ISSA Cleaning Times Explained — Production Rates Every BSC Needs to Know

Ask an experienced BSC owner how they price a cleaning job and the good ones will say the same thing: "I start with the production rates."

Production rates — sometimes called cleaning times or task rates — tell you how many square feet a trained cleaner can handle per hour for each specific task. They're the foundation of every accurate bid in the commercial cleaning industry.

The most widely referenced source for these rates is the ISSA 612 Cleaning Times standard. If you've heard the term but aren't sure how to actually use the rates in your bids, this guide breaks it all down.

What Is ISSA 612?

ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association — now known as ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association) publishes a reference called the 612 Cleaning Times. It's the industry benchmark for how long standard cleaning tasks take.

The "612" designation comes from the publication number. Think of it as the cleaning industry's equivalent of a building code — not legally required, but universally referenced by professionals.

The actual ISSA 612 publication is a paid reference. The rates below are industry-standard approximations compiled from multiple public sources, manufacturer guidelines, and professional cleaning forums. They represent the ranges that experienced BSCs work within.

Why Production Rates Matter

Without production rates, you're guessing. And guessing goes one of two ways:

Guess too low (optimistic): You underbid, win the contract, and then your crew takes twice as long as you estimated. Your labor cost doubles. Your margin evaporates. You're locked into a contract that loses money every month.

Guess too high (conservative): You overbid and lose the contract to a competitor who did the math properly.

Production rates remove the guesswork. They give you a defensible, systematic way to calculate how many labor hours a facility requires. When a prospect asks "How did you come up with that price?" you have a real answer, not "That's what feels right."

The Complete Rate Tables

Vacuuming

Vacuuming is usually the single largest time component in an office cleaning bid.

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Vacuum carpet (upright) | 3,000-3,500 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Standard commercial carpet in offices, hallways | | Vacuum carpet (wide-area) | 5,000-7,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Large open areas — convention halls, open-plan offices | | Vacuum hard floor | 4,500-5,500 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Hard floors with debris (not just dust mopping) | | Vacuum edges and corners | 1,500-2,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Detail work along baseboards — add for thorough cleaning | | Spot vacuum (traffic areas) | 4,000-5,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Quick pass on high-traffic areas only (not full coverage) |

Tips:

• Use the low end of the range for cubicle-heavy layouts (lots of maneuvering)
• Use the high end for open areas with few obstacles
• Backpack vacuums are faster for detail work but similar for open areas
• Wide-area vacuums require a minimum aisle width of ~36 inches

Mopping and Floor Care

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Damp mop (flat mop) | 4,000-5,500 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Standard maintenance mopping — the most common method | | Wet mop (string mop) | 3,000-4,500 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Traditional wet mopping — heavier soiling | | Auto scrub (walk-behind) | 8,000-15,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Machine scrubbing for large areas (warehouse, cafeteria) | | Dust mop (dry) | 6,000-10,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Dry dust mopping — pre-mop on large hard floors |

Tips:

• Flat mops are faster and more hygienic than string mops for routine cleaning
• Auto scrubbers pay for themselves quickly on spaces over 10,000 sq ft
• Always dust mop before wet mopping on large floors

Restroom Cleaning

Restrooms are measured in minutes per restroom, not square feet, because the work is fixture-based.

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Full restroom clean | 8-15 min/restroom | min/restroom | Complete service: clean all fixtures, mop floor, restock supplies | | Quick restroom touch-up | 4-8 min/restroom | min/restroom | Day porter service: spot clean, restock, check appearance | | Restroom deep clean | 20-30 min/restroom | min/restroom | Periodic deep clean: walls, grout, descaling, full disinfection |

What affects restroom time:

• Size: A 2-stall restroom takes ~8 minutes. A 10-stall restroom takes ~15 minutes.
• Condition: Heavy-use restrooms (school cafeteria, stadium) take longer
• Fixtures: More fixtures = more time (urinals, sinks, countertops, mirrors)
• Restocking: If supply closet is far from restroom, add travel time

Trash and Recycling

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Empty trash can | 2-3 min/container | min/container | Pull liner, reline, wipe rim if needed | | Empty recycling bin | 1-2 min/container | min/container | Faster — usually no liner change | | Trash removal to dumpster | 5-10 min/trip | min/trip | Hauling bags to exterior dumpster |

Tips:

• Count every container during your walkthrough — kitchens often have 3-4 alone
• Large buildings may need multiple dumpster trips (5-10 min each)
• Recycling with sorting requirements takes longer

Dusting

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | High dusting | 4,000-6,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Vents, ledges, top of cubicle partitions, light fixtures | | Low dusting (surfaces) | 6,000-8,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Desks, tables, windowsills, accessible surfaces | | Detail dusting | 2,000-3,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Individual items, electronics, picture frames |

Tips:

• High dusting is usually weekly or bi-weekly, not nightly
• Surface dusting frequency depends on occupant density
• Detail dusting is rarely included in standard janitorial — it's an add-on service

Glass and Window Cleaning

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Interior glass (partitions) | 200-400 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Glass office partitions, interior windows | | Exterior windows (ground floor) | 100-200 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Ground-level exterior — squeegee method | | Mirrors | 100-150 mirrors/hr | mirrors/hr | Bathroom and common area mirrors | | Glass entrance doors | 3-5 min/door | min/door | Front entrance, both sides |

Specialty Floor Care

These are periodic tasks, not nightly — bid them separately or as add-on services.

