What California facility owners and managers need to know before making the switch.
Bringing janitorial services in-house can offer greater control over cleaning operations and potential cost savings. But the decision also comes with responsibilities that extend well beyond hiring employees.
From workplace safety and staffing to insurance and California labor laws, understanding the full scope of managing a cleaning operation is essential.
Before making the switch, know what’s involved.
Executive Summary
Is Bringing Janitorial In-House Worth It?
Bringing janitorial services in-house can seem like a straightforward way to reduce costs and gain more control over cleaning operations. For some businesses, it may be the right decision. But comparing a contractor’s monthly invoice to employee wages doesn’t tell the whole story.
Hiring cleaning staff also means taking on the responsibilities of a janitorial employer. In California, those responsibilities can introduce costs, operational challenges, and compliance requirements that businesses may not have considered.
Before making the switch, five areas deserve a closer look:
- Employee safety and training: Managing chemical safety, employee training, and required workplace safety programs.
- Workers’ compensation: Accounting for the insurance classifications and costs associated with cleaning work.
- Staffing and turnover: Recruiting, supervising, and replacing employees while maintaining consistent cleaning coverage.
- California labor laws: Managing wage-and-hour requirements and potential legal exposure.
- Equipment and management: Covering supplies, equipment, quality control, and the time required to oversee cleaning operations.
The bottom line: In-house cleaning can make sense for organizations with the resources to manage it effectively. The right decision depends on the full cost of staffing, training, insurance, equipment, and oversight, not simply the difference between employee wages and a cleaning contract.
Why Companies Consider Taking Janitorial In-House
For some businesses, managing their own cleaning staff offers advantages worth considering. The decision often comes down to three priorities:
- Lower costs: Replacing a monthly cleaning contract with employee wages may seem like an opportunity to reduce operating expenses.
- More control over scheduling: Having cleaning staff on payroll allows businesses to adjust schedules, assign priorities, and respond directly to changing needs.
- Greater control over building access: Some businesses prefer having their own employees manage keys, alarm codes, and access to sensitive areas.
Five Costs and Risks That Change the Equation
1. Employee Safety and Training
Commercial cleaning comes with workplace hazards that your existing safety programs may not cover. Bringing cleaning in-house means taking responsibility for the training, safety procedures, and documentation required for those tasks.
Safety requirements to consider:
- Chemical safety: Employees need training on cleaning products, proper dilution, safe storage, and access to Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- Exposure protection: Depending on their duties, cleaners may need Bloodborne Pathogens training, protective equipment, and additional safety procedures.
- Updated safety programs: Your Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) must address janitorial hazards, including wet floors, lifting, equipment use, and chemical exposure.
- Ongoing training: New employees must receive applicable training, and changes in products or procedures may require additional instruction and documentation.
The question to ask: Who on your team will be responsible for making sure cleaning employees are properly trained, equipped, and working safely?
2. Workers’ Compensation Costs
Janitorial work carries different workplace risks than typical office work, which can significantly affect workers’ compensation costs. Classifications depend on the nature of the employer’s business, the duties employees perform, and applicable California classification rules.
What affects insurance costs:
- Higher-risk work: Wet floors, chemical exposure, lifting, and repetitive tasks can increase the likelihood of workplace injuries.
- Proper classification: Cleaning duties may require a different workers’ compensation classification than other roles within your organization.
- Premium adjustments: Incorrect classification or payroll reporting can lead to additional charges following an insurance audit.
- Claims management: Workplace injuries introduce additional costs and administrative responsibilities that can affect your overall budget.
The question to ask: Has your insurance broker priced the actual cleaning duties into your workers’ compensation coverage?
3. Hiring, Turnover, and Daily Coverage
Hiring one or two cleaners may seem manageable until someone calls out sick, takes vacation, or leaves the company. Maintaining consistent service requires a plan for staffing, supervision, and replacement coverage.
Staffing responsibilities:
- Recruiting and onboarding: Every new hire requires time for screening, training, and learning your facility’s procedures.
- Employee absences: Sick days, vacations, and unexpected departures can leave your facility without adequate cleaning coverage.
- Daily supervision: Someone must oversee cleaning quality, respond to problems, and manage employee performance.
- Additional workload: Facilities managers, HR staff, and other employees may need to take on cleaning-related responsibilities alongside their existing work.
The question to ask: What happens to your cleaning schedule when one of your employees is unavailable for two weeks?
4. California Labor Laws and Legal Exposure
Bringing cleaning in-house makes your company responsible for managing janitorial employees under California’s labor laws. Early morning, evening, and overnight schedules can introduce additional employment and compliance challenges.
Employment requirements:
- Wage-and-hour compliance: Overtime, meal and rest periods, split shifts, and accurate timekeeping must follow applicable California laws.
- After-hours work: Evening and overnight schedules can introduce additional supervisory, safety, and payroll considerations.
- Workplace safety: Where required, workplace violence prevention plans must address relevant hazards, including those associated with working alone or after hours.
- Legal exposure: Repeated payroll or labor violations can lead to penalties, employee claims, and litigation, including claims under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).
The question to ask: Are your existing HR, payroll, and supervisory processes prepared to manage janitorial schedules and the employment rules that come with them?
5. Equipment, Supplies, and Ongoing Management
A professional cleaning contract often includes much more than labor, from cleaning supplies and equipment to supervision and quality control. Bringing those services in-house shifts the costs and management responsibilities to your team.
