Connect recurring account fees to service hours, a paid roster and the delay between invoicing and collection. This Washington profile connects official wage and population benchmarks to a defined operating scenario.
Two-person commercial cleaning team with recurring accounts
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared September 5, 2026
We examined the available wage records for this two-person commercial cleaning team with recurring accounts, checked the Census population observations and calculated the staffing implications using the stated wage benchmarks. The results below show what that completed analysis establishes.
The same roster costs $11,838 at the selected Washington wage benchmarks versus $9,473 at national medians, including the stated employer-cost allowance. This isolates wage differences; it does not compare local rent or customer spending.
Inspect the roles and source rows →The reference operating month exceeds EBIT break-even by 0.6 active accounts per month. That is the sales margin available before the modeled operating profit disappears.
See the calculation and cash results →| Component | What the evidence establishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wage records and state population | Selected May 2025 occupational records and July 2024/2025 Census estimates, with exact fields and source rows. | Source records checked |
| Paid payroll and break-even | Calculated from observed wage benchmarks and the explicitly modeled roster, employer allowance, price and costs. | Derived result |
| Opening budget and commercial costs | Published fit-out, equipment, occupancy and other allowances define this comparison scenario. State-specific commercial quotes have not yet replaced them. | Reference assumptions |
| Revenue | $16,900 per mature month follows 10 active accounts per month at the stated price. It is not observed sales or a researched state revenue average. | Modeled sales assumptions |
Each test changes one input from the published reference. These are sensitivity tests, not local market forecasts or probability ranges.
| Test | Monthly EBIT | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Published reference | $926 | The stated inputs on this page |
| 20% fewer sales units | -$2,183 | 8 active accounts per month; other inputs unchanged |
| 25% higher occupancy cost | $776 | $750 per month; other inputs unchanged |
| 10% higher wage rates | -$257 | Same paid roster; employer allowance unchanged |
The completed research covers the source observations and analysis described here. The funding and revenue scenarios still contain commercial assumptions; they are not a completed local feasibility study. Read the evidence and its limits.
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.
The methodology was approved on September 6, 2026. The completed work on this page covers wage and population analysis. The opening costs, operating costs and revenue below remain a reference scenario while local commercial evidence is collected.
| Evidence family | Current status | Required work |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Local evidence incomplete | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Local evidence incomplete | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | Wage benchmark available; employer costs unresolved | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Local evidence incomplete | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Local evidence incomplete | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
A national equipment price may be reused where its configuration, delivery and taxes apply. Missing rent, selling-price or demand evidence cannot be filled with a shared state default. Until that evidence exists, no researched state funding or revenue total is claimed.
The Census estimate for Washington is 8,001,020 people. It grew by 73,062 between July 2024 and July 2025 (+0.92%). This statewide movement cannot identify a profitable cleaning route or paying commercial accounts.
Using the same paid roster, Washington occupational wages produce $11,838 of monthly loaded payroll. That is +24.97% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($9,473). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows
Two-person commercial cleaning team with recurring accounts. A small commercial cleaning operator serving recurring local accounts with two paid cleaners and part-time paid supervision.
10 average active accounts × $1,690 monthly fee = $16,900 monthly revenue. Each account includes 26 labor hours per month, an assumed $65 of revenue per labor hour. Two cleaners provide 346.66 paid labor hours; 260 sold hours use about 75% of that time. The theoretical ceiling is 13.33 average accounts before allowing for travel and gaps. Two people on site for one hour consume two labor hours.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| active accounts per month | 10 |
| Net selling price per active account-month | $1,690.00 |
| Trading days / month | Monthly recurring-account model |
| Variable cost share | 8% |
| Occupancy / month | $600 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $1,800 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
8% supplies, consumables and variable job costs; all employee labor remains in fixed payroll. Vehicle running costs $650; insurance $450; marketing $400; software and administration $300 per month. Storage allowance is separate.
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two cleaners37-2011 · Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners · State observation | 346.7 | $21.89 | $18.76–$25.93 | $7,588 |
| Supervision and quality control37-1011 · First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers · State observation | 80 | $30.55 | $25.20–$36.26 | $2,444 |
Base wages total $10,032 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $1,806, giving $11,838 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a Washington payroll tax calculation or benefits quote.
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners matches the commercial format more closely than a residential housekeeping occupation. Supervision is paid separately and does not add billable cleaning capacity. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| Vehicle purchase allowance | $18,000 |
| Cleaning equipment and tools | $5,000 |
| Booking, branding and setup | $2,500 |
| Professional and setup allowance | $2,000 |
| Opening supplies | $1,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $1,200 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $1,332 |
| Total payments before opening | $31,032 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 48 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
The cleaning scenario also funds 15 days of receivables. Revenue can be earned before it is collected; the monthly increase in receivables reduces project cash. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
At the assumed 10 active accounts per month, the reference scenario produces $926 of mature monthly EBIT, a 5.5% operating margin. It requires 9.4 active accounts per month for EBIT break-even. This result depends on unverified selling price, demand and premises inputs.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $16,900 |
| Variable operating costs | $1,352 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $11,838 |
| Occupancy assumption | $600 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $1,800 |
| EBITDA | $1,310 |
| Depreciation | $383 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | $926 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $150 |
| Mature project cash flow | $1,160 |
EBIT break-even revenue is $15,893 per month: $14,622 of fixed costs plus depreciation divided by a 92% contribution margin. At $1,690.00 per active account-month, that means 9.4 active accounts per month and 70.5% of the stated capacity.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $174,577 | $16,900 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$14,848 | $926 |
| Project cash flow | -$20,498 | $1,160 |
Project payback occurs in month 57 in this reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
Travel, setup, breaks and gaps consume payroll even when an invoice cannot be raised.
Late payment increases receivables and funding needs while wages remain due.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. The full setup and data can be downloaded below.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
10 active account-months per month × $1,690.00 = $16,900 revenue. Loaded payroll: $11,838 per month. Break-even uses 70.5% of capacity.
Download published inputs, sources and calculations (JSON). The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
Specify routine work, chemicals, waste handling, storage, vehicles and any specialist activities. Ask the state and local offices about registration, service tax treatment, employer obligations and activity-specific requirements; ordinary cleaning and specialist work may have different routes.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS Washington directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full Washington opening checklist →
Define surfaces, chemicals, access and excluded work. Obtain equipment, vehicle and insurance quotes that match the promised service.
Check registration, local business permissions, employee obligations and the treatment of the services being sold with the responsible agencies. Do not infer permit costs from the generic setup allowance.
Schedule a compact route and trial the work before selling the entire roster. Track invoice age as well as recurring contract value.
Extra rooms, frequency, supplies and callbacks can turn a fixed-price account into a low hourly realization.
A fully researched city case for this business in Washington has not been prepared. The next content improvement is an address-specific evidence pack covering quotes, demand, staffing, collection terms and responsible authorities.
State: Washington, FIPS 53. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners), state workbook row 34089; 37-1011 (First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers), state workbook row 34087. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 37-2011, national workbook row 720; 37-1011, national workbook row 716. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
SUMLEV 040; STATE 53; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
A business format and a state record are joined by stable IDs. The shared calculation computes the outputs, and the template publishes static HTML with the source fields and original inputs. A change to evidence or a format triggers recalculation and review before republication.
Read the content production process →