Pricing cleaning work: hourly and per-m² rates (2026)
6 min read
Cleaning is priced from productivity to price: determine how many m² per hour is feasible (offices: 200–350 m² per hour for regular maintenance), divide your hourly rate (€ 28–40) by it and add markups for supplies and overhead. Office cleaning in 2026 lands at € 2.50 to € 6.00 per m² per month.
What are the cleaning price benchmarks for 2026?
Office cleaning in 2026 typically costs € 2.50 to € 6.00 per m² per month (€ 8–20 per m² per year at lower frequencies), at an hourly rate of € 28 to € 40. Smaller buildings sit relatively higher because fixed costs are spread over fewer metres.
| Metric | 2026 range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate, cleaning companies | € 28 – 40 / hour | Supplies included; excl. VAT |
| Hourly rate, independent cleaner | € 25 – 35 / hour | Commercial market |
| Office, per m² per month | € 2.50 – 6.00 | Depends on frequency and intensity |
| Office, per m² per year | € 8 – 20 | At 1-2× weekly cleaning |
| Productivity, regular maintenance | 200 – 350 m² / hour | Open office floor; sanitary areas drag the average down |
| Deep cleaning / end-of-tenancy | 20 – 60 m² / hour | Heavily soiling-dependent |
Ranges based on common Dutch market rates, 2026. The cleaning industry collective agreement sets your wage floor; index contracts annually.
How do you calculate from m² to price?
The sequence: (1) measure area per room type, (2) assign each room a productivity standard, (3) calculate hours per visit, (4) multiply by frequency and hourly rate, (5) add markups for supplies, supervision and overhead (15–25% combined).
- Split room types: open office floors (300+ m²/h) price differently than sanitary areas (60–90 m²/h) or pantries
- Frequency is the biggest lever: 5× weekly costs nearly double 2× weekly - but not 2.5× (setup time stays the same)
- Supplies and equipment: 3–6% of wage costs for regular work
- Supervision and overhead: site management, sickness cover, admin - 10–18%
- Travel and small sites: apply a minimum charge per visit (e.g. 2 hours)
Worked example: 400 m² office, twice a week
A 400 m² office (40 m² of it sanitary/pantry) takes about 1.8 hours per visit: 360 m² ÷ 300 m²/h = 1.2 h plus 40 m² ÷ 70 m²/h = 0.6 h. At 2 visits per week, € 34 per hour and a 20% markup you arrive at ≈ € 636 per month - € 1.59 per m².
Check the maths: 1.8 h × 2 visits × 4.33 weeks = 15.6 hours per month. Times € 34 = € 530 wage cost, plus 20% markup = € 636. If the client also wants window cleaning or floor maintenance, quote those as separate lines - never 'thrown in', because those are exactly the hours that eat your margin.
Mind the floor: below roughly € 2.50 per m² per month for weekly cleaning there's almost always a calculation error or a wage-agreement problem.
Fixed monthly fee or hourly rate: what do you quote?
Commercial clients want a fixed monthly amount; quote that, but build it from hours you keep tracking internally. Include indexation (collective wage increases) and a 1-3 month notice period in the contract.
- Fixed monthly fee: predictable for the client, steerable for you - the standard for contracts
- Hourly rate: for one-off work, end-of-tenancy and incidents
- Indexation clause: pass on collective wage increases every January 1st
- Specify what falls outside the contract: exterior glass, floor maintenance, incidents
This calculation as a tool on your website
Let the prospect enter m², frequency and wishes - you receive the request with a price indication based on your own standards.
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Frequently asked questions about cleaning calculation
What does office cleaning cost per m² in 2026?
Typically € 2.50 to € 6.00 per m² per month, depending on frequency, usage intensity and the share of sanitary areas. Annually, at lower frequencies: € 8 to € 20 per m².
How many m² does a cleaner cover per hour?
For regular office maintenance: 200 to 350 m² per hour. Sanitary areas and pantries run at 60–90 m² per hour; deep cleaning at 20–60 m² per hour.
What hourly rate do cleaning companies charge?
In 2026, between € 28 and € 40 per hour excluding VAT, supplies included. Collective wage agreements set the cost floor; quoting below it is structurally loss-making.
How do I handle wage increases in contracts?
With an indexation clause: prices rise every January 1st in line with collective wage development. Without it, every wage round eats directly into your margin.
Dennis - Founder of Quotira
Dennis builds Quotira, the quote calculator for trade businesses, and writes these guides based on the pricing logic from hundreds of calculator configurations.
Published on July 9, 2026
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