A crew cleans at a production rate — square feet per hour. Dividing the area by the rate gives the labor hours a job needs — the backbone of an accurate bid.
The example
12,000 sq ft, 3,000 sq ft/hr.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | 12000 / 3000 | — |
| 3 | Labor hours | → 4 hrs |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- The production rate (sqft/hr) depends on cleaning level — light vacuum-and-trash is fast, detail is slow.
- Divide square feet by it for total cleaning hours.
- Multiply hours by the wage for labor cost; that drives the bid.
- Calibrate the rate from your own timed jobs — published rates are a starting point.
Production rate is the number to get right — everything else follows from it. Bid hours, labor cost, and crew size all derive from sqft ÷ rate, so a wrong rate cascades. Track actual sqft and clock-time on real jobs to build a rate per facility type and cleaning spec; a generic “3,000 sqft/hr” can be 50% off for the wrong building. Your own data beats any chart.
Try it: interactive demo
Square feet, production rate, wage.
Variations
Labor cost
Hours × wage:
Implied rate
From actuals:
Crew clock time
Hours ÷ crew:
Pitfalls & errors
Calibrate the rate. Use your own timed jobs, not a generic number.
Cleaning spec. Detail cleaning has a far lower sqft/hr than light service.
Zero rate. No production rate gives #DIV/0!.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cleaning hours in Excel?
How do I get the labor cost?
Where does the production rate come from?
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