What is the going rate for a commercial cleaner?

If you’re hiring a commercial cleaner in Detroit, MI, the going rate is usually between $0.10 and $0.25 per square foot, or about $30–$50 per hour per cleaner for most normal office and retail spaces.

That’s the short, straight answer. Now let’s break it down in plain talk so you can see what’s fair and what’s not.

How commercial cleaning prices work in Detroit

Most Detroit commercial cleaners price jobs by square foot or by the visit/hour.

  • Light/basic cleaning (trash, bathrooms, vacuum, wipe surfaces)
  • About $0.08–$0.15 per sq ft for regular contracts.
  • Heavier or specialty cleaning (healthcare, industrial, deep scrub)
  • Often $0.15–$0.30+ per sq ft.
  • Hourly rates
  • Many Detroit cleaners fall in the $25–$70 per hour range, with a common “sweet spot” around $30–$40 per hour for routine work.

So if you hear numbers way under this, they’re probly cutting corners.
If it’s way higher, it might be fair, but only if there’s a good reason (like medical cleaning or crazy dirty conditions).

What a “normal” Detroit office might pay

Here’s how those numbers play out for small and mid-size offices in Detroit.

  • Small office (under 1,000 sq ft) in Downtown or Midtown
  • Ballpark $120–$250 per month for a few cleanings a week.
  • Mid-size office (4,000–5,000 sq ft) around New Center, Corktown, or near the Lodge
  • Often $400–$800+ per month, depending on how often and how dirty.
  • Larger spaces (8,000–10,000 sq ft) like call centers, coworking, or churches
  • Can run $650–$2,000+ per month for regular service.

Most Detroit businesses doing 3 cleanings per week land somewhere in those ranges when you do the math.

Things that change the going rate

In real life, the “going rate” is not just one number. A few things move that price up or down in Detroit:

1. Type of building

  • Regular office, bank, or basic retail
  • Usually on the lower end of the price range.
  • Restaurant, daycare, or high-traffic store
  • More trash, grease, restrooms = higher rate per sq ft.
  • Medical, dental, or industrial in Detroit
  • Needs more detailed cleaning and sometimes special chemicals or OSHA rules, so rates hit the higher band.

2. Size and layout

  • Open floor plans around Downtown / Campus Martius are faster to clean than a maze of small offices and cubicles.
  • Multiple floors, elevators, or locked rooms slow cleaners down and bump the rate.

3. How often you clean

  • Daily cleaning usually has a lower price per visit, since the place never gets super dirty.
  • 1× per week or 1× every other week can cost more per visit, because each visit is more work.

4. Who supplies products

  • If the cleaner brings all supplies and equipment, it usually adds 10–15% to the price.
  • If your building already has trash bags, soap, paper towels, and vacuums, you can sometimes get a lower rate.

Detroit‑specific things that can affect price

Detroit has its own little quirks that can bump cleaning rates a bit:

  • Older buildings in Downtown, Corktown, and Eastern Market may have older floors, uneven surfaces, or dust issues that take more time.
  • Winter snow and salt tracked in from Woodward, Jefferson, or the Lodge ramps beat up floors and mats, so floor care work and deep cleans go up in winter months.
  • Some sites near big venues (like around Little Caesars Arena or Ford Field) get heavy event foot traffic, so they need more frequent cleaning, which changes the rate structure.

Cleaners who actually work Detroit every day price with this in mind, not just generic national averages.

When does it make sense to pay more?

Paying the lowest rate can cost more later if:

  • Trash is missed and you get smells or pests.
  • Restrooms are not sanitized well and staff complain.
  • Floors get dull or damaged because they’re not mopped and maintained right.

Paying in that middle range (not the cheapest, not crazy high) usually gets you:

  • Reliable checklists (trash, bathrooms, floors, touch points).
  • Clear schedule that fits your office hours.
  • Better floor care, dust control, and restroom supplies management.

Quick checklist to know if a quote is fair

When a Detroit commercial cleaner gives you a price, you can sanity‑check it using the going rates above:

Ask them:

  • Are you charging by square foot, by month, or by hour?
  • What specific tasks are included at that price? (trash, bathrooms, floors, kitchens, dusting)
  • How often do you deep clean floors and bathrooms?
  • Do you bring supplies and equipment, or do we?
  • Is this rate more for basic janitorial or specialty cleaning (like medical or industrial)?

If their answers line up with:

  • $0.10–$0.25 per sq ft,
  • or $30–$50 per hour,
  • and the tasks match what you need,

then you’re right in the normal Detroit “going rate” zone for commercial cleaning.

That’s how you tell if you’re getting a fair deal without getting lost in a bunch of confusing numbers.