How much does it cost to clean a commercial building?
At building scale, Sydney commercial cleaning typically prices at $0.40–$1.20 per square metre per visit, or about $12–$45 per square metre per year for full nightly service. Buildings under 1,000 sqm tend to price per-hour or per-visit; buildings over 1,000 sqm tend to price per-sqm with after-hours premium baked in.
Worked examples (Sydney 2026)
Small office building — 800 sqm, single tenant
3 nights/week, after-hours, supplies included, common-area glass + lift internals. Typical Sydney 2026 quote: $2,200–$3,400/month.
Mid-tier office — 2,500 sqm across 2 floors
5 nights/week after-hours, mid-volume kitchen + bathrooms, supplies included. Typical Sydney 2026 quote: $8,500–$13,000/month.
Office tower floor — 5,000 sqm CBD
5 nights/week, after-hours, end-of-trip facilities (showers, lockers), boardroom cycles. Typical Sydney 2026 quote: $17,000–$26,000/month.
Multi-tenancy strata commercial building — 8,000 sqm
Common areas only (lobby, lift, corridors, washrooms, car park) — tenants contract their own internal cleaning. Twice-daily lobby pass, daily washroom service, weekly car park sweep. Typical Sydney 2026 quote: $6,500–$10,500/month for common areas alone.
Warehouse + admin office — 6,000 sqm Wetherill Park
Warehouse: weekly scrubber pass + dock degrease monthly. Admin office (600 sqm): 5 nights/week after-hours. Typical Sydney 2026 quote: $3,400–$5,200/month combined.
What moves the per-sqm number
- Density of fitout. A 1,000 sqm open-plan office with 30 desks is faster to clean than a 1,000 sqm office split into 20 enclosed offices, 5 meeting rooms and 4 washrooms.
- Ratio of washrooms to floor area. Each washroom is high time-cost. Buildings with multiple satellite washrooms per floor cost more per sqm than buildings with central facilities.
- End-of-trip facilities. Showers, towel service, locker cleaning all add labour.
- Carpet vs hard floor mix. Heavy carpet adds vacuum time; heavy hard floor adds mop and dry time.
- Lift access. CBD towers with restricted lift and security sign-in add 20–40 minutes overhead per visit.
- Common-area scope. Lobbies, lifts, stairwells and car parks are often the biggest variable in a multi-tenancy quote.
How to think about budget
For budget planning before you get quotes, a rough Sydney 2026 starting point:
- Office, 5-nights, after-hours, mid-density fitout: $25–$40 per sqm per year.
- Office, 3-nights, after-hours, mid-density: $15–$25 per sqm per year.
- Warehouse, weekly: $4–$10 per sqm per year.
- Strata common areas, twice-weekly: $8–$15 per sqm per year of common area.
- Medical clinic, daily: $40–$70 per sqm per year (TGA chemicals, infection control overhead).
For per-visit and per-hour benchmarks see our office cleaning cost Sydney guide.
Get a building-scale quote
We quote any commercial building in Sydney from a site walkthrough — small office to multi-tenancy tower. Common-area-only, full internal, or both.