Most facility managers ask what janitorial service costs before they've decided exactly what they need cleaned. That's fair: you need a budget number to start the conversation. The honest answer is that commercial cleaning is priced from scope, size and frequency, so two buildings with the same floor area can get very different quotes. Here's how pricing works in Calgary in 2026, what moves the number, and how to compare quotes that aren't built the same way.
A note on the numbers below:they are general market ranges taken from the published sources listed at the end of this post, for rough budgeting only. They are not Prime Look Cleaning's prices and they are not a quote. The hourly range is published for Calgary; the per-square-foot and monthly ranges are Canada-wide averages, not Calgary figures. Rates vary by provider, building and scope, and we price every building individually from its actual scope.
The three ways janitorial work is priced
- Per hour, per cleaner.General market range: roughly $30–$60 an hour per cleaner. HomeStars gives the same hourly range for Calgary and for Canada as a whole. Common for small spaces and one-off work, where it's easier to estimate time than to measure the space.
- Per square foot. General market range: roughly $0.10–$0.25 per square foot per visit for recurring office cleaning, as a Canada-wide average, with larger spaces usually toward the lower end. More common once a space gets past about 2,500 square feet.
- Monthly contract.A fixed monthly price for a set scope and frequency. As a general market range (a Canada-wide average that assumes two to five visits a week), a small office under 1,000 sq. ft. might land around $200–$500 a month, a 1,000–5,000 sq. ft. office around $500–$2,000, and larger spaces from about $2,000 a month up. Where a building falls in those bands depends heavily on how often it's cleaned.
Those ranges overlap, and they describe different buildings and frequencies. Treat them as orientation, not as a benchmark to hold a quote against.
What moves the price
- Frequency. Daily service costs more per month than weekly, but often less per visit, because less builds up between cleans.
- Washrooms and kitchens. They take far more time per square foot than open office space. A building with eight washrooms costs more to clean than one with the same floor area and two.
- Traffic and use. Retail floors, waiting areas and busy entrances need more attention than a quiet back office.
- Flooring. Carpet, resilient flooring and tile each need a different routine, and hard floors that need machine scrubbing take equipment time.
- Timing and access.After-hours schedules, security procedures and narrow access windows all change how a crew's time gets used.
- Calgary winters. From roughly November to April, salt and gravel come in on every boot. Entrances and lobby floors need more frequent attention, and some buildings budget for a heavier winter schedule.
- Supplies.Some quotes include washroom consumables like paper towel and soap; many don't. Check before comparing totals.
- Periodic work. Carpet deep cleaning, floor scrubbing and similar jobs are usually priced separately from the routine scope.
Comparing quotes that aren't built the same way
The quote that looks cheapest is often the one with the thinnest scope. Before you compare totals, line up:
- What's included on each visit, written out, not summed up as "general cleaning".
- How often each task happens: daily, weekly, monthly.
- Whether supplies are included.
- Whether periodic work like carpet and floor scrubbing is in the price or extra.
- What happens when something is missed.
A higher quote with a clear, complete scope is usually cheaper over a year than a low one that grows through extras and re-cleans. Our list of questions to ask a cleaning company before you sign goes further on this.
GST, and only GST
Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so a commercial cleaning quote here adds 5% GST and nothing else. Ask whether each quote includes it, so you're comparing like with like.
Getting a real number for your building
The fastest way to an accurate price is to describe the space: building type, rough square footage, number of washrooms, flooring, how often you want it cleaned and any access constraints. That's what we ask for when we quote commercial janitorial work. If you're still deciding how often you need cleaning, setting a janitorial schedule is the place to start, and the commercial services overview covers everything else we do for buildings.
Sources
- HomeStars, Commercial Office Cleaning Cost in Canada: 2026 Guide, updated August 21, 2026 (Canada-wide hourly, per-square-foot and monthly ranges).
- HomeStars, Find Office Cleaning Services in Calgary, Alberta, undated directory page, viewed October 17, 2026 (Calgary hourly range).