How much do janitorial services cost in Virginia?

There is no single Virginia price for janitorial service, and no government source publishes a dated price per square foot, so any figure you see quoted per foot is one company's habit, not a market rate. What you can rely on is how the price is built. It is mostly labor, so the cost follows the number of cleaner-hours your space needs, multiplied by what a company pays and charges for each one.

Start with labor

Janitorial work is hands-on. On October 27, 2026, O*NET listed a median wage of $17.71 an hour, or $36,840 a year, for janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners, citing 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data.^[1] That is a national figure, not a Virginia one, and it is what the cleaner earns, not what you pay. A company's price also covers supervision, supplies, insurance, equipment and its margin.

Virginia sets a wage floor under all of this. From January 1, 2026, until January 1, 2027, Virginia law requires employers to pay at least the greater of $12.77 an hour or the federal minimum wage.^[2] From January 1, 2027, the floor rises to the greater of $13.75 an hour or the federal minimum wage, and from January 1, 2028, to the greater of $15.00 an hour or the federal minimum wage.^[2] On a multi-year contract, ask how the company handles those increases.

What changes the number

Visits per week. Each added visit adds paid hours, so this is the biggest lever you control.

Scope. O*NET lists the occupation's tasks as servicing, cleaning or supplying restrooms, gathering and emptying trash, cleaning floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing or vacuuming, cleaning windows, glass partitions and mirrors, and dusting furniture, walls, machines and equipment.^[1] Each added task adds minutes to every visit. Periodic work such as floor stripping and waxing, carpet extraction and interior window washing is often quoted separately from the routine visit, so ask.

The space itself. Restrooms take longer than offices. Hard floors, carpet and specialty surfaces need different equipment. A medical office, a daycare or a restaurant dining room carries more cleaning demands than a quiet professional office.

Hours of access. After-hours service is standard for offices, but a tight window or a building with strict security can add time.

Supplies. Some quotes include chemicals, liners, soap and paper goods; others bill them at cost or leave them to you. Make sure you know which.

Insurance and employment. A company that carries workers' compensation and liability coverage and employs its cleaners has costs a one-person operation may not. Every employer subject to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act must insure the payment of compensation to its employees,^[3] although employees of a business that regularly has fewer than three employees in the same business in Virginia are outside the Act unless they and their employer voluntarily elect to be bound by it.^[4] In a civil action over worker misclassification, Virginia law presumes that a person paid for services is an employee of the person who paid, unless the worker is shown to be an independent contractor under Internal Revenue Service guidelines.^[5] A very low price sometimes reflects skipped coverage, so ask what is in place.

How to get quotes you can compare

Janitorial quotes only line up when every company prices the same job. Work through this before you ask anyone for a number, and use the same list for each company.

Measure the space and note restrooms, floor types and the hours it is empty. Decide how many visits a week you want and list the tasks that happen every visit versus weekly or monthly. Then have each company walk the space. A company that quotes from a phone call and a square footage is guessing.

Ask for a written quote that states the visit schedule, the tasks, the cleaner-hours per visit, who supplies what, the insurance in place and the monthly price. When the totals differ, the difference is almost always in the hours, the tasks or the supplies. See what a janitorial service contract should include for the terms to settle once you pick a company.

Stop and call a pro if

This is business paperwork, not a repair, but a few things mean you should bring in a professional before signing.

• The space has biohazards, sewage, heavy mold or hoarding conditions. Routine janitorial crews are not the right service for that.
• The work includes hazardous chemicals or specialty flooring treatments you cannot describe. Ask for the company's written method before it starts.
• A contract runs several years or more and carries automatic renewal or large cancellation fees. Have a lawyer read it.
• The company will not show proof of insurance, or says its cleaners are all independent contractors and so need none.

Where to go next

If you also handle the building's repairs, what facility maintenance costs for a small business in Virginia and whether a small business should outsource facility maintenance cover the rest of the building. Browse more commercial answers or commercial services on Loclis.

To get prices for your own space, describe the job once and local commercial cleaning businesses quote it.