Commercial cleaning bid template — Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Detroit’s automotive corridor from the Renaissance Center through Dearborn to Warren is a distinct market from downtown Class A: Ford World Headquarters, GM Technical Center, and Stellantis campuses carry their own contractor pre-qualification requirements and automotive-grade contamination protocols with no parallel in standard commercial office work. Downtown’s revival produces steady post-construction cleaning demand unusual for a Midwestern market.
Michigan Labor Cost Inputs
BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 37-2011) puts the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA mean near $16/hr, median around $14.50. Michigan’s minimum wage reached $10.56/hr as of January 2025 per the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity; market wages for commercial janitorial run well above the statutory floor in metro Detroit.
Burden math on a $15/hr Detroit base: FICA 7.65% = $1.15; FUTA/SUTA ~2.5% = $0.38; Michigan workers’ comp for janitorial approximately $2.40–$2.90 per $100 payroll per the Michigan Workers’ Compensation Agency; health insurance ~$3/hr; vacation ~5%. Total burden: 27–32%, loaded rate near $19–$21/hr. See the wages breakdown for the Detroit MSA.
Sample Scope of Work: Class B Office Building
Hypothetical 45,000 sq ft Class B building in downtown Detroit or the I-696 suburban corridor. Salt and road brine tracking from November through March is the defining seasonal scope driver.
| Task | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restroom service + restock | 5x/week | Full detail Monday; automotive-adjacent tenants may require odor-control products |
| Lobby and elevator service | 5x/week + midday pass | Salt and road-brine tracking Nov–Mar; daily damp-mop entry required |
| Entry mat exchange | 2x/week Nov–Mar; monthly Apr–Oct | Winter mat program quoted as separate line item |
| Common-area vacuuming | 5x/week | HEPA recommended for post-renovation buildings in Detroit core |
| Hard-floor auto-scrub | 2x/week | Mix of VCT, LVT, and polished concrete across Detroit 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 |
Detroit Going Rates: What Buildings Pay in 2026
Downtown Detroit Class B: $0.09–$0.14/sq ft/month for 5x/week. Dearborn and Warren: $0.07–$0.11. Southfield and Troy: $0.08–$0.12. Automotive-campus adjacent: $0.10–$0.15. Day-porter bill rate: $20/hr x 2.3 = approximately $46/hr; 5-hr/day porter near $1,150/month. Use the day-porter ROI calculator. Medical adds +20–35%; automotive +25–40%; post-construction +40–55%.
Michigan Licensing and Insurance Requirements
Michigan requires no statewide janitorial license. Detroit requires a City of Detroit business license; Warren, Dearborn, and Southfield each have separate requirements. Standard GL minimum is $1M/$2M; automotive work requires $2M/$5M. Michigan workers’ comp: approximately $2.40–$2.90 per $100 payroll per the Michigan Workers’ Compensation Agency.
SEIU Local 1 and Prevailing Wage Triggers
SEIU Local 1 covers a portion of Detroit’s downtown Class A market. Local 1 scale runs $1.50–$3/hr above the BLS MSA mean with health and pension. Federal facilities trigger the Service Contract Act; pull the Michigan wage determination from SAM.gov. Full SCA guidance: dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sca. No Detroit living wage ordinance covers private commercial contracts.
What Detroit Buyers Expect in a Bid
- Monthly base service: hours x loaded rate by shift; winter salt supplement shown separately.
- Automotive pre-qual documentation: vendor codes, insurance certificates, and contamination control protocols for OEM-campus accounts.
- Supplies schedule: unit prices; hard-water descaling products and deicing residue neutralizers for winter lobbies.
- Equipment depreciation: 36–48 months; specialty floor machines for VCT and LVT included.
- Insurance and overhead: GL, workers’ comp, bond, and 12–17% indirect costs.
- Profit margin: 8–13%. Automotive campus accounts carry pre-qual compliance cost; price it in.
Bid Walk Checklist: Detroit MSA
- Confirm entry mat program for November–March; Detroit road brine is one of the most aggressive surface contaminants in any US market.
- Identify floor type throughout; downtown renovation stock mixes VCT, terrazzo, and LVT requiring different chemistry per zone.
- For automotive-campus accounts, ask for the vendor pre-qualification requirements before committing to a bid timeline.
- Check parking structure stairwell scope; many Detroit-area office buildings include parking structure restrooms that double restroom count.
- Verify union status; confirm whether the prior BSC was a SEIU Local 1 shop before pricing downtown Class A labor.
The Automotive Pre-Qual Bottleneck
Ford, GM, and Stellantis each run their own contractor pre-qualification systems. Getting approved to bid an OEM campus can take 60–120 days and requires certificates, insurance endorsements, and sometimes facility-specific safety training for every crew member. A BSC who responds to an automotive-campus RFP without existing vendor registration will be disqualified before pricing is reviewed. Begin the vendor registration process 3–4 months before the target RFP release date.
Primary Sources
- BLS OEWS SOC 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners)
- Michigan LEO, Minimum Wage FAQ
- Michigan Workers’ Compensation Agency
- City of Detroit Business License
- US DOL, Service Contract Act
- SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations
Build automotive-campus SOWs with the scope-of-work generator. For Henry Ford Health System and Detroit Medical Center accounts, see the healthcare cleaning hub. Benchmark rates with the cleaning bid benchmarks tool and stress-test margins with the bid stress-test tool.
By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026