Pricing Methodology
How every price in this tool is calculated — from BLS wage data to final monthly totals. Full transparency, no black boxes.
1. Pricing Model Overview
All prices are expressed as monthly totals. Each cadence column (Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly) represents the total monthly cost if the site were serviced at that frequency. The Stated Frequency column reflects the monthly cost at the cadence described in the property's Notes field.
Each property row now includes Total Labor Hours per visit, Billable Rate per hour, and Management Expense (12% for smaller/spread-out sites).
| Column | Formula |
|---|---|
| Total Labor Hours | Σ (area_sqft / prod_rate) + restroom + setup |
| Billable Rate | base_wage × (1 + burden%) |
| Mgmt Expense | 12% of subtotal (small/spread-out sites) |
| Per Visit Cost | (hours × rate + 3% supplies + mgmt) × 1.15 margin |
| Weekly Visit Cost | per_visit × 4.333 |
| Bi-Weekly Visit Cost | per_visit × 2.166 |
| Monthly Visit Cost | per_visit × 1.0 |
| Stated Frequency | per_visit × visits/mo (from Notes) |
2. Labor Rate Derivation
Base wages are sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024, SOC code 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners). We use the midpoint between the 25th percentile and median hourly wage for each Metropolitan Statistical Area.
| MSA | 25th %ile | Median | Base Wage | Burdened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $14.30 | $16.88 | $15.59 | $20.05 |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | $13.92 | $15.73 | $15.31 | $19.69 |
| Columbus, OH | $14.31 | $16.55 | $15.74 | $20.24 |
| Honolulu, HI | $14.07 | $17.08 | $15.48 | $20.21 |
| Kahului, HI | $16.60 | $18.26 | $18.26 | $23.85 |
Burden calculation: FICA 7.65% + Unemployment 3% + Workers' Comp 4–6% + GL 2% + Supervision/Admin 12%. Total burden: 28.6% (OH/KY/IN) or 30.6% (HI).
3. Production Rates (+25% from v1)
Labor hours are calculated using ISSA 612 Cleaning Times as a baseline, adapted for telecom environments. All production rates have been increased by 25% from the v1 model to reflect bare minimum occupancy and reduced cleaning scope.
| Area Type | v1 Rate | v2 Rate (+25%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office / Breakroom | 3,500 | 4,375 | Full janitorial: vacuum, mop, dust, trash, sanitize |
| Equipment Floor (HEPA) | 6,000 | 7,500 | HEPA vacuum around racks, cable runs, battery rooms |
| Support / Warehouse | 10,000 | 12,500 | Pedestrian sweep, trash collection |
Higher production rates = fewer labor hours per visit = lower per-visit cost. This reflects the reality that most telecom sites have minimal foot traffic and bare minimum occupancy.
4. Bare Minimum Occupancy
All sites are priced assuming bare minimum occupancy. Cleanable percentages have been significantly reduced from the v1 model to reflect that most telecom facilities have very few on-site employees and large portions of inaccessible equipment space.
| Building Type | Office % | Equip % | Common % | Inaccessible % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO Central Office (>50k) | 8% | 30% | 3% | 59% |
| CO Central Office (10–50k) | 10% | 25% | 3% | 62% |
| CO Central Office (<10k) | 12–15% | 15–20% | 3% | 62–67% |
| Retail Store | 50% | — | 5% | 45% |
| Data Center | 5–8% | 20–25% | 2–3% | 68–69% |
| Baseyard | 6% | — | 2% | 92% |
| Garage | 8% | — | 2% | 90% |
| Office | 55–60% | — | 5% | 35–40% |
| CEV / HUT / ORM | — | 30% | — | 70% |
5. Cadence Efficiency Factors
Cleaning frequency affects per-visit effort. Weekly visits maintain a baseline, while monthly visits require deeper cleaning due to accumulated soil and buildup.
| Cadence | Factor | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 5x/week | 0.85× | Minimal buildup, maintenance cleaning only |
| 3x/week | 0.90× | Light buildup between visits |
| Weekly | 0.95× | Standard maintenance baseline |
| Bi-Weekly | 1.00× | Reference cadence |
| Monthly | 1.10× | Buildup/mobilization factor |
6. Margin, Supplies & Management
A 3% supplies factor is added to labor cost to cover chemicals, paper products, liners, and HEPA filters. A 15% profit margin is applied to all sites.
Management Expense (12%): Applied to smaller sites (under 10,000 sqft) and spread-out sites (baseyards, garages, warehouses) where supervision and travel overhead is proportionally higher. This covers route management, quality inspections, and administrative overhead for sites that require more per-visit coordination relative to their revenue.
7. Minimum Trip Charges (Updated)
No single visit is priced below the minimum trip charge, which covers drive time + 1 hour of service. Minimums are now simplified to two tiers based on geography:
| Region | Min Trip Charge | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio / Kentucky / Indiana | $80.00 | Drive + 1 hr service, mainland logistics |
| Hawaii | $175.00 | Drive + 1 hr service, island logistics premium |
If the calculated per-visit cost falls below the minimum trip charge, the minimum is applied instead. This primarily affects small equipment enclosures (CEVs, HUTs, ORMs) and excluded sites priced for contingency only.
8. Data Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2024 — SOC 37-2011, Metropolitan Area data. bls.gov/oes
- ISSA 612 Cleaning Times — Industry-standard production rate benchmarks for commercial cleaning.
- Competitor Benchmark — Pricing from an existing provider was used to calibrate and validate the model.