated in writing. Minimum contract term stated (typically 3 months to 12 months).
Adelaide example pricing:
200m2 single floor office, Monday to Friday after hours service, 5 visits per week.
Estimated 1.5 hours per visit at $48/hr = $72/visit base.
Evening shift loading (15%): $72 x 1.15 = $82.80/visit.
Five visits per week x 4.33 weeks per month = approximately 21.65 visits per month.
Monthly rate: $82.80 x 21.65 = approximately $1,793 per month.
Apply daily contract efficiency discount (12%): $1,793 x 0.88 = approximately $1,578 per month.
Presented to the client as: $1,578 per month, five nights per week, all inclusive of after hours access.
One Off Deep Clean or End of Lease Office Clean
One off cleans are priced higher than contract work because they carry the full overhead cost without the amortization benefit of a recurring contract. End of lease office cleans are priced at $5.20 to $12 per square metre.
| Job Type | Typical Pricing |
| One off general office clean | $45 to $60/hr or per square metre rate |
| End of lease office clean | $5.20 to $12/m2 |
| Post construction office clean | $6 to $14/m2 |
| Pre market inspection clean | $5 to $10/m2 |
One off cleans also require a booking deposit of 25 to 50% of the quoted price, particularly for end of lease jobs where payment risk is higher. State this in your quote and on your booking confirmation.
Medical and Clinical Environment Cleaning
Medical office cleaning carries a premium over standard commercial office cleaning for three specific reasons: TGA-listed product compliance requirements, documented completion records for accreditation, and higher risk protocol training requirements for staff. Specialized medical or clinical cleaning carries a premium hourly rate of $40 to $68.
In Adelaide, medical practice cleaning is $40 to $68 per hour, or $3.50 to $7 per square metre, depending on the facility type. If you hold the appropriate training and compliance protocols to service medical environments, this premium is justified. It should not be discounted to compete with standard commercial cleaning providers who do not hold those credentials.
School and Childcare Cleaning
School and childcare cleaning requires child-safe products, scheduling entirely outside occupied hours, and, in some cases, WWCC and police clearance verification. These requirements justify a rate 10 to 15% above standard commercial cleaning for the equivalent square meterage.
What Drives the Price Up or Down on Any Office Cleaning Job
Understanding what drives commercial cleaning pricing helps you explain your quotes to clients and identify jobs where your rate should be at the higher end of the range.
Factors that push the price up:
Heavy soiling beyond standard maintenance level. A monthly clean of a consistently maintained office takes 90 minutes. The first clean of an office not professionally cleaned in two years takes 3 hours for the same square meterage.
Complex access. Staircase only access, multiple security checkpoints, lift booking requirements, and loading dock coordination each add unpaid time to every visit.
After hours and weekend scheduling. Penalty rates under the Cleaning Services Award increase the effective labour cost by 15 to 150% depending on the shift.
Regulated environment requirements. Medical, aged care, NDIS, and food industry environments require specific products, protocols, and documentation that take more time and cost more to supply.
Consumables included in the contract rate. If you supply toilet paper, hand soap, bin liners, and paper towels in addition to cleaning products, your monthly cost increases and should be reflected in the rate.
High frequency service. Daily service generates more visits per month than weekly service, but each visit can be shorter because the office never gets very dirty between visits. The total monthly revenue is higher. The per-visit margin is lower because frequent, shorter visits have proportionally more setup and travel overhead per productive cleaning hour.
Factors that allow the rate to be lower:
Simple access. Ground floor single entry with key or code access, no building management coordination, no security induction required.
Efficient routing. An office close to your base or on a route with other clients reduces travel overhead and allows a slightly tighter margin per job.
Long term contract with minimal admin. A well established client who pays on time, communicates clearly, and requires no scope variations every month is worth a loyalty discount that reflects the reduced administrative overhead they generate.
Multiple sites in the same building or precinct. Cleaning two tenancies in the same office building on the same visit shares travel time across both jobs, reducing the effective travel cost per site.
How to Present Your Office Cleaning Quote
A quote that presents your price clearly, explains what is included, and states what is excluded protects both you and the client from scope disputes.
What Every Commercial Office Cleaning Quote Should Include
Scope of work by area. List every room and zone to be cleaned explicitly. Not “the office will be cleaned” but “reception area, two meeting rooms, open plan work area, kitchen, one staff bathroom, entry corridor.”
