Commercial cleaning bid template — Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Cincinnati’s tri-state MSA spans Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana with distinct compliance implications. An account in Covington, KY bills under Kentucky’s workers’ comp. An account in Lawrenceburg, IN bills under Indiana’s. Only Ohio-side accounts use Ohio BWC. BSCs who use a single Ohio rate card will miscalculate workers’ comp on every cross-river account. The Procter & Gamble, Kroger, and Cincinnati Financial campuses add large headquarters accounts that pay above the downtown Class B average and require formal vendor qualification.
Tri-State Labor Cost Inputs
BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 37-2011) puts the Cincinnati MSA mean near $14/hr, median around $13. Ohio’s minimum wage is $10.45/hr per the Ohio Department of Commerce. Kentucky follows the federal floor of $7.25/hr; Indiana also holds at the federal floor. Market wages for Cincinnati commercial janitorial run above all three statutory floors by competitive pressure.
Burden math on a $14/hr Cincinnati Ohio-side base: FICA 7.65% = $1.07; FUTA/SUTA ~2% = $0.28; Ohio workers’ comp (Ohio BWC) for janitorial approximately $2.00–$2.60 per $100 payroll per the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation; health ~$2.75/hr; vacation ~4%. Burden: 26–30%, loaded rate near $17–$19/hr. See the wages breakdown for the Cincinnati MSA.
Sample Scope of Work: Class B Office Building
Hypothetical 38,000 sq ft Class B building in downtown Cincinnati or the Blue Ash corridor. Salt and snow tracking November through March is the main seasonal scope driver.
| Task | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restroom service + restock | 5x/week | Corporate headquarters accounts expect consistently high standards |
| Lobby and elevator service | 5x/week + midday pass | Salt tracking Nov–Mar; daily damp-mop required |
| Entry mat exchange | 2x/week Nov–Mar; monthly Apr–Oct | Winter mat program as separate line item |
| Common-area vacuuming | 5x/week | HEPA for UC Health and TriHealth adjacent buildings |
| Hard-floor auto-scrub | 2x/week | Mix of terrazzo, VCT, and polished concrete in Cincinnati’s office stock |
| Breakroom and kitchenette | 5x/week | Refrigerator monthly; Friday detail clean |
| Conference room reset | 5x/week | Whiteboard, AV equipment, glass table |
| Day-porter coverage (5 hr) | 5x/week | Mat management and lobby pass critical Nov–Mar |
| Carpet extraction (full) | 2x/year | Separate bid line item; spring and fall cycles |
Cincinnati Going Rates: What the Market Bears
Downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine Class B: $0.08–$0.12/sq ft/month for 5x/week. Blue Ash and Kenwood: $0.07–$0.11. Northern Kentucky (Covington, Florence): $0.07–$0.10. Eastgate and Anderson suburban: $0.06–$0.10. Day-porter bill rate: $19/hr x 2.3 = approximately $44/hr; 5-hr/day porter near $1,100/month. Use the day-porter ROI calculator. Corporate headquarters adds +15–25%; healthcare +20–30%; post-construction +40–55%.
Tri-State Licensing and Insurance Requirements
Ohio requires no statewide janitorial license. Cincinnati requires a Cincinnati business tax registration. Kentucky-side accounts require Kentucky business registration and workers’ comp enrollment through the Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims. Indiana-side accounts require Indiana workers’ comp. Ohio BWC is a state monopoly fund; all Ohio-side employees must be enrolled. Standard GL minimum is $1M/$2M; corporate HQ accounts require $2M/$5M.
SCA Triggers and Corporate Procurement
Federal facilities in Cincinnati (federal courthouse, VA Cincinnati) trigger the Service Contract Act; pull the Ohio or Kentucky SCA wage determination from SAM.gov. Full SCA guidance: dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sca. P&G, Kroger, and Fifth Third Bank require formal vendor qualification before award; complete qualification months before the contract cycle opens.
What Cincinnati Buyers Expect in a Bid
- Monthly base service: hours x loaded rate; winter mat supplement shown separately.
- Tri-state compliance note: OH, KY, and IN workers’ comp rates shown separately for accounts in each state.
- Corporate qualification documentation: vendor registration numbers, insurance certificates, and W-9 for P&G and Kroger procurement portals.
- Equipment depreciation: 36–48 months; HEPA vacuums and terrazzo-care products for older Cincinnati building stock.
- Insurance and overhead: GL, tri-state workers’ comp, bond, and 12–17% indirect costs.
- Profit margin: 8–13%.
Bid Walk Checklist: Cincinnati MSA
- Confirm which state the account is in before building the bid; OH, KY, and IN each have different workers’ comp systems.
- Check winter entry protocol; Cincinnati salt application is heavy and November–March lobby residue requires daily treatment.
- For Blue Ash and Northern Kentucky corporate accounts, ask about vendor qualification requirements before investing bid time.
- Confirm floor types; Cincinnati’s pre-1970 stock includes terrazzo and marble requiring specialty care.
- Ask about UC Health and TriHealth connections; hospital-adjacent accounts carry protocol requirements beyond standard Class B pricing.
The Ohio BWC State-Fund Difference
Ohio is a monopoly state workers’ comp fund: all Ohio-side employees must be enrolled in Ohio BWC; no private carrier alternative exists. BSCs accustomed to shopping comp rates cannot do so for Ohio employees. Kentucky and Indiana accounts use private carriers. A Cincinnati BSC with accounts in all three states runs three separate workers’ comp systems, requiring distinct payroll allocations and claims management protocols for each state.
Primary Sources
- BLS OEWS SOC 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners)
- Ohio Department of Commerce, Minimum Wage
- Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
- Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims
- US DOL, Service Contract Act
- SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations
Model tri-state payroll with the Opora bid generator. For UC Health and TriHealth accounts, see the healthcare cleaning hub. Benchmark rates with the cleaning bid benchmarks tool. Audit account margins with the account profitability auditor.
By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026