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How to Choose a Commercial Cleaning Company in Dublin: 5 Questions Every Business Should Ask
By the team at Premier Contract Cleaning. Dublin's trusted commercial cleaning company, keeping offices and corporate spaces spotless across the city for almost a decade.
Three quotes on the desk, and one of them is noticeably cheaper than the rest.
It is a familiar scene, and the cheap one is tempting. But after almost a decade as a Dublin commercial cleaning company, we can usually tell you what that suspiciously low number really means before you ever sign for it.
Choosing a cleaner is not just about price. It is about asking the right questions, and knowing what the answers should sound like.
Here are the five questions every Dublin business should ask, including the one almost nobody thinks to ask: do you actually pay your staff the legal rate? We will also clear up what cleaners are paid, what companies charge, and why the gap between those two numbers matters to you.
Question 1: What Is Your Hourly Rate, and What Does It Include?
A commercial cleaning company in Dublin typically charges around €20 to €35 per hour per cleaner, rising to €50 for specialist or higher-spec work. The number on its own tells you very little. What matters is what it includes: the cleaner's wage, insurance, materials and equipment, supervision, holiday cover, and a fair margin. A rate well below that range is the first thing you should question.
When a client asks us "what's your hourly rate," our honest answer is always "here is what that rate actually pays for." That is the part that protects you.
The typical Dublin charge-out range
Most reputable commercial cleaners in Dublin land somewhere in the €20 to €35 per hour bracket per cleaner. Specialist or detailed work can push higher.
Dublin sits above regional Ireland here, usually by 15 to 25 percent. Labour, transport, and operating costs are simply higher in the city, so a Dublin rate should reflect that.
What a fair rate actually pays for
A proper hourly rate is not just the cleaner's wage. It has to cover a lot more:
- The cleaner's wage and the employer costs on top
- Public and employer's liability insurance
- Cleaning materials and equipment
- Supervision and quality checks
- Cover for sickness and holidays
- A reasonable margin to stay in business
For the deeper detail on rates, see our guides on how much a cleaner costs per hour in Ireland and how much cleaners charge per day.
Question 2: Do You Pay Your Staff the Legal ERO Rate?
In Ireland, contract cleaning has a legally binding minimum pay rate set by an Employment Regulation Order, or ERO. From 1 January 2026, that rate is €14.80 per hour, which is higher than the national minimum wage of €14.15, with an extra €1.00 per hour for work between midnight and 6am. This is the single most revealing question you can ask, because a company that does not pay it is either breaking the law or about to cut corners somewhere else.
Most buyers never think to ask this. It is the question that tells you the most about who you are really dealing with.
The 2026 numbers, plainly
Here is where the pay rates stand in 2026:
| Rate | 2026 figure |
| Contract cleaning ERO minimum | €14.80 per hour |
| National minimum wage | €14.15 per hour |
| Unsocial hours premium (midnight to 6am) | Extra €1.00 per hour |
The key point is that contract cleaners have their own legal minimum, and it sits above the national minimum wage. A cleaning company cannot legally pay its staff less than the ERO rate.
Is €15 an hour good in Ireland?
This one has two answers, and the difference matters.
As a wage for a cleaner, €15 an hour is fair. It sits just above both the national minimum wage and the contract cleaning ERO rate.
But if a company is charging you only €15 an hour for a cleaner, that is a red flag. Once you take out the legal wage, insurance, materials, and tax, there is nothing left. The maths simply cannot work.
Why a buyer should care about cleaner pay
You might wonder why a cleaner's wage is your concern. It is, for three reasons.
A company that underpays is breaking the law, and you do not want your business associated with that. Poorly paid staff also leave quickly, and constant churn is what makes a cleaning contract fall apart. And a price that ignores the legal wage is hiding a cut corner somewhere.
Why Are Some Cleaning Quotes So Cheap? (The Pay vs Charge Gap)
A cleaning quote is cheap for a reason, and it is rarely a good one. The wage a cleaner must legally be paid, €14.80 an hour in 2026, is close to some companies' entire charge-out rate. That is impossible if they are also covering insurance, materials, supervision, and tax. So a rock-bottom price usually means underpaid staff, no insurance, no cover, or all three. The saving is real, but so is the risk.