Tasks per area. Not “cleaned” but “vacuumed, hard surfaces wiped, bins emptied and relined, bathroom fixtures sanitized, kitchen benchtops and sink cleaned, floor mopped.” This specificity prevents every conversation that starts with “I thought that was included.”
Cleaning frequency and schedule. Days of the week, approximate arrival window, whether the schedule is flexible.
Price per visit and monthly total. State both. Monthly total helps clients plan their budget. Per visit price helps them understand what a schedule change would cost.
What is excluded. Window cleaning above ground floor, carpet steam cleaning, fridge interior, inside of cupboards, consumables supply (if not included). The exclusions are where most post signing disputes arise.
Contract term and notice period. Three month minimum with thirty day mutual notice is the most common and most reasonable structure for Adelaide commercial cleaning contracts.
GST. State whether prices are exclusive or inclusive of GST. Any legitimate commercial cleaning business with revenue above $75,000 per year charges GST. A quote with no GST from an established operation is a compliance flag.
Common Pricing Mistakes Adelaide Commercial Cleaners Make
Quoting without a site visit. A quote produced over the phone based on a vague description of the office produces either an underquote that costs you money or an overquote that loses you the job. Visit the site. Every time.
Not accounting for penalty rates. Quoting an hourly rate without building in the after hours loading means you are losing money on every evening shift you clean.
Underpricing to win the job. A job priced below your minimum viable rate costs you money every time you show up. The client is not getting a deal. You are subsidizing their cleaning from your labour.
Not including a minimum call out. Small jobs without a minimum call out produce invoices that do not cover your fixed overhead for the visit. State a minimum on every quote.
Applying residential pricing to commercial jobs. Commercial jobs carry higher compliance requirements, higher penalty rate exposure, more complex access, and more documentation overhead than equivalent residential work. Commercial pricing should reflect this.
Discounting the first month to win the account. Introductory discounts that disappear in month two create client retention friction, not loyalty. Price right from the start. Explain why. The clients worth keeping understand it.
Why choose MS Clean?
MS Clean has operated as a professional commercial cleaning business in Adelaide since 2015, servicing offices, medical centres, retail premises, aged care facilities, and corporate buildings across all Adelaide metro suburbs. The pricing data in this guide reflects current 2026 market rates confirmed against independent pricing sources and our own service records. The cost formula and quote structure described in this guide are the same framework Ms Clean uses to price every commercial cleaning contract we provide. We update this guide when market rates shift materially.
Adelaide Specific Office Cleaning Pricing Context
Adelaide has specific market characteristics that affect how commercial cleaning is priced and how competitive the rate environment is.
Compact geography. Adelaide’s compact metro area means cleaners can service more jobs per shift with less travel overhead than equivalent operations in Sydney or Melbourne. This efficiency contributes to Adelaide’s lower average hourly rates, but it also means you can fit more productive hours into a shift, which can offset the lower per-hour rate.
Award rate baseline. The Cleaning Services Award 2020 minimum rates apply nationally. At $28.25 per hour minimum wage for a commercial cleaner in 2026, the labour cost component of Adelaide commercial cleaning jobs is the same as the national award regardless of the lower local market rate.
Penalty rate exposure. Most Adelaide CBD offices only permit cleaning before 7 am or after 6 pm. This means most Adelaide commercial office cleaning operates under evening-shift penalty rates at minimum. Building this into your contract pricing from the start is non-negotiable for a compliant, sustainable operation.
Competition from sole operators. Adelaide’s commercial cleaning market includes a high proportion of sole operator businesses pricing below the full-cost model because they don’t account for super, insurance, or overhead allocation accurately. This creates competitive pressure at the lower end of the market. The response isn’t to match their rates; it is to differentiate your service through written scopes, clear documentation, and demonstrated professionalism that sole operators at cut rates typically cannot match.
FAQs — How Much Should I Charge for Office Cleaning?
How much should I charge per hour for office cleaning in Australia?
Contract office cleaning runs $32 to $56 per hour in Australia in 2026, with rates set by city, contract size, frequency, and after hours access requirements. In Adelaide, the range is $32 to $56 per hour, with after-hours evening shift rates at $42 to $68 per hour. Your minimum viable charge out rate should be calculated from your actual cost base before setting any market rate.
How do I calculate my minimum viable office cleaning rate?
