Every cleaning company gets asked for a price before a walkthrough, and every honest one gives roughly the same answer: it depends. That's not a dodge — office cleaning pricing genuinely can't be reduced to a single number per square foot, because two identical-sized offices can cost very differently to clean properly.

Size isn't the whole story

Square footage sets a rough baseline, but it's rarely the biggest factor. A 3,000 sq ft office with light footfall and no client visitors can cost less to clean properly than a 2,000 sq ft office with a busy reception and daily meetings — because the second one simply needs more attention, not more space.

Tower Bridge over the River Thames in Central London
Central London buildings see more grime, faster, than most places.

What actually moves the price

  • Frequency — daily visits cost more than three-times-a-week, which costs more than weekly. This is usually the single biggest lever on the final number.
  • Floors — carpet, hard flooring and high-traffic areas all need different treatment, and a building with several floor types costs more to maintain properly than one with a single consistent surface.
  • Access — out-of-hours cleaning, security checks, lift access and building sign-in requirements all add time before a single surface gets touched.
  • Specialist areas — a shared kitchen, multiple washrooms or a client-facing reception all need more attention than an open desk area.

A realistic range, not a promise

Small offices on a light schedule can start from a few hundred pounds a month; larger, higher-footfall buildings on daily cleaning run considerably more. Anyone quoting you an exact figure without seeing the space or asking about footfall is guessing — the honest version of "how much" only comes after a proper look at how the building is actually used.

Two identical-sized offices can cost very differently to clean properly — footfall moves the price more than square footage does.

How to get an accurate number

A short walkthrough, or even a detailed conversation about your building's layout and hours, is enough to put together a proper quote — not a rough guess that changes once someone actually sees the space.