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Strip and wax (VCT) | 500-1,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Full strip, clean, apply 3-5 coats. Usually 1-2x per year. | | Buff/burnish | 5,000-8,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | High-speed burnishing to restore shine. Monthly. | | Carpet extraction | 1,000-2,000 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Hot water extraction (steam cleaning). 1-2x per year. | | Carpet bonnet cleaning | 2,000-3,500 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Low-moisture interim cleaning. Quarterly. | | Tile and grout cleaning | 300-600 sq ft/hr | sq ft/hr | Specialized cleaning for ceramic tile. As needed. |

Kitchen and Break Room

| Task | Rate | Unit | When to Use | |------|------|------|-------------| | Full kitchen/break room clean | 15-25 min/room | min/room | Counters, sink, appliance exteriors, floor | | Refrigerator exterior | 3-5 min/unit | min/unit | Wipe down exterior surfaces | | Microwave clean | 3-5 min/unit | min/unit | Interior and exterior |

How to Use These Rates in a Bid

The basic formula

For area-based tasks:

Hours per visit = Total area (sq ft) / Production rate (sq ft/hr)

For unit-based tasks:

Hours per visit = Number of units × Time per unit (minutes) / 60

Step-by-step example

You're bidding a 15,000 sq ft medical office, cleaned 5 nights per week. The space has 10,000 sq ft carpet, 5,000 sq ft hard floor (VCT), 8 restrooms, 30 trash cans, a kitchen, and glass entrance doors.

Medical facilities require an adjustment: add 20% to standard rates for compliance procedures.

| Task | Quantity | Rate (mid-range) | Hours | Medical adj. (×1.2) | |------|----------|-------------------|-------|---------------------| | Vacuum carpet | 10,000 sq ft | 3,250 sq ft/hr | 3.08 | 3.69 | | Damp mop VCT | 5,000 sq ft | 4,750 sq ft/hr | 1.05 | 1.26 | | Restroom clean (8) | 8 restrooms | 12 min each | 1.60 | 1.92 | | Trash (30 cans) | 30 cans | 2.5 min each | 1.25 | 1.50 | | Dusting | 15,000 sq ft | 7,000 sq ft/hr | 2.14 | 2.57 | | Glass entrance | 2 doors | 4 min each | 0.13 | 0.16 | | Kitchen | 1 room | 20 min | 0.33 | 0.40 | | Transition time (10%) | — | — | — | 1.15 | | Total hours per visit | | | | 12.65 |

At 22 visits/month: 278.3 labor hours per month.

Multiply by your burdened labor rate ($18.50/hr in this example): $5,148.55/month in labor cost.

Add supplies (7% for medical): $360.40/month.

Total cost: $5,508.95/month.

At 28% target margin: $7,651.32/month — round to $7,650/month ($91,800/year).

Adjusting Rates for Your Crew

ISSA rates represent a trained, experienced cleaner working at a normal pace with proper equipment. Your actual crew may be faster or slower.

When to adjust downward (faster cleaning)

• Experienced crew that's been cleaning the same building for months
• New, high-quality equipment (commercial backpack vacuums, microfiber systems)
• Well-maintained building with low occupancy
• Open floor plans with few obstacles

When to adjust upward (slower cleaning)

• New or less experienced cleaners
• Older or lower-quality equipment
• Building in poor condition or with deferred maintenance
• High-occupancy buildings with lots of furniture and personal items
• Medical or food service facilities with compliance requirements
• First 1-2 months on a new contract (learning curve)

Track your actuals

After you start a contract, track how long your crew actually takes. Compare to your bid estimate. This gives you better data for future bids and tells you whether you need to adjust your crew's performance or your estimating assumptions.

The Most Expensive Mistake: Not Using Rates at All

Here's a scenario that plays out every day in the cleaning industry:

A BSC owner walks a 25,000 sq ft building. He thinks: "My two-person crew can do this in about 5 hours." He bids $3,500/month.

The ISSA calculation says the building requires 14.5 hours per visit. Two cleaners working 5 hours is only 10 hours of labor. The crew cuts corners, quality drops, the client complains, and callbacks eat into margin.

Or the owner realizes the building actually takes 7+ hours per night, but he's locked into $3,500/month. At his burdened rate, he's losing $800/month on this contract.

Production rates would have told him upfront: this is a $6,500-$7,500/month building, not a $3,500 building. He could have bid accurately and won at a fair price, or lost the bid and spent his time on a profitable contract instead.

Automate the Math

Once you understand ISSA production rates, you don't need to look them up every time. The rates are reference data — they don't change frequently.

BidLoom has ISSA production rates built into every bid. Select your tasks, enter the square footage, and the labor hours calculate automatically. Adjust rates if needed, and the system remembers your preferences for next time.

Create up to 3 bids free — see how the rates work in practice.

---

Related: How to Bid on Commercial Cleaning Contracts | Commercial Cleaning Bid Template