{ "slug": "cleaning", "label": "Cleaning", "publisher": "Level", "publisher_url": "https://levelcfo.com", "dataset": "The Level Index, Cleaning benchmarks", "methodology": "Aggregated from public industry and government sources plus the Level founding team's contractor analysis. Percentile distributions where available, otherwise category anchors. No individual company is identified.", "sources": [ "BSCAI 2024 Industry Market Study (account turnover buckets)", "ISSA Commercial Cleaning Pricing Guidelines", "BLS OEWS, janitors and building cleaners (SOC 37-2011) wage percentiles", "ABM, Aramark, Vestis 10-K filings (working capital, gross margin, EBITDA proxies)", "FMLink janitorial staffing benchmarks", "NCCI workers comp loss cost guides (Class 9014)", "Level Index, the founding team's analysis of 2,200+ contractors ($13.25B revenue) across operating, private-equity, and CFO roles, extended with cleaning operator observations" ], "last_updated": "2026-Q3", "metrics": [ { "key": "janitor_cleaner_hourly_wage_bls_oews", "label": "Janitor & Cleaner Hourly Wage (BLS OEWS)", "unit": "value", "lower_is_better": false, "percentiles": { "p25": 14.22, "median": 16.84, "p75": 19.05 }, "sample": "BLS OEWS May 2023, SOC 37-2011 (n: national)", "source": "BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics 2023" }, { "key": "labor_as_of_total_job_cost_industry_range", "label": "Labor as % of Total Job Cost (Industry Range)", "unit": "%", "lower_is_better": false, "categories": [ { "name": "Light Touch", "value": 50 }, { "name": "Standard Office", "value": 65 }, { "name": "Healthcare / Specialty", "value": 75 }, { "name": "Heavy Compliance", "value": 85 }, { "name": "Pure Janitorial Cost", "value": 90 } ], "sample": "BSCAI production rate guidance + facility-side benchmarks", "source": "BSCAI + FMLink benchmarking" }, { "key": "annual_account_turnover_bscai_2024_survey_buckets", "label": "Annual Account Turnover (BSCAI 2024 Survey Buckets)", "unit": "%", "lower_is_better": false, "categories": [ { "name": "<10% lost", "value": 73 }, { "name": "11-15% lost", "value": 12 }, { "name": "16-20% lost", "value": 6 }, { "name": "21-50% lost", "value": 5 }, { "name": ">50% lost", "value": 4 } ], "sample": "BSCAI 2024 Market Study, % of respondent firms", "source": "BSCAI 2024 Industry Market Study" }, { "key": "pricing_sq_ft_month_issa_guidelines", "label": "Pricing $/sq ft/month (ISSA Guidelines)", "unit": "value", "lower_is_better": false, "categories": [ { "name": "Warehouse low", "value": 0.07 }, { "name": "Office low", "value": 0.09 }, { "name": "Office mid", "value": 0.13 }, { "name": "Medical low", "value": 0.14 }, { "name": "Medical high", "value": 0.29 } ], "sample": "ISSA Commercial Cleaning Rates per Square Foot", "source": "ISSA Commercial Cleaning Pricing Guidelines" }, { "key": "days_sales_outstanding_dso", "label": "Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)", "unit": "d", "lower_is_better": true, "categories": [ { "name": "Top SMB Target", "value": 30 }, { "name": "Healthy SMB", "value": 45 }, { "name": "ABM (large IFM)", "value": 60 }, { "name": "At-Risk SMB", "value": 75 }, { "name": "Distressed", "value": 90 } ], "sample": "ABM FY2024 10-K + industry working-capital guidance", "source": "ABM FY2024 10-K, industry working-capital research" }, { "key": "workers_comp_cost_as_of_payroll_janitorial_ncci_class_9014", "label": "Workers Comp Cost as % of Payroll (Janitorial, NCCI Class 9014)", "unit": "%", "lower_is_better": true, "percentiles": { "median": 7 }, "sample": "Illustrative range; janitorial class 9014 loss costs vary by state and experience mod (EMR)", "source": "NCCI class 9014 advisory loss costs; state WC bureaus" } ], "benchmark_table": [ { "metric": "Gross Margin (Office Janitorial)", "bottom_quartile": "< 25%", "median": "30-40%", "top_quartile": "> 45%", "note": "Level founding-team observation for SMB janitorial. Anchored against ABM Industries FY2025 10-K (consolidated gross margin 12.3%, the large-scale integrated-facilities low-margin floor); SMB janitorial runs higher on thinner overhead." }, { "metric": "Gross Margin (Specialty / Healthcare)", "bottom_quartile": "< 30%", "median": "40-50%", "top_quartile": "> 55%", "note": "Level founding-team observation; premium pricing offsets compliance overhead" }, { "metric": "EBITDA Margin", "bottom_quartile": "< 4%", "median": "8-12%", "top_quartile": "> 18%", "note": "Public IFM runs lower (ABM 6.3-6.5% guide)" }, { "metric": "Hourly Turnover", "bottom_quartile": "> 300%", "median": "~200%", "top_quartile": "< 100%", "note": "Industry consensus from BSCAI/Swept research" }, { "metric": "Account Loss Rate (annual)", "bottom_quartile": "> 20%", "median": "<10%", "top_quartile": "<5%", "note": "BSCAI 2024, 73% report <10% loss" }, { "metric": "Supervisor:Cleaner Ratio", "bottom_quartile": "1:30+", "median": "1:10 to 1:20", "top_quartile": "1:8 to 1:12", "note": "Healthcare and gov require tighter ratios" }, { "metric": "DSO (commercial)", "bottom_quartile": "> 75 days", "median": "45-60 days", "top_quartile": "< 35 days", "note": "ABM proxy ~60 days at IFM scale" }, { "metric": "Workers Comp Cost % of Payroll", "bottom_quartile": "> 9%", "median": "4-6%", "top_quartile": "< 4%", "note": "NCCI janitorial class 9014 averages about $4.54 per $100 of payroll (roughly 4.5%), ranging by state and experience mod from ~$3.32 to $6.16 (NY 6.2%, FL 2.5%). High-cost states and loaded experience mods push toward the top of the range." }, { "metric": "Insurance Total % of Revenue", "bottom_quartile": "> 4%", "median": "1-3%", "top_quartile": "< 1.5%", "note": "GL + WC + bond stack. Janitorial operator benchmarks (analysis of 200+ real quotes) put the full stack at 1-3% of revenue; fleet-heavy or high-cost-state firms run higher." }, { "metric": "Customer Concentration (top 5 % revenue)", "bottom_quartile": "> 60%", "median": "30-40%", "top_quartile": "< 20%", "note": "Level founding-team observation; single account >25% is platform risk" } ] }