Add your hourly wage cost, superannuation (11.5%), workers’ compensation, a proportional allocation of insurance, vehicle and fuel costs, product costs, equipment maintenance, and business overhead. Divide by your productive cleaning hours per month. That gives your cost per hour. Divide by 0.80 (for a 20% margin) to get your minimum viable charge out rate. For most Adelaide sole operators and small commercial cleaning businesses in 2026, this calculation produces a minimum rate of $42 to $52 per hour before penalty loading.
How much should I charge for a small office clean?
A small office of 50 to 150 square metres cleaned weekly in Adelaide generates $215 to $350 per month at current market rates. Per visit, this typically works out to $55 to $90 per visit at a weekly frequency. Add a minimum call out of $80 to $150 if the per visit calculation falls below this floor.
How much should I charge for office cleaning per square metre?
Regular contract cleaning sits at $1.76 to $3.44 per square metre per month, with the rate set by frequency, fit out density, and access. One off end of lease office cleans are priced at $5.20 to $12 per square metre. Medical and clinical environments attract a premium of $3.50 to $7 per square metre per month for the compliance overhead.
Should I charge differently for after hours office cleaning?
Yes. The Cleaning Services Award 2020 applies evening shift loadings of 15% for shifts finishing after 6 pm and before midnight. Weekend loadings run 50% (Saturday) and 100% (Sunday). Public holidays attract 150% loading. Either charge a loaded hourly rate that reflects these penalties, or average the loadings into a fixed monthly contract price and present the total. Do not absorb these costs into your base rate.
How do I price an end of lease office clean?
End of lease office cleans in Australia are priced at $5.20 to $12 per square metre for the documented make good standard. Multiply the total square meterage by the appropriate rate for the soiling level and access requirements. Add a booking deposit of 25 to 50% given the higher payment risk on end of lease jobs. Confirm the specific make good standard with the client or their property manager before quoting.
How do I win commercial office cleaning contracts in Adelaide?
The most effective approach combines a professional written quote with detailed scope, transparent pricing that explains what is included and excluded, and the ability to provide proof of insurance on request. Adelaide commercial property managers and office managers choose cleaning contractors mainly for reliability and documentation quality, not the lowest price. A quote at $48 per hour with a detailed written scope, insurance certificates, and a clear re clean policy consistently outperforms a $38 per hour quote with a verbal description and a handshake.
How much should I charge for medical office cleaning?
Medical office cleaning carries a premium over standard commercial office cleaning due to TGA listed product compliance requirements, documentation for accreditation audits, and higher risk protocol training. In Adelaide, medical practice cleaning sits at $40 to $68 per hour or $3.50 to $7 per square metre per month. If you hold the appropriate training and compliance protocols, this premium is justified and should not be discounted to compete with standard commercial cleaning operators.
Actionable Takeaways
1. Calculate your minimum viable rate before you quote anything. Every quote you send before doing this calculation is a guess. Some will be profitable. Some will cost you money. You will not know which is which until you do the maths.
2. Build after hours penalty rates into every Adelaide commercial quote. Most Adelaide CBD offices only permit after hours cleaning. Quoting a flat hourly rate without building in the Cleaning Services Award evening shift loading means you are underpaying yourself on every shift.
3. Always visit the site before quoting a commercial contract. A phone quote is a guess. A site visit quote is a professional assessment. Clients who see you taking the job seriously before you price it are more likely to trust you with the contract.
4. Write the scope and the exclusions into every quote. The inclusions protect you from scope creep. The exclusions protect you from the client assuming fridge interior cleaning and external window washing are covered because they are “part of the office.”
5. Apply a minimum call out to every commercial job. Small jobs without a minimum call out do not cover your fixed overhead for the visit. State the minimum clearly in every quote.
6. Price at the right level from the start. Introductory discounts and below cost rates to win a first contract set a price expectation you will spend months trying to move. Clients who want you at a rate that doesn’t cover your costs aren’t the clients who build a sustainable business.
Conclusion
Pricing office cleaning adelaide correctly is the foundation of a sustainable commercial cleaning business. Every job underpriced is a job that costs you time and money, regardless of how busy it keeps you.
If you are an Adelaide business looking for professional commercial office cleaning at a fair, transparent price, Ms Clean provides office cleaning across all Adelaide metro suburbs with written scopes, fixed pricing, and the same staff on every visit.
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Ms clean Au
Address: 71 Alexandra Street, Prospect, SA-5082
M : 0480 321 027
E-Mail: contact@msclean.au
