A contract in Melbourne typically costs $180 to $350 per night for a small primary school in 2026, with compliant companies charging $45 to $70 per hour plus GST. This guide breaks down real 2026 prices by school size, what a contract actually covers, who can choose the cleaner under Victorian rules (many schools cannot), and the complaints schools report most.
Written by Metecan Kalkan, founder of OneDrop FM (ABN 74 499 285 939), a Melbourne cleaning company. We clean schools, clinics and offices across Epping, Dandenong, Brunswick and more than 20 other suburbs. Last updated: 20 October 2026.
The Short Answer: Melbourne Prices
These figures reflect published 2026 Melbourne rates. Per-night figures are ex GST unless noted:
- Hourly rate (compliant company): $45 to $70 ex GST ($49.50 to $77 including GST), typically $50 to $65
- Small primary school: $180 to $350 per night ($3,900 to $7,600 per month)
- Large primary school: $300 to $550 per night ($6,500 to $11,900 per month)
- Secondary college (600 to 1,500 students): $600 to $1,200 per night ($13,000 to $26,000 per month)
- Large secondary or P to 12: $1,200+ per night
- Holiday deep clean: $1,000 to $3,200 (small primary), $2,500 to $6,000 (large primary), $5,000 to $15,000+ (secondary) per break
Contracts run 15 to 25 percent cheaper per hour than one-off cleans. For comparison with standard commercial rates, see our office cleaning cost guide.
One floor matters: from 1 July 2026 the Cleaning Services Award Level 1 rate is $27.08 per hour, and the true employer cost with super, insurance and supervision runs $38 to $45 per hour. Any quote under about $35 per hour cannot be legal wages.
What Is Included in the Contract?
A proper Melbourne school contract covers these areas daily:
Classrooms. Desks, high-touch points, bins, whiteboards, floors.
Toilets and amenities blocks. Sanitising plus restocking. Toilets are the number one complaint in schools, so check the method, not just the promise.
Admin offices and staffrooms. Desks, bins, kitchens, floors.
Halls and gymnasiums. Floors, mats, bin areas.
Canteens. Surfaces with food-safe products.
Libraries. Desks, shelves dusted, floors.
Science and art rooms. Non-hazardous zones only. Chemical and sharps areas stay with school staff.
Corridors, lockers and bubblers. High-touch points wiped, floors done.
Sick bay. Sanitised surfaces and floors.
Internal glass. Entry doors and office windows.
Outdoor areas. Sweeping paths and entries, bins emptied.
One trap catches schools out: in the metro government contract, the provider supplies bin liners only. The school funds toilet paper, soap and sanitiser itself. Check who pays for consumables before you compare quotes.
What Costs Extra?
Common add-ons with typical Melbourne prices:
- Carpet steam cleaning: $3 to $6 per sqm. See our carpet cleaning cost guide.
- Internal windows: $5 to $15 per window.
- External / abseil window cleaning: $15 to $40 per window.
- Pressure washing: $3 to $5 per sqm, with a minimum around $150.
- Sanitisation fogging: $0.58 to $1.18 per sqm.
- Bin-room sanitisation: $80 to $200 per session.
- Holiday deep cleans: priced per break, see the table above.
Get extras priced in the contract. In the metro government model, extras must be quoted within 5 business days and can only come from your nominated provider.
Who Chooses the School Cleaner in Victoria?
This is the part most guides miss. Since 26 December 2024, Melbourne metropolitan government schools do not choose their own cleaner. The Department of Education centrally appointed 5 providers across 10 metro areas and pays the base cleaning directly. Metro schools can only buy extra cleaning from their nominated provider, with a 2-hour emergency response between 6am and 7pm.
Who can still choose:
Catholic and independent schools. Not in the central model. They contract directly, and the full checklist below applies.
Regional government schools. The school council signs the contract and the principal manages it. Thresholds run on the total GST-inclusive value including options: under $2,500 one quote, $2,500 to $25,000 one written quote, $25,000 to $150,000 three written quotes, $150,000 and over an open tender. A $40,000 per year deal over 5 years is a $200,000 contract, so it goes to tender.
Metro government schools buying extras. Locked to the nominated provider, but the extras scope and price response time are set: quotes within 5 business days.
Every Victorian school, government, Catholic and independent, must meet the 11 Child Safe Standards. Any cleaner on site sits inside that duty.
Prices Across Melbourne Suburbs
OneDrop FM is based in Taylors Lakes, near Watergardens. These are the areas our school work concentrates in:
- School cleaning Epping: large primary schools and growing estates. New campuses mean big cleanable areas and tight budgets.
