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Federal Janitorial Pricing Calculator
Estimate competitive bid ranges for government custodial contracts. Uses SCLS prevailing wages, ISSA 612 cleaning times, and federal-specific cost factors.
Contract Parameters
Standard federal office space including lobbies, restrooms, break rooms, and open floor plans. Typical GSA-leased or owned buildings.
Standard Mon-Fri cleaning, most common for federal offices
SCLS prevailing wage: $17.25/hr + $5.36/hr fringe
0 = no day porter, 40 = 1 full-time day porter
Estimated Annual Bid Range
Low
$335,232
Typical
$371,130
Premium
$418,027
Per Month
$30,928
Per Sqft/Year
$7.42
Labor Hours/Week
71
FTEs Required
2.0
Margin at Bid
$33,739
Cost Breakdown
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Virginia has above-average SCLS prevailing wages ($17.25/hr). Labor costs will be 10% above the national average.
Labor (wages + fringe + taxes) represents 30% of the total bid. This is typical for federal janitorial contracts where labor is 75-85% of total cost.
How Federal Janitorial Pricing Works
Federal janitorial contracts are fundamentally different from commercial cleaning bids. The Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS, formerly SCA) requires contractors to pay prevailing wages as determined by the Department of Labor for the specific locality and occupation. For janitorial workers (Occupation Code 11150), these wages range from about $13.25/hour in the lowest-cost areas to over $19/hour in high-cost metro areas like DC, San Francisco, and New York.
On top of the base wage, SCLS mandates a Health & Welfare fringe benefit of $4.41-$5.36 per hour for every hour worked. This can be provided as employer health insurance or as a cash equivalent. Many first-time federal contractors forget this requirement and underbid by $9,000-$11,000 per employee per year.
The labor model starts with ISSA 612 cleaning times, which establish how many square feet a cleaner can cover per hour based on facility type. A standard office building rates around 3,500 sqft/hour, while a hospital may be only 2,000 sqft/hour due to infection control requirements. These rates, combined with the square footage and cleaning frequency, determine the total labor hours needed.
Total cost = labor (wages + fringe + payroll taxes) + supplies + equipment + supervision + overhead + margin. For most federal janitorial contracts, labor represents 75-85% of the total bid price.
Common Pricing Mistakes on Federal Bids
Using commercial rates for federal bids
Federal janitorial contracts must comply with SCLS prevailing wage rates, which are often 30-50% higher than commercial cleaning wages. Using your commercial pay rates will result in an unsustainably low bid.
Impact: Underbidding by 25-40%, leading to contract losses or financial distress
Forgetting the health & welfare fringe
SCLS requires a Health & Welfare fringe payment (currently $4.41-$5.36/hour) on top of the base wage. This is NOT optional — it's a legal requirement on SCA contracts.
Impact: Missing $9,000-$11,000 per full-time cleaner per year in costs
Underestimating medical facility cleaning times
Healthcare facilities take 40-75% longer to clean than standard offices due to infection control protocols, terminal cleaning requirements, and specialized equipment needs.
Impact: Understaffing by 2-3 cleaners on a typical hospital contract
Ignoring security clearance overhead
Many federal facilities require background investigations or security clearances for janitorial staff. This increases recruiting costs and turnover replacement time.
Impact: Additional $1,500-$5,000 per employee in onboarding costs
Not accounting for phase-in period costs
Federal contracts typically include a 30-90 day phase-in period where you must staff up and train while the incumbent is still performing. You incur costs before revenue starts.
Impact: $15,000-$100,000 in unrecoverable phase-in costs depending on contract size
Flat-rating day porters the same as night cleaners
Day porter services (during business hours) typically require higher-wage, more presentable staff and have different productivity rates than after-hours cleaning crews.
Impact: Underpricing day porter labor by 15-25%
How to Calculate Your Break-Even Point
Your break-even point for this contract is $337,391 per year — that's your total cost before any profit margin. At the typical bid of $371,130, your annual margin would be approximately $33,739.
If you can't maintain at least a 7-8% margin, the contract likely isn't worth pursuing given the administrative overhead of federal compliance, DCAA-ready accounting, and the risk of unexpected cost increases. Most experienced federal janitorial contractors target 10-15% margins, with 12% being the most common for competitive wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you price a federal janitorial contract?
What are SCLS prevailing wages for janitorial workers?
How much does it cost to clean a federal building per square foot?
What is the ISSA 612 standard?
Methodology & Data Sources
Cleaning productivity rates based on ISSA 612 Cleaning Industry Management Standard. Wage data from DOL Wage Determinations (SCLS/SCA) for Janitor (Occupation 11150). Health & welfare fringe rates from current DOL All Agency Memoranda. Payroll burden rates use standard federal contractor assumptions. Supply costs derived from industry benchmarks for each facility type. This calculator provides estimates — actual costs will vary based on specific wage determination, local conditions, and contract requirements.
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