Square-foot pricing

Definition

A contract priced on cleanable area and frequency instead of on hours worked.

Why It Matters

It decides whether a route is profitable at the labor rate a buyer will actually pay. A bid written years ago at a rate that has not moved is a contract losing money every month it renews, and the buyer inherits it along with the customer. Rebuild the price per cleanable square foot against the hours the job really takes on the biggest accounts first, because that is where a thin bid does the most damage.