DFW absorbed more corporate headquarters relocations between 2020 and 2025 than any other US metro, and the cleaning market reflects that velocity: new Class A towers in Uptown and Legacy West, miles of suburban campus in Frisco and Plano, and a DFW Airport corridor with hospitality cleaning running 24 hours a day. Texas has no statewide janitorial license and no state income tax, keeping entry barriers low and competition fierce. Operators who know their actual loaded labor cost have a structural edge over those who estimate it.

DFW Labor Cost Inputs

BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 37-2011) puts the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA in the $15–$17/hr range, median near $14.50. Texas follows the federal minimum of $7.25/hr with no state or city floor above federal, placing the effective market wage at BLS mean rates rather than statutory floors.

Burden math on a $16/hr DFW base: FICA 7.65% = $1.22; FUTA/SUTA ~2% = $0.32; Texas workers’ comp occupational accident insurance (non-subscriber state) approximately $2.00–$2.80 per $100 payroll per the Texas Department of Insurance; health insurance ~$3/hr; vacation ~4–5%. Total burden: 27–31%, loaded rate near $20–$22/hr. See the wages breakdown for the DFW MSA.

Sample Scope of Work: Class B Office Building

Hypothetical 45,000 sq ft Class B building in Uptown Dallas or Legacy West, Plano. Texas heat and construction dust add scope items not found in cooler-climate markets.

DFW Market Rates: What Buildings Are Paying

Uptown and Turtle Creek Class B commands $0.11–$0.16/sq ft/month for 5x/week. Legacy West and The Colony campuses: $0.09–$0.14. Suburban single-story parks in Carrollton, Irving, or Garland: $0.07–$0.11. Day-porter bill rate: $21/hr x 2.3 = approximately $48/hr; 5-hr/day porter near $1,200/month. Use the day-porter ROI calculator before discounting. Medical office near Medical City Dallas adds +20–30%; hospitality at DFW Airport +15–20%; post-construction +40–55%.

Texas Licensing and Insurance Requirements

No statewide janitorial license required in Texas. Dallas and Fort Worth require general business licenses. Texas is a workers’ comp non-subscriber state; employers who opt out lose assumption-of-risk defenses in injury lawsuits. Most property managers require workers’ comp or equivalent occupational accident coverage. Carrier rates for NAICS 561720: approximately $2.00–$2.80 per $100 payroll per the Texas Department of Insurance. Class A buildings require $1M/$2M GL minimum. Texas state contracts route through the HUB program.

Right-to-Work Market and Prevailing Wage

Texas is a Right-to-Work state with minimal janitorial union presence in DFW. Federal contracts at DFW-area installations fall under the Service Contract Act; pull the applicable Texas wage determination from SAM.gov. Full SCA guidance: dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sca. Texas state agency contracts require HUB certification or a subcontracting plan with a certified HUB partner. No city-level living wage ordinance applies in Dallas or Fort Worth as of 2026.

What Texas State and Private Buyers Expect

1. Monthly base service: hours x loaded rate by position; supervisor hours shown separately.
2. Supplies schedule: itemized unit prices; required on TX state RFPs.
3. Equipment depreciation: 36–48 month amortization, particularly for polished-concrete scrubbers.
4. Vehicle and fuel allowance: DFW’s geographic spread makes supervisor routing a real fuel cost.
5. Insurance and overhead: GL, occupational accident, bond, and 12–17% indirect costs pro-rated to account.
6. Profit margin: 8–14% on competitive commercial bids. Pass-throughs quoted separately.

Bid Walk Checklist: DFW MSA

1. Note exterior dust intrusion points; DFW’s construction density means lobby floors pick up more debris than slower-growth markets.
2. Check HVAC filter cycle and diffuser cleanliness; year-round AC deposits duct dust faster than seasonal systems.
3. Confirm floor type throughout: polished concrete, LVT, carpet tile, and ceramic each need different settings.
4. Ask about pest control protocols; kitchenettes in warm-climate buildings carry more pest pressure than northern markets.
5. Ask the property manager for the prior BSC’s departure story; most exits in DFW’s competitive market are price-related.

The Compression Risk in a Right-to-Work Market

The absence of a union labor floor in DFW creates downward pricing pressure that does not exist in New York or LA. An operator pricing at $0.09/sq ft for a 5-day account is already working thin margins. When a competitor bids $0.07, achievable with minimal overhead in a non-subscriber workers’ comp scenario, the buyer takes it, and two years later the account is dropped or re-bid. Anchoring every bid to your actual loaded cost, not to the lowest price visible in the market, separates operators who grow profitably in DFW from those who grow revenue while compressing margins.

Primary Sources

• BLS OEWS SOC 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners)
• Texas Department of Insurance, Workers’ Compensation Division
• Texas Comptroller, HUB Program
• US DOL, Service Contract Act
• SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations

Build your cost model with the Opora bid generator and stress-test with the bid stress-test tool. For medical office tenants near Medical City, see the healthcare cleaning hub. For hospitality accounts along the DFW Airport corridor, see the hospitality and retail cleaning hub.

By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026