Commercial cleaning rates in Quebec: what it really costs in 2026

Looking up commercial cleaning rates in Quebec usually leads to the same answer: “it depends.” That is true, but it helps no one build a budget. Here are the real numbers — and more importantly, how we get to them.

The hourly rate: $45 an hour

At Y CLEAN, commercial cleaning is billed at $45 per hour. That rate covers trained and screened staff, products, equipment and liability insurance. It does not change with the day of the week or the neighbourhood.

What changes is the number of hours. That is where your real budget is decided.

How the hours are estimated

Three things determine how long a visit takes:

1. Square footage

That is the starting point. A 1,000 sq ft unit and a 6,000 sq ft floor do not take the same time, even for identical tasks. Layout matters too: ten small closed offices take longer than an open space of the same size, because you enter, leave, and repeat the same motions ten times.

2. The tasks requested

Routine cleaning — floors, bins, washrooms, contact surfaces — does not take the same time as cleaning that also includes the kitchenette, interior windows, disinfection of touch points or carpet washing. Every added task adds minutes, and those minutes multiply by the number of visits in the month.

3. What the space demands

A dental clinic, a daycare and a warehouse do not have the same expectations. Where disinfection is regulated or expected, the protocol takes longer — and it should.

Real examples

Here are four real situations, to give you an order of magnitude. Hours are always estimated after visiting the space, never over the phone.

A 2,000 sq ft office, 3 evenings a week

Routine cleaning: floors, bins, washrooms, contact surfaces, kitchenette. Count on 2 to 2.5 hours per visit — toward the lower end when tasks are tight and visits frequent, toward the higher end when interior windows are added or visits are less frequent, since dirt has more time to settle.

2 h to 2.5 h × $45 × 3 visits = $270 to $337.50 per week, roughly $1,170 to $1,460 per month.

A 1,200 sq ft clinic, 5 evenings a week

This is the example that surprises people most: a clinic smaller than an office takes more time. Count on 2.5 to 3 hours per visit.

The reason is simple: disinfecting touch points and treatment rooms follows a protocol. You do not wipe a surface — you apply a product, respect a contact time, rinse if needed. That time cannot be compressed, and it is precisely what you are paying for.

2.5 h to 3 h × $45 × 5 visits = $562.50 to $675 per week, roughly $2,440 to $2,925 per month.

A 1,500 sq ft retail shop, twice a week

Floors, interior windows, fitting rooms, washroom. About 2 hours per visit.

2 h × $45 × 2 visits = $180 per week, roughly $780 per month.

Common areas of a 40-unit building, 3 times a week

Lobbies, corridors, stairwells, elevators, mail room, laundry. About 3 hours per visit.

3 h × $45 × 3 visits = $405 per week, roughly $1,755 per month.

What really moves the bill

Many managers compare quotes by looking at the monthly total. That is the most common mistake, because two quotes at the same price can cover very different things.

Before comparing, check on each offer:

• The number of visits per week and their actual duration
• The precise task list, task by task, not “full cleaning”
• What is excluded: exterior windows, deep carpet cleaning, post-construction
• Who supplies consumables: paper, soap, bags
• Liability insurance and background checks on staff

An $800 offer covering two visits is not cheaper than an $1,100 offer covering three: it is simply different. Always bring it back to cost per visit.

Why we do not quote over the phone

A rate given without seeing the space is a guess. It always ends the same way: either the company realizes mid-contract that it underestimated and quietly cuts time on site, or it overestimated and you are paying too much.

We would rather visit, measure, listen to what you actually need, and give you an estimate of hours we can stand behind. The visit is free and comes with no obligation.

Commercial rates are not discounted

One honest note: unlike residential, we do not apply frequency discounts on commercial contracts. The price of a commercial contract reflects the time genuinely needed to do the work properly.

What we can adjust is the content: reduce frequency, drop secondary tasks, or focus the effort where it matters most to you. A budget is met by adjusting the work, not by quietly cutting corners.

Getting your estimate

We serve Montreal and its boroughs, Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, the North Shore — Terrebonne, Repentigny, Blainville, Boisbriand — the South Shore and Montérégie out to Granby and Joliette.

A visit, a clear estimate of hours, and a number we stand behind. That is all we promise — but that, we do promise.