How to Start a Commercial Cleaning Business in Australia
Commercial cleaning is contracts, not one-offs. Win a handful of regular sites and you have a stable business - here's how to set up for it.
Commercial cleaning is a different game to residential. Instead of dozens of one-off house cleans, you're chasing a smaller number of ongoing contracts - offices, gyms, medical centres, retail shops, strata buildings. The sales cycle is longer, but once you win a site, it can pay you every week for years.
Why commercial beats residential for growth
A residential cleaner might juggle 30 clients who each cancel occasionally. A commercial cleaner with five good contracts has predictable weekly income and can plan staff around it. Contracts also scale: one site becomes three when you do a good job and the property manager has other buildings.
Setup and insurance
The paperwork is the same as any small business - ABN, business name, separate bank account - but insurance matters more here. Most commercial contracts require public liability cover of $10-20 million, and some want police checks for staff working after hours. Get quotes before you pitch, so you can say yes immediately when a contract asks.
Equipment: think commercial grade
- Commercial vacuum (backpack vacuums are the industry standard for speed)
- Floor scrubber or polisher for hard floors (can be hired at first)
- Colour-coded microfibre system - many contracts require it for hygiene
- Cleaning chemicals in commercial quantities, plus safety data sheets
- A reliable vehicle with signage - it's a billboard at every site
Pricing commercial work
Commercial jobs are usually quoted per visit or per month, based on the scope: square metres, number of bathrooms and kitchens, frequency, and whether consumables (toilet paper, soap, bin liners) are included. Walk every site before quoting - photos and a checklist stop you underpricing a building you've never seen. Know your hourly cost including travel, supplies and insurance, and don't win work below it.
How to actually win contracts
Decision-makers for commercial cleaning are office managers, property managers and business owners. They search Google, they ask other businesses, and they check you out online before they call. That means:
- A professional website that names your services (office cleaning, gym cleaning, medical centre cleaning) and the areas you cover
- A Google Business Profile with photos and reviews
- Direct outreach: a short, professional email or visit to local businesses and property managers
- Tender sites and local council contractor lists for bigger work
When someone searches "office cleaning" plus your area, the business with a proper page about office cleaning in that area is the one that gets the call. If you want the whole setup - name, domain, website and Google presence - handled in one go, see the Business Starter service. Already running and just need the website sorted? The $45/week website covers build, hosting, SEO foundations and management, with your first 5 weeks after launch free. And if you're weighing up cleaning niches more broadly, our guide to starting a cleaning business covers the residential side too.
Commercial cleaning business checklist
- ABN and business name registered
- Public liability insurance at contract level ($10-20M)
- Commercial-grade equipment sorted
- Pricing model set (per visit or monthly, scoped per site)
- Site walkthrough and quoting checklist ready
- Professional website naming services and areas
- Google Business Profile live
- Outreach list of local property managers and businesses
Want to Improve Your Google Visibility?
SEO varies enormously depending on your website, your market and who you're competing against, so there's no fixed package. Tell me what you do and where you work, and I'll tell you honestly what's realistic.
Talk to Mike About SEOCommon questions
- How much can a commercial cleaning business make?
- It depends on your contracts, but the model is strong: a handful of regular weekly sites can replace a full-time wage, and each new contract stacks on top. The operators who do best win contracts in clusters so travel time stays low.
- Do I need a licence for commercial cleaning in Australia?
- No specific cleaning licence is required, but you need an ABN, and contracts almost always require public liability insurance. Some sites (schools, medical, aged care) require police checks or working-with-children checks for staff.
- How do I get my first commercial cleaning contract?
- Start with direct outreach to small local offices, gyms and medical centres - big tenders come later. A professional website and Google Business Profile matter more than people expect: every serious prospect checks you online before signing anything.
Written by Mike - Web Guy Mike
I build and look after websites for Australian tradies and small service businesses. Every site is built by me - no outsourcing, no account managers. More about Mike.