Office cleaning in the UK typically costs GBP16-GBP30 per hour per cleaner, around GBP1.50-GBP4 per square metre per clean, or GBP300-GBP5,000-plus a month depending on size and frequency. A small office often runs GBP300-GBP800 a month and a medium office GBP800-GBP2,000. All figures are indicative for 2026 and attract 20% VAT.
How much does office cleaning cost in the UK?
As a 2026 guide, UK office cleaning is charged three ways: by the hour (GBP16-GBP30 per cleaner, UK average about GBP18), by area (GBP1.50-GBP4 per square metre per clean) or as a monthly contract. By site size, a small office is roughly GBP300-GBP800 a month, a medium office GBP800-GBP2,000, and a large or multi-floor office GBP2,000-GBP5,000-plus. A worked example: a 120 m2 office cleaned five evenings a week at about 1.5 hours a visit lands around GBP550-GBP700 a month including consumables. These are indicative ranges; your figure depends on the specification.
What drives the price of an office clean?
The biggest driver is labour - the hours on site and the wage rate - followed by cleaning frequency, floor area and layout, the standard required, access and out-of-hours working, and consumables such as bin liners, hand towels and toilet rolls. Periodic tasks (carpet cleaning, high-level dusting, hard-floor treatment and window cleaning) sit on top of the daily clean. A daily five-day service costs more than a two- or three-day pattern, but the per-visit rate usually falls as frequency rises.
Should office cleaning be priced hourly or as a fixed monthly fee?
Hourly pricing pays for time; a fixed monthly fee pays for a clean office to an agreed standard. We price office cleaning as a fixed monthly fee against a written specification, so the budget is known for the year and there are no surprise call-out charges. For the wider picture across every site type, see the commercial cleaning prices pillar guide.
How does the wage floor affect office cleaning prices?
From April 2026 the National Living Wage (21 and over) is GBP12.71 an hour, and the voluntary real Living Wage is GBP13.45 UK / GBP14.80 London - increasingly required in corporate tenders. Once employer's National Insurance, holiday pay, supervision, equipment, insurance and margin are added, the charge-out rate is typically 1.3x-2.5x the wage, before 20% VAT. That is why a sustainable office rate cannot sit at or below the bare wage.
Do you pay VAT on office cleaning, and how do you get a firm quote?
Yes - office cleaning is standard-rated at 20% VAT. For a firm number rather than a range, we survey the office, agree tasks and frequencies, and return one fixed monthly price delivered by directly employed, DBS-checked staff. Request a fixed monthly quote and we will build it around your floor plan and hours.
Indicative UK office cleaning costs (2026 guide only)
| Basis | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour, per cleaner | GBP16 - GBP30 | UK average about GBP18 |
| Per square metre, per clean | GBP1.50 - GBP4.00 | Lower per-m2 as frequency rises |
| Small office, per month | GBP300 - GBP800 | A few visits a week |
| Medium office, per month | GBP800 - GBP2,000 | Daily service, washrooms, consumables |
| Large / multi-floor, per month | GBP2,000 - GBP5,000+ | Daily teams, day porter, periodic tasks |