Free calculator
Margin in commercial cleaning between quoted price and reality.
The calculator shows current margin, recommended target price and sensitivity to price changes. That is how you see whether a price actually carries the site and how much room remains in negotiation.
Adjust the values, the result recalculates live. Every number is visible.
Margin in commercial cleaning
Formula: margin = price − cost. Target price = cost / (1 − target margin). Margin % = margin € / price × 100.
All values entered? Result in seconds.
How the calculator works
Margin is shown from two angles: the current margin from your inputs and the price required to reach the target margin.
1. Current margin in EUR
Sales price minus total cost. This is the amount that stays in the business per site or contract.
2. Current margin in percent
Current margin divided by sales price, times 100. This percentage is the industry standard and comparable between sites.
3. Recommended price for target margin
Cost divided by 1 minus target margin. This way the price actually contains the margin, not a markup on cost.
4. Sensitivity plus and minus 10 percent
Shows how margin and price change if you go up or down by 10 percent. Critical for price negotiations and renewals.
What is often overlooked
The most common mistakes when looking at margin:
- Margin added on top of cost instead of built into the price. A 20 percent markup results in only 16.7 percent margin in the price.
- Overhead missing in cost. Only counting labour and materials makes the margin look better; admin eats it up.
- Price negotiation without sensitivity view. A 10 percent discount can halve the margin when the cost ratio is already high.
- Margin checked too late. In running contracts, wage increases and material price rises should be checked regularly for their margin impact.
- Every site treated the same. Specialties typically carry significantly higher margins than maintenance cleaning.
Cleaning margin FAQ
How high is the margin in commercial cleaning?
In maintenance cleaning, target margins between 15 and 25 percent of the sales price are common. Specialties such as glass, deep cleaning or post-construction often run higher. The calculator shows your individual margin from your inputs.
Difference between markup and margin?
Markup is the percentage you add on top of cost. Margin is the percentage of the sales price that remains as profit. A 25 percent markup equals 20 percent margin, a 50 percent markup equals 33 percent margin.
Why is a 20 percent markup often not enough?
Because it turns into only 16.7 percent margin in the price, and because special costs, sick leave, material price increases and renegotiations further compress the margin over the contract term. A target price that actually contains the margin is the more stable base.
How much room do I have in price negotiation?
The sensitivity view shows this. On a tight margin, a 10 percent discount can halve the margin or push it into loss. With a higher margin there is more room, but every percentage point of discount is a percentage point of margin lost.
Can I save the margin through tenders?
In tenders, price is usually decisive. That makes fully loaded calculation before submission critical. Anyone quoting tight in a tender should plan efficiency gains, digitisation and change orders over the contract term.
Are my inputs stored?
No. The calculator runs in the browser. Only if you request the calculation by email is your address used. Nothing else is stored.
Related
Cleaning cost calculator
Site quote with labour, materials, travel and target margin.
Hourly billing rate calculator
Full-cost calculation of the billing rate per productive hour.
Cleaning staff labour cost
What does a cleaner cost per year in full cost?
Margin per contract
See per site whether the margin actually holds.
Newsletter for cleaning companies
Monthly update with calculators, guides and practical know-how for commercial cleaning. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.