This is the most useful thing we can teach any buyer. Once you see the gap between the wage and the charge, cheap quotes stop being tempting and start being a warning.
What the wage floor tells you about a fair price
Think of the legal wage as the floor. A legitimate charge-out rate has to sit well above it, because the wage is only one of the costs.
So when a quote lands near the wage itself, it is telling you something. Either the staff are not being paid properly, or the company is leaving out costs it cannot actually skip.
The hidden costs of a too-cheap cleaner
The cheapest quote often turns into the most expensive choice. We have been called in plenty of times to take over from a bargain cleaner that let a business down.
Watch for these red flags in a quote:
- A rate at or near the legal wage, with no room for overheads
- No proof of insurance or tax compliance
- No mention of who covers sickness or holidays
- No supervision or quality checks
- A price that seems too good to be true
Question 3: Are You Fully Insured and Compliant?
Always confirm a cleaning company carries proper public liability and employer's liability insurance, is tax compliant, and follows health and safety rules. If a cleaner is injured on your premises, or something is damaged, an uninsured contractor can leave you exposed. A reputable company will share proof without hesitation.
This is the question that protects you from a problem you cannot see coming. Insurance is invisible right up until the moment you need it.
The insurance and compliance to check
Before you sign, make sure the company has:
- Public liability insurance
- Employer's liability insurance
- Tax compliance
- Health and safety procedures
- References you can actually call
How to verify it
Do not just take "yes, we're insured" at face value. Ask to see the documents.
A proper company will hand them over straight away, along with references and proof they pay the ERO rate. Hesitation here tells you everything you need to know.
Question 4: Who Does the Work, and Will It Be the Same Team?
Ask who will actually clean your premises, whether they are trained and vetted, and whether you will get the same team each time. Consistency is what keeps standards high. Constant staff churn, which is common where pay is poor, is one of the biggest reasons a cleaning contract slowly goes downhill.
A cleaning service is only as good as the people who turn up. So it is worth knowing exactly who that will be.
Training, vetting, and consistency
A good company trains its staff, vets them properly, and sends you a regular team that learns your building. That familiarity is what keeps the standard steady week to week.
We see the difference all the time. The same trained team in your space every visit will always outperform a rotating cast of strangers.
Cover for sickness and holidays
Ask what happens when your usual cleaner is off sick or on holiday. A proper company has cover built in, so the service never just stops.
This is one of those details that seems small until the day nobody shows up. A reliable cleaner has already planned for it.
Question 5: What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
A good cleaning company has a clear answer for when standards slip: a named contact, a quick response, regular quality checks, and ideally a guarantee that they will put it right. If a provider cannot tell you how they handle a complaint, that is your answer.
No service is perfect every single day. What separates a good cleaner is how fast and how willingly they fix it.
Communication and account management
You should know exactly who to call when something is not right. A named contact who actually responds beats a faceless inbox every time.
Good communication is usually the difference between a small issue sorted in a day and a problem that festers for weeks.
Quality checks and a guarantee
Ask whether the company runs its own quality checks, and whether they stand behind their work. The best answer is a simple one: if you are not happy, they will come back and redo it.
That kind of guarantee tells you the company is confident in its standards, and willing to be held to them.
The 5 Questions at a Glance
Here is your checklist for any cleaning company quote:
- What is your hourly rate, and what does it include?
- Do you pay your staff the legal ERO rate?
- Are you fully insured and compliant?
- Who does the work, and will it be the same team?
- What happens if something goes wrong?
Ask all five, and the right company will become obvious very quickly.
Why Dublin Businesses Choose Premier Contract Cleaning
We have spent almost a decade as a Dublin commercial cleaning company, and we built the business to pass every one of these five tests.