Costs beyond employee wages:
- Cleaning supplies: Chemicals, protective equipment, and other consumables require ongoing purchasing and inventory management.
- Commercial equipment: Vacuums, floor machines, and other equipment must be purchased, maintained, repaired, and eventually replaced.
- Quality control: Cleaning standards, inspections, and performance issues require regular oversight.
- Management time: Facilities, operations, and HR employees must spend time coordinating cleaning instead of focusing on their primary responsibilities.
The question to ask: Who will manage the cleaning operation, and what is that person’s time worth?
The True Cost of Cleaning: What Should You Compare?
A meaningful cost comparison includes more than employee wages and cleaning supplies. Use the following questions to account for the staffing, insurance, equipment, and management resources required to operate an in-house cleaning program.
| Cost to Consider | Questions to Ask Before Bringing Cleaning In-House |
|---|---|
| Wages and payroll | Have we included overtime, payroll taxes, paid leave, and other employment costs? |
| Workers’ compensation | Have we confirmed the appropriate classification and premium? |
| Hiring and turnover | What will recruiting, onboarding, and replacement coverage cost? |
| Training and safety | Who will manage required programs, SDS records, training, and PPE? |
| Supplies and equipment | Have we included purchasing, storage, maintenance, and replacement? |
| Supervision | How much time will our managers spend overseeing cleaning? |
| Compliance | Can our current HR and safety systems support the additional requirements? |
| Operational coverage | What happens during absences, vacancies, or changing cleaning needs? |
Don’t Overlook the Cost of Your Team’s Time
Some of the most significant costs won’t appear as separate line items in your cleaning budget. Time spent managing schedules, recruiting employees, overseeing training, and addressing cleaning issues takes your facilities, HR, and operations teams away from their other responsibilities.
These hours have a cost, even when they’re absorbed into existing employees’ workloads. Including that time in the financial comparison gives a more accurate picture of what in-house cleaning really costs.
When Does In-House Cleaning Make Sense?
For some organizations, managing cleaning internally can be a practical choice. The key is having the people, resources, and systems to support it.
In-house cleaning may make sense when:
- An experienced facilities team can oversee cleaning operations.
- HR and safety teams can manage compliance requirements.
- Reliable staffing and backup coverage are available.
- Equipment and operational systems are already in place.
- A full cost comparison shows a clear advantage.
Meeting these conditions can make in-house cleaning a viable option. Without them, businesses may find themselves building and managing an entirely new operation outside their core expertise.
Are You Ready to Bring Cleaning In-House? 10 Questions to Ask
Use this checklist with your facilities, operations, HR, and finance teams before making a decision.
- Have we calculated the full cost? Not just wages, but insurance, benefits, payroll, supplies, equipment, training, and management time.
- Have we confirmed our workers’ compensation classification? Have we reviewed the actual cleaning duties with our insurance broker?
- Does our safety program cover janitorial work? Have we addressed the specific hazards employees will encounter?
- Do we have a chemical safety and SDS program? Can employees access the information they need, including during night and weekend shifts?
- Do we know which specialized training requirements apply? Have we evaluated chemical handling, Bloodborne Pathogens exposure, protective equipment, and other task-specific risks?
- Are our HR and payroll systems prepared? Can we properly manage shifts, breaks, overtime, and employee records?
- Who will supervise the cleaning staff? Do we have someone with the time and knowledge to oversee their work?
- What is our backup staffing plan? Who fills in when employees are sick, on vacation, or leave the company?
- Have we accounted for supplies and equipment? Including purchasing, maintenance, storage, and replacement.
- Does bringing cleaning in-house improve our business? After considering all of the responsibilities, are the benefits still worth it?
Why Your Cleaning Partner Matters
Choosing to outsource cleaning is only part of the decision. Not all cleaning contractors operate to the same standards, and California businesses should verify that their provider meets applicable registration, insurance, and safety requirements.
Find out more about the risks of working with a noncompliant cleaning contractor in JaniTek’s Risk Mitigation resources.
Before signing a cleaning agreement, ask about:
- California janitorial employer registration
- Workers’ compensation and liability insurance
- Employee training and safety programs
- Staffing, supervision, and replacement coverage
- Quality inspections and performance standards
- Building access and security procedures
A qualified cleaning partner should have the people, systems, and accountability to manage these responsibilities consistently.
Cleaning Is Our Business. It Doesn’t Have to Become Yours.
JaniTek Cleaning Solutions provides professional commercial cleaning throughout California’s Greater Central Valley and Central Coast.
As a registered janitorial employer with California’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), JaniTek manages employee training, staffing, supervision, and cleaning quality through established processes designed for commercial facilities.
Our customers have a dedicated cleaning partner responsible for the day-to-day work, rather than another operation to manage internally.
Let’s Compare the Numbers
The right cleaning approach depends on your facility’s needs, resources, and budget. JaniTek can help compare the costs and responsibilities of managing cleaning in-house versus working with a professional cleaning company.
Serving California’s Greater Central Valley and Central Coast.
This whitepaper is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal, insurance, or safety advice. Requirements vary based on your operations, employees, and workplace hazards. Consult your legal counsel, insurance broker, and appropriate regulatory agencies before making employment or compliance decisions.
Supporting references: California Code of Regulations, Title 8; California Labor Code; Cal/OSHA; and California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), WCIRB Standard Classification System.
