In-House vs Outsourced Cleaning: How to Compare the Full Cost

TL; DR:

Compare in-house and outsourced cleaning by the full annual cost of meeting your premises’ needs. The better choice depends on your workload, the service standard required, and how much responsibility your team can take on.

Key Takeaways

• Count holiday pay once, then budget separately for replacement cover during leave.
• Check whether outsourced quotes include consumables, equipment and periodic specialist cleaning.
• Separate the value of freed-up management time from actual reductions in spending.
• Review notice periods, price changes and any TUPE obligations before switching arrangements.

Hiring a cleaner may seem cheaper than using a cleaning company, but the hourly wage is only part of the cost. You may also need to cover employer costs, holiday and absence of cover, supplies, equipment, recruitment and the time spent managing the work.

Outsourcing needs the same careful review. Compare quotes by checking which tasks, supplies, cover arrangements and extra services are included, then calculating the annual cost of each option for the same cleaning standard.

Agree the Same Cleaning Brief

• Describe the building, rooms, surfaces, and how people use them.
• List routine and occasional tasks, including carpet cleaning, high-level dusting and deep cleans.
• Specify visit frequency and any limits on when cleaners can work.
• Note who supplies soap, toilet rolls, bin liners and other consumables.
• Use the same brief for every provider and planning in-house cleaning, so you compare like-for-like services.

What In-House Cleaning Costs

Employing a cleaner gives you direct control over their hours and daily priorities. Your business also takes responsibility for the support needed to keep that work running.

Pay and Employer Costs

Work out the cleaner’s annual gross pay, then add employer to National Insurance, pension contributions, payroll, insurance and any recruitment costs. Remember to budget for paid holiday and cover during absences, as well as supplies, equipment and the time your team spends managing the work.

Costs depend on current rules and the employee’s circumstances. If holiday pay is already included in annual pay, count it only once.

Absence Cover and Recruitment

Decide who will cover cleaning during employee absences, considering overtime, temporary staff or reassigned employees. Include extra pay and record time diverted from usual duties so you can distinguish additional spending from postponed work.

Recruitment also takes time, from advertising and interviews to induction. Budget for likely staff turnover without assuming you will need to recruit every year.

Products and Equipment

List the cleaning products and equipment you’ll need, from chemicals, cloths, gloves and mops to vacuum cleaners and any specialist machines required by the cleaning brief. Budget for repairs, servicing and replacement, spreading equipment costs over their useful life for the annual comparison while showing initial purchases separately in your cash budget.

Allow time for someone to order supplies and check stock. Keeping products in a cupboard is not enough if essential items—or replacement vacuum bags—are missing.

Time Spent Managing Cleaning

Track the time spent arranging shifts, ordering supplies, checking standards, and dealing with problems, including work done by office managers or owners between other jobs. Even small tasks add up, so apply a reasonable hourly employment cost to the time involved.

Be clear about what outsourcing would actually change. It may free a manager’s time for other work, but that does not automatically reduce their salary cost.

What an Outsourced Quote Covers

A provider’s fee covers its staffing, running costs and profit. The written agreement should explain which services and resources your business receives for that price.

Visits and Replacement Cover

• Check out the tasks, visit frequency, and whether the agreement specifies hours, results or both. Make sure the proposed time is enough for the work listed.
• Ask how the provider handles holidays, sickness, and missed visits. Confirm who arranges cover, how quickly problems are reported and whether replacement visits cost extra.

Supplies and Extra Tasks

• Confirm whether products, equipment and washroom consumables are included. Ask who pays for specialist machinery or supplies needed for surfaces.
• Check the price of periodic work, including carpet cleaning, internal windows, and deep appliance cleans. Add these to the annual budget even if they are invoiced separately.
  Read the terms covering minimum visits, price reviews, notice periods and an initial deep clean. These can affect what you spend and how easily you can change the arrangement.

Work Your Team Still Handles

• Arrange access, explain site rules and report changes.
• Review the work and approve invoices.
• Allow time for these tasks in the outsourced budget.
• Agree for a named contact and a simple way to report issues to make the arrangement easier to manage.

Compare a Full Year

Compare both options over a full year, including cleaning, cover, supplies, equipment, extra services and management time. Keep one-off costs such as recruitment, equipment purchases and an initial intensive clean separate, so the first year is not confused with later years.

The example allowances suggest outsourcing costs £3,800 less overall, including £600 less management time. Replace these figures with your own costs or quotes, treat VAT consistently and test how each option would respond to changes in workload.

Check the Standard Behind the Price

A cheaper cleaning arrangement only helps if the work is done properly. Agree what will be checked in washrooms, kitchens, floors and other priority areas, and decide who will inspect the work and how often.

Set out how missed tasks will be reported and put right. When comparing options, use recorded costs such as repeat cleans and emergency callouts, rather than guessing savings from improved morale or fewer sick days.

When Each Option Makes Sense

In-house cleaning can work well when you have enough regular work, equipment, and supervision to support dedicated staff. Outsourcing may be better if you need fewer hours, flexible cover, or less day-to-day management. A mix of both can also make sense, with your team handling daytime tasks and a provider managing scheduled or specialist cleaning.

Before switching arrangements, compare the full costs, including cover, supplies, equipment and management time. Check whether TUPE protections apply when cleaning transfers between staff and contractors and get advice on your circumstances.

Why Choose LZH Cleaning Group

At LZH Cleaning Group, we plan cleaning around your premises, working hours and priorities. We provide commercial cleaning in Bedford and nearby areas, with daily, weekly and custom schedules.

Our clients benefit from:

• An agreed cleaning brief: Tasks and frequency planned around the site.
• Flexible visits: Cleaning arranged around opening hours and changing needs.
• Vetted staff: Fully insured and DBS-checked operatives.
• No long-term commitments: Services without being tied into a long-term contract.

Get a Quote for Your Premises

Before hiring or changing providers, put a clear quote beside your current costs. We can discuss your building, cleaning priorities, and preferred schedule so you know what our proposal covers.

We will help you work through the requirements and provide a free quote for your premises.

Call 01234 637781 or email office@lzhcleaninggroup.co.uk to request your free quote and compare your options with clear costs in front of you.