Contract, deep and special cleaning – differences and pricing

Contents

1. The comparison
2. Contract cleaning
3. Deep cleaning
4. Special cleaning
5. Work at height
6. Wages 2026 and 2027
7. Why price separately?
8. Licence
9. Common mistakes
10. Checklist before a special job
11. Worked example: post-construction clean (assumptions)
12. Selling extras
13. Frequently asked questions

In short: Contract cleaning is ongoing cleaning per service specification. Deep cleaning removes stubborn dirt and care films at longer intervals. Special cleaning includes windows, glass, façades and post-construction cleaning. The collective agreement grades special cleaning incl. windows and façades (wage group 2: €13.30, 2026) differently from ongoing contract cleaning (wage group 6: €12.37, 2026). As of October 2026.

In our Vienna business, contract cleaning makes up most of the hours – it brings predictable revenue. Deep and special cleaning jobs are less frequent but often clearly more profitable when priced correctly. The problem: many clients expect “a bit of window cleaning” or “the summer deep clean” to be included in the monthly fee. That is where a contract turns from profitable to loss-making.

The comparison

Contract cleaning

Ongoing cleaning per service specification: bins, floors, surfaces, washrooms, kitchen. Priced via output values (m² per hour) and intervals, offered as a monthly flat rate: Office cleaning prices per m² – how to price contract cleaning.

Deep cleaning

Deep cleaning removes stubborn dirt, old care films and deposits – typically on hard floors (linoleum, vinyl, tiles), often with a single-disc machine and a new protective coating. Carpet cleaning, washroom and kitchen deep cleans also belong here.

Pricing: per job, by area and floor type. Output is much lower than in contract cleaning, and you add machines, products, drying time and often evening or weekend work with surcharges.

Worked example (assumptions): 200 m² of linoleum, deep clean with recoating, output 25 m²/h → 8 hours. Hourly rate €37.07 (same method as the hourly-rate example, but with WG 2 at €13.30) plus a flat €120 for materials and machine: 8 × €37.07 + €120 ≈ €417 net. Weekend work adds surcharges under the agreement where they apply.

Special cleaning

Special cleaning includes for example:

• window and glass cleaning inside and out, frames, glass façades
• façade cleaning
• post-construction cleaning after new builds or renovation (dust, paint splashes, adhesive residue)
• cleaning after water damage, moves or events

Window example (assumptions): 60 window sashes both sides, 4 sashes per hour → 15 hours × €37.07 ≈ €556 net, plus travel and, if needed, an aerial platform. Twice a year, that is a separate line in the quote – not hidden in the monthly fee.

Work at height

Outside windows, glass roofs and façades often mean work at height. Occupational safety rules apply: suitable ladders and scaffolding, fall protection, platforms only with training, a documented risk assessment. Check your insurance too (damage to treated surfaces, glass breakage): Insurance for cleaning companies – what you really need. If in doubt, subcontract a specialist rather than take the risk.

Wages 2026 and 2027

Please check the current agreement text: Collective agreement for building cleaning in Austria explained.

Why price separately?

• Different wages and output values
• Different equipment and risks (e.g. work at height)
• A clear boundary avoids disputes about what the flat rate includes
• You see which type of work actually makes money

Put extras in a separate section of your quote: Writing a quote for contract cleaning – with service specification.

Licence

Deep, post-construction, façade and glass cleaning belong to the regulated building-cleaning trade: Trade licence for cleaning in Austria – building cleaning (regulated) or caretaking (free)?. The free caretaking trade does not cover them.

Common mistakes

1. “Windows inside and out” included in the monthly fee
2. Pricing deep cleaning with contract-cleaning output values
3. Forgetting machine hire, drying time and travel
4. Not paying special-cleaning hours in the right wage group
5. Work at height without a safety concept

Checklist before a special job

• Site visit, photos, floor type and soiling documented
• Output estimated conservatively, machines and products planned: Cleaning equipment and supplies for starting out – the basics
• Timing (evening/weekend) and surcharges clarified
• Safety for work at height
• Acceptance record after completion

Worked example: post-construction clean (assumptions)

A newly renovated 250 m² office needs cleaning before handover: remove dust and debris, paint splashes and adhesive residue, windows inside, washrooms.

16.7 h × €37.07 ≈ €619, plus a flat €150 for materials, machines and disposal → about €769 net. Post-construction cleans are hard to estimate – soiling depends heavily on the builder. Always visit first, take photos and state in the quote what is included (e.g. “paint splashes on glass, not on natural stone floors”). Unforeseeable extra work is charged by the hour.

Selling extras

Extras are often the easiest additional revenue – with clients who already know you. What works:

• offer window cleaning twice a year as an option in the contract-cleaning quote
• suggest a deep clean of entrance areas after winter
• ask in good time about moves, refurbishments or tenant changes
• close every special job with an acceptance record and photos

More on sales: Winning your first 10 business clients – sales for cleaning companies.

Frequently asked questions