Commercial cleaning bid template — Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Albany's commercial cleaning market is defined by New York State government: the Empire State Plaza complex, agency headquarters, and Albany Medical Center form the institutional core. The Schenectady GE campus and Troy's RPI corridor add private-sector volume. New York upstate minimum wage is $15.50/hr as of January 2024; the market wage for experienced commercial janitors runs $17–$18.50/hr.
New York Capital Region Labor Cost Inputs
BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 37-2011) puts the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA mean in the $17–$18.50/hr range. New York upstate minimum wage: $15.50/hr per the New York State Department of Labor. See the wages breakdown for the Albany MSA.
Burden math on a $17.50/hr Albany base: FICA 7.65% = $1.34; FUTA/SUTA ~2.5% = $0.44; NY workers' comp for janitorial approximately $2.50–$3.20 per $100 payroll per the NY Workers' Compensation Board; health insurance ~$3.75/hr; vacation ~5%. Total burden: 29–35%, loaded rate near $22.50–$25/hr.
Sample Scope of Work: Class B Office Building
Hypothetical 40,000 sq ft Class B building on the Washington Avenue state office corridor or the Schenectady Freeman's Bridge Road business park. New York winters deliver significant snowfall; the Capital Region also sees spring ice storms that require entry service protocols through April.
| Task | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restroom service + restock | 5x/week | Full Monday detail; state government accounts often require documented inspection logs |
| Lobby and entry service | 5x/week | Snow-melt and salt Nov–Apr; ice storms common into April |
| Common-area vacuuming | 5x/week | HEPA filter; Albany Medical Center accounts require documented filtration |
| Hard-floor auto-scrub | 2x/week | Salt tracking Nov–Apr requires 3x/week during peak winter |
| Breakroom and kitchenette | 5x/week | Refrigerator monthly; state office buildings have large shared kitchens |
| Conference room reset | 5x/week | State government accounts require precise furniture reset documentation |
| Day-porter coverage (4 hr) | 5x/week | Lobby and restroom mid-day; state building standard |
| Entry mat exchange | 2x/week Nov–Apr; monthly May–Oct | Separate line item |
| High-dusting: vents and ledges | Monthly | Albany Medical and Albany Memorial accounts require quarterly documentation |
| Carpet extraction (full) | 2x/year | Spring post-salt and fall |
Albany Going Rates: Class B Office and Day Porter
Downtown Albany and Washington Avenue Class B commands $0.09–$0.13/sq ft/month. Schenectady suburban and Troy: $0.07–$0.10. Colonie and Latham suburban: $0.08–$0.11. Day-porter bill rate: $21/hr x 2.35 = approximately $49–$52/hr; 4-hr/day porter near $1,040/month. Use the production rate calculator. Albany Medical and St. Peter's Hospital accounts add +25–35%.
New York Licensing and Insurance Requirements
New York requires a state business registration. Albany, Schenectady, and Troy each require a city business license. Workers' comp through the NY Workers' Compensation Board; the state's employer-cost index for janitorial runs $2.50–$3.20 per $100 payroll. GL minimums: $1M/$2M for Class B; $2M/$5M for medical and state government accounts. Bonds of $10,000–$25,000 standard. New York prevailing wage requirements apply to state-funded cleaning contracts; verify at NY DOL Labor Standards.
State Prevailing Wage and Government Account Requirements
New York State's prevailing wage law applies to cleaning contracts at state-funded public works and many Empire State Plaza-related contracts. The New York State Comptroller sets approved rates; verify current prevailing wage schedules through the NY DOL Labor Standards database. Federal accounts at the Stratton VA Medical Center and the James T. Foley Courthouse require SCA compliance; pull wage determinations from SAM.gov. SCA guidance: dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sca.
What Albany Buyers Expect in a Bid Response
- Monthly base service: labor hours by position at loaded rate.
- Prevailing wage compliance note: if bidding state-funded accounts, include prevailing wage rate reference and compliance statement.
- Winter entry protocol: mat exchange and salt-neutralization schedule, November through April.
- Insurance allocation: GL, workers' comp, and bond pro-rated to account.
- Overhead and margin: 12–18% overhead; 8–14% profit; pass-throughs quoted separately.
Bid Walk Checklist: Albany MSA
- Confirm whether the account is state-funded; New York prevailing wage requirements apply to cleaning contracts at many Empire State Plaza buildings and other state-owned facilities.
- Walk entry vestibules in November; Capital Region winters produce significant salt tracking that requires a documented winter entry-service plan.
- Ask about state government documentation requirements; many OGS-managed buildings require signed inspection logs and quarterly quality reports.
- Confirm Albany Medical or St. Peter's system affiliation for any medical office account; hospital-affiliated clinics carry infection control requirements.
State Government Procurement and the Prevailing Wage Reality
Albany's state government accounts are lucrative in volume but demanding in compliance. New York State's OGS manages procurement for most Empire State Plaza accounts, and prevailing wage requirements apply to cleaning contracts at publicly funded state facilities. A BSC who bids a state account at commercial market rates without checking prevailing wage applicability will underprice labor by $2–$5/hr on every covered position. Check prevailing wage applicability before every state account bid, price at the correct rate, and build documentation protocols into the service model from day one. Use the account profitability auditor to track compliance cost as a line item on state government accounts.
Primary Sources
- BLS OEWS SOC 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners)
- New York State Department of Labor, Minimum Wage
- New York DOL, Labor Standards and Prevailing Wage
- New York Workers' Compensation Board
- US DOL, Service Contract Act
- SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations
Build your Albany accounts with the scope-of-work generator. For Albany Medical and St. Peter's accounts, see the healthcare cleaning hub. Run prevailing wage cost models with the account profitability auditor.
By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026