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Is there a common calculation for determining the square footage for cleaning commercial office buildings? Our janitorial service says it should be the RSF, but we think it should be less, since they are not able to clean all areas.

Rodney Pfahning
Building Engineer
Primera Companies, Inc.
Arlington, TX
rodney@primeracompanies.com

James Elledge replies ...

A Most commercial cleaners will use the rentable square feet (RSF) in computing their costs, since it includes the common areas, restrooms, and other spaces. That number is preferred, because it remains fixed for the life of the building.

Keep in mind that other factors are also used when calculating cleaning costs. These include: cleaning frequency (number of days per week), building type (commercial, industrial, medical), density (higher densities take additional time), and access (are all spaces easy to access? or are some areas limited to certain days and times?).

Thanks for your question

Jim Elledge

Elledge, facility/office services manager for Dallas, TX-based Summit Alliance Companies, is the recipient of the Distinguished Author Award from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), is an IFMA Fellow, and is a member of TFM’s Editorial Advisory Board. All questions have been submitted via the “FM Expert Advice” portion of the magazine’s Web site.

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