Raise Your Cleaning Rates Without Losing the Contract
A letter template and a plan for telling a facilities manager your price is going up — with the notice period and framing that keep the account instead of losing it to a re-bid.
Why contractors eat cost increases instead of passing them on
Most independent cleaning contractors set a rate once, at the start of a contract, and then let it sit for years while wages, insurance premiums, and supply costs climb underneath it. The account is still profitable on paper, but the margin quietly shrinks every renewal cycle.
The reason isn't math — it's the conversation. Contractors worry that any increase invites a re-bid, so they avoid raising the subject at all. In practice, facilities managers expect periodic increases tied to real cost drivers (minimum wage changes, insurance renewals, fuel and supply costs). What actually triggers a re-bid is usually a surprise, a vague reason, or no notice — not the increase itself.
How to time and deliver the increase
Four steps that keep the request routine instead of alarming.
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1. Anchor it to a real trigger date
Use the contract's renewal anniversary, fiscal year start, or an escalation clause already in the agreement. A rate change tied to a known date reads as normal business, not a renegotiation.
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2. Calculate the increase from real costs
Add up what actually changed since the last rate: hourly wage increases, workers' comp or liability premium renewals, and supply cost inflation. Most annual increases land between 3% and 8% — enough to protect margin, low enough to not trigger a full re-bid.
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3. Put it in writing, 30–60 days out
A phone call gets forgotten or misquoted internally. A short letter or email, sent 30 to 60 days before the effective date, gives the facilities manager time to route it through their own budget approval without feeling rushed.
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4. Have a fallback ready before you send it
If they push back, be ready to offer a reduced-scope option at the old rate (fewer nights, smaller add-on services) rather than negotiating the core rate down. This protects your floor price and still gives them a choice.
The letter template
Copy this into your own letterhead and fill in the brackets. It's written to state the increase as a routine update, not an apology or a negotiation opener.
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Dear [Facility Manager Name],
Thank you for the continued opportunity to service [Building Name]. Over the past [contract length], we've kept your space cleaned and compliant while [specific highlight — e.g., zero missed service nights, fast turnaround on requests].
Since our last rate was set, [reason — minimum wage increases, insurance premium renewal, supply costs] have risen. To maintain the same staffing levels and service standard, our rate for [scope of work] will move from $[old rate]/month to $[new rate]/month, effective [date, 30–60 days out].
If you'd like to discuss alternative options — adjusted frequency or scope at the current rate — I'm glad to walk through those with you before the effective date. Otherwise, no action is needed on your end; the new rate applies automatically.
Thank you again for the partnership.
[Your name] [Company name] [Phone / email]
Common questions about raising rates
How much notice should I give before a price increase?
30 to 60 days is standard for month-to-month or annually renewing office cleaning contracts. Longer contracts (multi-year, with a facilities management company rather than a single building) often expect 60–90 days so the increase can clear their internal budget approval.
How much can I raise rates without triggering a re-bid?
Most contractors who keep accounts long-term move rates 3% to 8% per year, tied to a stated cost driver. Increases above that, or increases with no stated reason, are what usually push a facilities manager to shop the contract.
What if the facilities manager pushes back on the increase?
Go in with a fallback already decided: a reduced-frequency or reduced-scope option at the old rate. That keeps the negotiation about scope, not about whether your labor and insurance costs are real.
Can I raise rates in the middle of a signed contract?
Only if the contract includes an escalation or CPI-adjustment clause. Without one, a mid-term increase is a renegotiation and carries more re-bid risk than a renewal-date increase — save it for the contract's stated review point.
Need the rest of the renewal packet?
Pair this letter with our bid templates and cleaning contract template to handle the whole renewal — not just the price line.