A dirty office is a business problem, not just a facilities one. It affects how clients perceive you the moment they walk in, how staff feel about the workplace, and – for medical, dental, and allied health practices – it directly intersects with compliance obligations.
Getting the cost right means understanding how commercial cleaning is priced in Melbourne, what’s actually included in a standard contract, and what separates a competitive quote from one that will create problems six months down the track.
Here’s what Melbourne businesses are paying in 2026, broken down by office type, size, and frequency.
Melbourne Office Cleaning Rates: The Short Answer
Professional office cleaning in Melbourne is typically priced one of three ways:
- Hourly rate: $42–$65 per hour for standard commercial premises
- Per square metre: $2–$6 per sqm, depending on service level and facility type
- Fixed contract: A set weekly or monthly fee covering an agreed scope
For most small-to-medium Melbourne businesses, a fixed contract based on your office size and cleaning frequency is the most practical structure – you know exactly what you’re paying, the scope is documented, and there’s accountability on both sides.
Pricing by Office Size: What Melbourne Businesses Pay
These figures reflect current market rates for standard office environments in Melbourne (2025–2026). Medical, dental, and specialised facilities are covered separately below.
| Office Size | Cleaning Frequency | Estimated Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small suite (50–150 sqm) | 3× per week | $420 – $700/month |
| Small suite (50–150 sqm) | 5× per week (nightly) | $600 – $1,000/month |
| Medium office (150–300 sqm) | 3× per week | $700 – $1,200/month |
| Medium office (150–300 sqm) | 5× per week (nightly) | $1,000 – $1,600/month |
| Larger premises (300–1,000 sqm) | 3× per week | $1,000 – $2,000/month |
| Larger premises (300–1,000 sqm) | 5× per week (nightly) | $1,400 – $2,300/month |
Note: These are indicative ranges for standard professional office environments. Quotes for your specific premises will vary based on layout complexity, the number of wet areas (bathrooms, kitchens), access requirements, and condition. A site visit or detailed brief is almost always required before a final price is confirmed.
For a real-world benchmark: a 250 sqm CBD office cleaned three nights per week, with fortnightly carpet care included, typically costs in the range of $520–$680 per week in 2026.
The Three Pricing Models: Which One You’ll Encounter
Hourly Rate
Most commonly used for one-off cleans, ad-hoc requests, and smaller premises. The rate reflects actual time on site – which can work in your favour for straightforward spaces but creates variability for complex ones.
Standard office cleaning in Melbourne: $42–$65 per hour Specialised cleaning (medical, industrial, post-construction): $60–$90+ per hour
The risk with hourly pricing for regular cleaning is that there’s limited incentive for efficiency. Without a defined scope and time estimate, hours can expand without warning.
Per Square Metre
More common for larger open-plan offices and multi-floor tenancies where floor area is the primary driver of labour time.
Standard scope: $2–$3 per sqm Premium scope (enhanced frequency, specialist products): $5–$6 per sqm
Per-sqm pricing rewards efficient cleaning and makes budget forecasting straightforward for larger facilities. It becomes less accurate for offices with high proportions of wet areas (bathrooms, commercial kitchens) relative to floor area – those spaces take significantly more time per sqm than open-plan workstations.
Fixed Contract (Most Common for Ongoing Commercial Cleaning)
The dominant model for regular commercial cleaning in Melbourne. An agreed weekly or monthly fee covers a documented scope of tasks at a set frequency. This is the structure most Melbourne businesses settle on for ongoing arrangements.
Why it works for most offices:
- Predictable cost for budgeting
- Clear accountability – the scope is documented, not subject to interpretation
- Easier to compare between providers
- Provider has an incentive to work efficiently since the price is fixed
The quality of a fixed contract depends heavily on what the scope document actually covers. A vague checklist is not a contract.
💡 Clean & Co Note: Our commercial cleaning service operates on fixed contracts with a documented scope for every client. You receive a written proposal before work begins that specifies what’s covered at every visit – so there’s no ambiguity, and no surprises on either side. We service offices and commercial premises across Melbourne’s CBD, inner suburbs, and middle-ring business precincts.
What Affects the Price: The Key Variables
Office Size and Layout
Larger spaces cost more in total – but the cost per square metre typically decreases with scale. A 1,000 sqm open-plan tenancy costs considerably less per sqm to clean than a 150 sqm boutique office with multiple enclosed rooms and tight corridors.
Irregular layouts, multi-level tenancies, and complex access (swipe-card escorted entry, restricted zones) all add to the time required and can attract additional charges.