- School cleaning Dandenong: secondary colleges and specialist schools. Older buildings need more periodic work.
- School cleaning Brunswick: inner-city primaries with heritage buildings. Toilets and amenities blocks are the pressure point.
We also cover more than 20 suburbs across Melbourne. Every school quote starts with a site walk-through and the school’s cleanable area figures, because no two campuses clean the same.
Contract Terms: Length, Cancellation and Trials
What is common in Victoria in 2026:
- Regional government contracts: up to 5 years (3 + 1 + 1), termination without cause on 20 days’ written notice, 14 days to fix a breach, and an initial review within 8 weeks.
- Commercial and independent school terms: 6 to 12 month initial terms are standard, with 3 to 6 month trials in some contracts.
- Notice periods: commonly 30 to 90 days outside the government model.
- Minimum call-out: $60 to $90 per visit for extras.
- Guarantees: a 30-day money-back guarantee is the strongest published offer in this market.
Align any new contract with the school year and build in a first-term review, not just an annual one.
Red Flags: How to Spot a Bad School Cleaner
The complaints Melbourne schools report most:
- Toilets done badly. The number one complaint, by a distance. Method and checks matter more than promises.
- Standards slipping after the first term. The trial period is thorough, then corners get cut.
- Absent cleaners not replaced. No relief cover means areas silently skipped.
- Holiday cleans compressed. A full deep clean squeezed into too few hours, or quietly skipped.
- Cleaners without checks. Anyone on site without a valid Working With Children Check is a compliance breach, not a saving.
- Under-Award pricing. Under about $35 per hour cannot cover legal wages, super and insurance.
- Poor communication. No single contact, no incident log, no response when issues are raised.
How Schools Should Compare Quotes
Before you sign, check these:
- A valid Employee Working With Children Check for every cleaner, including relief staff. A Volunteer check cannot be used for paid work.
- Public liability insurance of at least $10 million, with a current certificate. The Department’s rule is simple: no proof, no contract.
- A Labour Hire Licence (Victoria). Penalties for using unlicensed labour hire run over $600,000.
- Police checks for every cleaner.
- References from other schools, not just offices or warehouses.
- Monthly audits and an incident log in writing.
- Direct employment, or full disclosure of any subcontractors.
- Alignment with the 11 Child Safe Standards, which are compulsory for every Victorian school.
- Three itemised quotes on a like-for-like scope where your thresholds require them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does school cleaning cost in Melbourne?
A: $45 to $70 per hour plus GST for a compliant company, typically $50 to $65. Per night that works out to $180 to $350 for a small primary, $300 to $550 for a large primary, and $600 to $1,200 for a secondary college.
Q: Can our school choose its own cleaner?
A: Metro government schools cannot. Since 26 December 2024 the Department of Education centrally appointed 5 providers across 10 metro areas. Catholic and independent schools, and regional government schools, still choose their own cleaner.
Q: Do school cleaners need a Working With Children Check?
A: Yes. Every cleaner, including relief staff, should hold a valid Employee Working With Children Check. A Volunteer check cannot be used for paid work, and schools must sight and record the checks.
Q: What is included in a standard contract?
A: Classrooms, toilets, admin offices, staffrooms, halls and gyms, canteens, libraries, corridors and outdoor entries, done daily in term time. Holiday deep cleans, carpet steam cleaning and external windows are the usual extras.
Q: How much does a holiday deep clean cost?
A: $1,000 to $3,200 for a small primary, $2,500 to $6,000 for a large primary, and $5,000 to $15,000+ for a secondary school per break, plus GST. Victorian terms end 2 April, 26 June, 18 September and 18 December in 2026, so book ahead.
Q: What insurance must a school cleaner carry?
A: At least $10 million public liability, with a current certificate of currency sighted before signing, plus workers compensation. No proof means no contract under Department rules.
Q: How do the quote thresholds work for regional schools?
A: On total GST-inclusive value including options: under $2,500 one quote, $2,500 to $25,000 one written quote, $25,000 to $150,000 three written quotes, and $150,000 or more goes to open tender.
Q: Can we cancel the contract?
A: Regional government contracts allow termination without cause on 20 days’ written notice. Commercial school contracts commonly run 6 to 12 month initial terms with 30 to 90 days’ notice. Check the clause before signing.
Book Your School Clean With OneDrop FM
Fixed quotes after a site walk-through. Working With Children Checked staff, $10 million-plus cover, and monthly audits in writing. Get in touch with OneDrop FM to get a fixed quote.
We are local. Based in Taylors Lakes, cleaning schools across more than 20 Melbourne suburbs.
Call 0402 160 946 for a fixed quote.