BreakThru Realty

How Cleaning Companies Are Valued

A cleaning company is valued on contracts that recur and on the margin each one leaves after labor. The spread of customers, the supervisors who keep the accounts and the share of the work the owner does set the multiple.

Storefronts and parked cars along a small town main street at sunset

Reviewed by Tyson E. Sam, Founder and Broker of Record, BreakThru Realty, Florida License 3565210

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

Find Out What My Business Is Worth · (786) 914-1017

Contracts and Margin by Account

Commercial janitorial contracts billed monthly are the base, and a buyer wants them listed with start dates, terms, monthly billing and the labor hours each takes, because the margin per account is the business. Residential and one time deep cleaning is valued below contract revenue. Accounts that have been with the company for years at rates that have kept up with wages are worth the most.

Customer Concentration and Transferability

A company with fifty accounts where none is more than a few percent of revenue is valued above one with five large accounts, and a buyer checks whether the contracts assign to a new owner or terminate on a change of control. Government and institutional contracts often have their own transfer rules, which are read before a price is set.

Labor, Supervision and the Owner

Cleaning is labor: how workers are classified, paid and insured is a valuation and a compliance question, and a buyer checks it. Supervisors who hold the accounts and a manager who schedules raise the value; an owner who inspects every building at night lowers it. Equipment and supplies are modest and are listed and counted at closing.

Find Out What My Business Is Worth

Tell us the type of business, the city, how long it has operated, annual revenue, owner benefit or seller's discretionary earnings, EBITDA if you track it, monthly rent and lease expiry, number of employees, how involved you are, why you are selling, your timeline and whether you would consider seller financing. A licensed BreakThru business broker prepares a confidential valuation from comparable sales and replies within one business day. Everything you tell us is confidential, the valuation is free, and nothing is listed or announced unless you decide to sell. Prefer to talk now? Call (786) 914-1017.

Questions Owners Ask

How much is my business worth?
Most owner operated businesses in Florida sell for a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings: net profit plus the owner's salary, benefits and one time or personal expenses run through the business. Where the multiple falls depends on the industry, the lease, the staff, the trend in the numbers and how much the business depends on you. A confidential valuation gives you the range for your business and the reasons behind it.
Will my employees, customers or landlord find out?
Not from us. The business is marketed without its name or address, buyers sign a nondisclosure agreement and prove their funds before they learn who you are, and showings happen after hours or are presented as something else. The landlord is approached only once there is an accepted offer, because the lease has to be assigned.
How long does it take to sell a business?
Six to nine months from listing to closing is common for a well prepared small business, faster when the price is right and the records are clean, longer for businesses that need a licensed buyer or a franchisor's approval. The escrow period after an accepted offer is usually sixty to ninety days.

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