Wet Areas: The Real Cost Driver
Bathrooms and commercial kitchens take significantly more labour per square metre than open-plan workstations. A small office with two staff bathrooms, a kitchenette, and a client reception costs more to maintain than a larger open-plan space without those fixtures.
When comparing quotes, make sure the number of bathrooms, toilets, and kitchen/breakroom areas is clearly specified in your brief. This information affects the quote more than floor area alone.
Cleaning Frequency
The more frequently you clean, the lower the cost per visit – and the less intensive each visit needs to be. Offices cleaned five nights a week maintain a consistent baseline; offices cleaned weekly need more work per visit to address accumulated grime.
Common Melbourne office cleaning frequencies:
- Nightly (5× per week): Standard for CBD offices with high staff density or regular client visits
- 3× per week: Well-suited to medium-sized professional offices with moderate foot traffic
- Weekly: Appropriate for smaller offices, studios, and low-traffic professional suites
- Monthly / periodic deep clean: Supplement to an in-house cleaning arrangement, or standalone for very small operations
Facility Type: Standard vs Specialised
Not all Melbourne offices have the same cleaning requirements. The type of premises significantly affects what’s required – and what it costs.
Standard professional office (legal, finance, real estate, co-working): standard scope, standard rates.
Medical and dental clinics: Medical and dental premises in Melbourne typically pay 20–40% more than standard offices. This reflects the infection control requirements, TGA-compliant disinfection protocols, correct sequencing of clean-to-dirty zones, colour-coded equipment, and compliance documentation that clinical environments require. These aren’t optional for a registered healthcare facility.
Allied health and specialist clinics: Pricing sits between standard office and medical, depending on the specific regulatory obligations of the practice type.
Retail, café, and hospitality: Varied – depends heavily on the nature of the space and whether food preparation areas are involved.
CBD vs Suburban Melbourne
Inner-city Melbourne (CBD, Richmond, South Melbourne, Cremorne, Fitzroy) sits at the premium end of the market – approximately 10–20% above the national average – due to higher operating costs, CBD parking restrictions, and demand competition with hospitality and warehousing for experienced cleaners. Middle-ring suburban offices typically attract slightly more competitive pricing.
After-Hours Cleaning
The majority of Melbourne office cleaning is done outside business hours – typically from 6pm onwards – to avoid disruption to staff and clients. This is reflected in the pricing.
Under the Cleaning Services Award 2020, cleaners working after-hours (6pm–6am, Monday–Friday) are entitled to penalty rates. Saturday rates are 1.5×, Sunday 1.75×, and public holidays 2.5× the ordinary time rate. These entitlements flow through directly to your contract cost – any quote that doesn’t account for them is either absorbing the cost at the expense of quality or paying staff below their legal entitlements.
The latter is worth being aware of: a quote that seems materially cheaper than the market usually reflects something – staff wages, insurance, cleaning scope, or all three.
What’s Included in a Standard Commercial Cleaning Contract
A standard regular office clean covers:
General areas and workstations
- Emptying bins (including recycling separation where applicable)
- Vacuuming carpeted areas
- Mopping hard floors
- Dusting desks, shelving, windowsills, and ledges
- Wiping down workstation surfaces (screens and keyboards typically excluded)
- Sanitising high-touch points – door handles, light switches, lift buttons, shared equipment
Bathrooms and toilets
- Toilet bowls, seats, cisterns, and surrounding floor
- Sink and tapware – cleaned and sanitised
- Mirrors and surfaces
- Restocking paper products and soap (consumables often billed separately)
- Mopping floors
- Exhaust fans (periodically)
Kitchen and breakrooms
- Benchtops and splashback
- Sink
- Exterior surfaces of appliances (microwave, fridge, dishwasher)
- Floor mopping
Reception and entry areas
- Glass entry doors and partitions
- Reception desk and waiting area surfaces
- Floor treatment (vacuum or mop as applicable)
What Typically Costs Extra
The following are generally outside a standard contract scope and quoted separately:
| Service | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Window cleaning (external) | $100–$300+ depending on floors and access |
| Carpet steam cleaning | $0.30–$0.70 per sqm (or per-room pricing) |
| Hard floor polishing / stripping and sealing | Variable – site-specific |
| Deep clean / periodic intensive clean | Quoted separately |
| Oven / commercial kitchen equipment cleaning | Quoted separately |
| Waste disposal and recycling management | Sometimes included; sometimes billed separately |
| Consumables (toilet paper, soap, bin liners) | Usually billed at cost |
| After-hours public holiday cleaning | Penalty rate loading applies |
For window cleaning across your commercial premises, our window cleaning service covers commercial properties in Melbourne. For carpet maintenance within an office cleaning program, our carpet cleaning service can be scheduled as a periodic add-on to your regular contract.
