FREE CLEANING BUSINESS RESOURCE
Did a customer add rooms, tasks or extra visits after you quoted the contract?
Before agreeing to the extra work, document the change and calculate its ongoing cost. This walkthrough explains the mathematics behind a recurring cleaning change request using a fully fictional example.
Planning the original contract instead? Read the free Bid Studio example.
Four numbers to check before accepting extra work
- Total added paid person-minutes per visit: if two cleaners each spend 30 more minutes, that is 60 paid person-minutes, not 30.
- Added visits in a typical month: multiply by the incremental visit count. Monthly averages can differ from exact service calendars.
- Loaded hourly worker cost: include the employment cost appropriate to your business, rather than guessing a headline hourly rate.
- Additional recurring and setup costs: supplies, equipment, travel, overhead and any nonrecurring startup work. Check for double-counted items.
Worked example: a recurring scope increase
Fictional cleaning company and client. The agreed work expands to include an added breakroom and two meeting spaces for roughly 13 visits in a typical month.
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Added paid worker-time per visit | 45 minutes |
| Typical added visits/month | 13 |
| Loaded worker cost | $25/hour |
| Added supplies | $3/visit |
| Added monthly fixed costs | $24 |
| Target selected-cost margin on added work | 25% |
Monthly added worker cost: 45 ÷ 60 × $25 × 13 = $243.75. Consumables: 13 × $3 = $39. Added fixed costs: $24. Total selected added monthly cost: $306.75.
Price at a 25% target selected-cost margin: $306.75 ÷ 0.75 = $409 additional per typical month. This is not a market rate, tax advice or profit guarantee. If the original monthly service charge were a fictional $1,650, a proposed new full-month price would be $2,059 before taxes and other applicable terms.
Before sending a change request
Record the original contract, customer name, requested effective date, exact affected locations, tasks and frequencies, exclusions, existing price, proposed increment, one-time setup charge, and who can actually approve it. Separate private internal cost sheets from customer-facing copies.
Do not assume that completing a worksheet changes the contract or constitutes customer acceptance. Review the applicable agreement, local rules, tax treatment, schedule, and actual authorization. Changes to midmonth prices or partial-month billing need specific treatment; this illustrative model does not prorate them.
Choose a tool for your next task
If you're bidding the original recurring cleaning contract, Commercial Cleaning Bid Studio 2 ($19 one-time) supports actual service dates, measured work and proposals.
If you're reviewing completed work and overtime, Cleaning Profit & Capacity Analyzer ($19 one-time) handles manually entered historical job costs.
For a new scope-change worksheet and calculator, contact TailorScan Forge to ask about the developing Scope Change Desk. It is not yet included in another purchased tool.
Desktop and digital download compatibility · Compare current tools.