Here is how we work with you:
- Transparent rates and a clear quote from a free site survey, with no vague numbers and no too-good-to-be-true pricing
- ERO-compliant pay for our staff, because properly paid cleaners are the ones who do a proper job
- Full insurance, tax compliance, and trained, consistent teams who learn your building
- A named contact, regular quality checks, and our redo-it-free guarantee when something needs fixing
- Almost a decade of experience and eco-friendly products
We would rather lose a quote on price than win it by underpaying our team. That is not a slogan, it is how the maths of a good clean actually works.
So if you are weighing up quotes and one looks too cheap to be true, ask us all five questions and see how the answers compare.
Choosing a cleaner? Ask us all five questions. Book a free site survey and a transparent quote. Call 086 083 6141, or request a free quote online.
Internal link suggestions: Link to Commercial Cleaning Services Dublin, the cleaner-rate guides (how much is a cleaner per hour in Ireland, how much do cleaners charge per day), the office cleaning cost guide, Office Cleaning Dublin, and Contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average hourly rate for a cleaning company in Dublin? A commercial cleaning company in Dublin typically charges around €20 to €35 per hour per cleaner, up to €50 for specialist work. The rate has to cover the cleaner's wage, insurance, materials, supervision, cover, and a margin. Dublin runs higher than regional Ireland.
How much do cleaners charge per hour in Dublin? For commercial work, expect roughly €20 to €35 per hour per cleaner, with specialist jobs higher. Domestic cleaning sits lower, around €15 to €25. A quote far below these figures is worth questioning, as it rarely covers the legal wage plus overheads.
How much do cleaners get paid in Dublin? Contract cleaners in Dublin must be paid at least the ERO minimum, which is €14.80 per hour in 2026, with an extra €1.00 per hour for work between midnight and 6am. Many reputable companies pay above the minimum to keep good staff.
What is the minimum wage for cleaners in Ireland? Contract cleaning has its own legal minimum set by an Employment Regulation Order, which is €14.80 per hour from 1 January 2026. That is higher than the national minimum wage of €14.15 per hour, because the ERO covers the contract cleaning sector specifically.
How much do cleaners get paid in Ireland in 2026? In 2026, contract cleaners must be paid at least €14.80 per hour under the Employment Regulation Order, plus €1.00 per hour extra for unsocial hours between midnight and 6am. This sits above the national minimum wage of €14.15 per hour.
Is €15 an hour good in Ireland? As a cleaner's wage, yes. It is just above both the national minimum wage and the contract cleaning ERO rate. But if a company is charging you only €15 an hour for a cleaner, that is a red flag, because it cannot cover the legal wage plus overheads.
What is the minimum hourly rate for a cleaner? For contract cleaners in Ireland, the legal minimum is €14.80 per hour in 2026, set by the Employment Regulation Order. This is above the national minimum wage of €14.15. Any cleaning company operating legally must pay its staff at least this rate.
What questions should I ask before hiring a cleaning company? Ask five things: what the hourly rate includes, whether they pay staff the legal ERO rate, whether they are fully insured and compliant, who does the work and if it is the same team, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Why are some cleaning quotes so much cheaper than others? Usually because the company is cutting something it should not. The legal wage alone is €14.80 an hour in 2026, so a rock-bottom quote often means underpaid staff, no insurance, no cover, or all three. The saving comes with real risk.
How do I know a cleaning company is properly insured and compliant? Ask to see proof. A reputable company will show public and employer's liability insurance, tax compliance, and references without hesitation, and can confirm they pay the ERO rate. Reluctance to share documents is a warning sign.
Catalin Fatul is the founder and expert behind Premier Contract Cleaning, dedicated to providing top-notch cleaning solutions and tips. With a passion for cleanliness and a commitment to quality, Catalin brings years of experience in the cleaning industry to help readers maintain pristine spaces. Whether it's offering the latest cleaning hacks or recommending the best products, Catalin's mission is to make cleaning efficient, effective, and enjoyable.
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By the team at Premier Contract Cleaning. Dublin's trusted commercial cleaning company, keeping offices and corporate spaces spotless across the city for almost a decade. Three quotes on the desk, and one of them is noticeably cheaper than the rest. It is a familiar scene, and the cheap one is tempting. But after almost a […]