The Compliance Dimension Melbourne Businesses Need to Know
Victorian WHS Requirements
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Vic), employers are obligated to provide a safe and hygienic workplace. For offices with high staff density, shared facilities, or client-facing spaces, professional cleaning is one of the practical measures that supports compliance.
Labour Hire Licensing
Victorian law requires cleaning companies that supply workers under a labour hire arrangement to hold a Victorian Labour Hire Licence. This protects your business – if an unlicensed cleaning company is found to have supplied workers to your premises, there are potential liability implications for your organisation. Confirm licensing status before signing a contract.
Insurance
Any commercial cleaning provider operating in your premises should carry public liability insurance. Ask for a certificate of currency before work commences. This is standard practice for reputable providers and non-negotiable for commercial tenancies.
Medical and Dental Compliance
Clinical environments must use TGA-listed disinfectants at specified concentrations and contact times. Cleaners must understand colour-coding protocols, clean-to-dirty sequencing, and the handling requirements for clinical waste zones. This is not transferable from standard office cleaning skills – confirm that your provider has demonstrable experience with medical and dental premises specifically.
💡 Clean & Co Note: Our commercial cleaning service is fully insured and we provide detailed scope documentation before every contract commences. We work with offices, professional services firms, and commercial premises across Melbourne’s inner and middle-ring suburbs – and we understand that a hands-off service that simply works, without you having to follow up, is the baseline expectation for any business relationship worth maintaining. For a no-obligation site quote, contact us directly.
How to Evaluate a Quote: What Separates a Competitive Price from a Problem
A quote that comes in significantly below the market range for your premises is not necessarily good value. Understanding what drives cost helps you identify what a cheaper quote may be leaving out.
The three components of any commercial cleaning quote:
- Labour – the largest component. Must cover Award wages, superannuation, leave loading, and penalty rates for after-hours and weekend work. Non-Award-compliant wages expose your supplier to regulatory risk – and, in some arrangements, your business too.
- Materials and equipment – commercial-grade products and machinery, not supermarket stock. This affects both cleaning quality and staff safety.
- Management and compliance overhead – insurance, police checks, training, site inductions, quality auditing, and contract administration. This is where undercutters cut first.
Questions to ask any prospective commercial cleaning provider:
- Is your pricing inclusive of Award-compliant wages and all applicable penalty rates?
- Do you hold a Victorian Labour Hire Licence (if applicable)?
- Can you provide a certificate of public liability insurance?
- Are your cleaners police-checked and site-inducted?
- What is your quality assurance process?
- What’s your process if I’m not satisfied with a visit?
- Who is my point of contact for ongoing issues?
The answers to these questions separate professional operations from undercutters. For more on the distinction between commercial and general cleaning, see our posts on what commercial cleaning means and the difference between cleaning and commercial cleaning.
Getting a Quote for Your Melbourne Office
Commercial cleaning pricing is not accurately determined without a site visit or a detailed brief. Unlike residential cleaning (which can be quoted reliably by bedroom count), commercial premises vary too much in layout, wet area configuration, and access complexity for a reliable price to be given without specifics.
To get an accurate quote, be prepared to provide:
- Total floor area (sqm) or a floor plan
- Number of bathrooms, toilets, and wet areas
- Number of staff and peak occupancy
- Cleaning frequency required
- Whether after-hours access is needed and what the access process involves
- Any specialised requirements (infection control, secure zones, specific products)
- Whether consumables (paper, soap, bin liners) should be included
The more specific your brief, the more accurate the initial quote – and the less likelihood of scope creep or unexpected charges once the contract starts.
💡 Clean & Co Note: We offer a no-obligation site visit for all commercial cleaning enquiries. Rather than giving a figure that might change on inspection, we assess your premises properly, confirm the scope with you, and provide a written proposal that reflects the actual work involved. Request a commercial cleaning quote →
Pricing ranges in this guide reflect market rates from Melbourne commercial cleaning providers in 2025–2026. All references to Award wages reflect the Cleaning Services Award 2020. For premises with specific regulatory requirements, confirm compliance capabilities directly with your provider before committing to a contract.