Commercial cleaning bid template — Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
Little Rock is Arkansas's capital and largest commercial market, with state government, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), CHI St. Vincent, and Baptist Health anchoring the institutional cleaning segment. The Chenal Parkway and Cantrell Road suburban corridors and the downtown Capitol Avenue district form the core commercial office geography. Arkansas's minimum wage is $11/hr as of 2024; the market wage for commercial janitors in the Little Rock MSA runs $13–$14/hr.
Arkansas Capital Region Labor Cost Inputs
BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 37-2011) puts the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSA mean in the $13–$14/hr range. Arkansas minimum wage: $11/hr per the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. See the wages breakdown for the Little Rock MSA.
Burden math on a $13.50/hr Little Rock base: FICA 7.65% = $1.03; FUTA/SUTA ~2% = $0.27; Arkansas workers' comp for janitorial approximately $2–$2.60 per $100 payroll; health insurance ~$2.75/hr; vacation ~4%. Total burden: 26–31%, loaded rate near $17–$18.50/hr.
Sample Scope of Work: Class B Office Building
Hypothetical 30,000 sq ft Class B building on Chenal Parkway or the downtown Capitol Avenue corridor. Arkansas climate: warm humid summers, mild winters with occasional ice storms December through February, and significant spring thunderstorm season.
| Task | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restroom service + restock | 5x/week | Full Monday detail; summer humidity raises odor risk |
| Lobby and entry service | 5x/week | Spring pollen and humidity; occasional ice events Dec–Feb; daily mat service |
| Common-area vacuuming | 5x/week | HEPA filter; UAMS and Baptist Health accounts require documented filtration |
| Hard-floor auto-scrub | 2x/week | Humidity in summer; neutral-pH chemistry for newer Chenal builds |
| Breakroom and kitchenette | 5x/week | Pest protocols in summer; refrigerator monthly |
| Conference room reset | 5x/week | Whiteboard, AV, glass surfaces; state government accounts require reset documentation |
| Day-porter coverage (4 hr) | 5x/week | Medical and state government standard; mid-day coverage |
| High-dusting: vents and ledges | Monthly | UAMS and CHI St. Vincent accounts require quarterly HVAC documentation |
| Carpet extraction (full) | 2x/year | Spring post-pollen and fall |
Little Rock Going Rates: Class B Office and Day Porter
Downtown Capitol Avenue and Chenal Parkway Class B commands $0.07–$0.10/sq ft/month. Cantrell Road and North Little Rock: $0.06–$0.09. Conway suburban: $0.06–$0.09. Day-porter bill rate: $17/hr x 2.3 = approximately $39–$41/hr; 4-hr/day porter near $820/month. Use the production rate calculator. UAMS and CHI St. Vincent medical adds +25–35%.
Arkansas Licensing and Insurance Requirements
Arkansas requires a state business registration through the Arkansas Secretary of State. Little Rock requires a city business license. Workers' comp required for employers with 3+ employees; contact the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission. GL minimums: $1M/$2M for Class B; $2M/$5M for UAMS and hospital accounts. Bonds of $10,000–$25,000 standard.
Union Presence and Prevailing Wage Triggers
Little Rock janitorial union presence is negligible. Arkansas is a right-to-work state. Federal accounts at Little Rock Air Force Base, the VA Medical Center, and federal office buildings require SCA compliance; pull wage determinations from SAM.gov. SCA guidance: dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sca. Little Rock Air Force Base base-access credentials required for crew members.
What Little Rock Buyers Expect in a Bid Response
- Monthly base service: labor hours by position at loaded rate.
- Supplies schedule: unit prices; UAMS and Baptist Health accounts specify hospital-grade disinfectants.
- Equipment depreciation: 36-month amortization.
- 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: Little Rock MSA
- Confirm LRAFB account type before bidding; Little Rock Air Force Base is a C-130 airlift base with a separate hospital and administrative facilities that have distinct access requirements.
- Ask about UAMS or Baptist Health system affiliation; hospital-affiliated clinics carry hospital-grade infection control requirements.
- Walk Chenal Parkway accounts for polished concrete; newer West Little Rock builds have moved to hard floor surfaces requiring neutral-pH chemistry.
- Note ice storm season (December–February); Arkansas ice events are less frequent than upstate New York but can be more severe and require same-day entry service response.
UAMS Medical Campus and the State Capital Account Mix
Little Rock's combination of the UAMS medical campus, the state capital complex, and Baptist Health creates a market where three different compliance models exist simultaneously: hospital infection control, state government procurement, and federal SCA requirements. BSCs who can navigate all three become deeply entrenched in the Little Rock institutional market; BSCs who focus on only one segment leave significant account value on the table. The UAMS campus alone employs 10,000+ people across its medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health programs; the cleaning contract for a single UAMS building can anchor a profitable Little Rock route. Use the Opora bid generator for pricing and the account profitability auditor to track margin across state, federal, and hospital account types separately.
Primary Sources
- BLS OEWS SOC 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners)
- Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Minimum Wage
- Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission
- Arkansas Secretary of State, Business Registration
- US DOL, Service Contract Act
- SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations
Build your Little Rock accounts with the scope-of-work generator. For UAMS and Baptist Health accounts, see the healthcare cleaning hub. For state government procurement accounts, use the Opora bid generator.
By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026