IBISWorld Platform
Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.
General Building Cleaning in the UK Industry Data and Analysis
Over the five years through 2025-26, industry revenue is projected to climb at a compound annual rate of 5.6% to reach £9.8 billion. Long-term contracts with the NHS and local authorities have stabilised income streams, while updated healthcare cleanliness standards have sustained demand for specialist cleaning. Sustainability requirements have also become embedded in procurement, forcing companies to prove low-carbon practices to win tenders. At the same time, rising wage costs have eroded profitability in this labour-intensive industry. The National Living Wage rose to £12.21 in April 2025, pushing up hourly pay rates across the industry and squeezing profit margins. In 2025-26, revenue is expected to inch upwards by just 0.1% as providers contend with labour market pressures and higher compliance costs.
Access this data your way
The General Building Cleaning in the UK Industry analysis is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.
API Data Delivery
Feed trusted, human-driven industry intelligence straight into your platform.
Integrations
Streamline your workflow with IBISWorld’s intelligence built into your toolkit.
What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released September 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code N81.210. This industry provides general cleaning services for residential and commercial buildings. This mainly includes interior cleaning services. Industrial cleaning and other specialised cleaning services are not covered (IBISWorld report N81.220). Related terms covered in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom include hard surface cleaning, carpet cleaning and cleaning agents.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom include Carpet cleaning, Exterior cleaning and Hard surface cleaning.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom include Ideal Cleaning Services Ltd, Swift Office Cleaning Services Ltd and Molly Maid UK Ltd.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom.
Trusted by industry professionals
More than 6,000 businesses use IBISWorld to shape local and global economies
We were able to supplement our reports with IBISWorld’s information from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint. All of our reporting now features some level of IBISWorld integration.
IBISWorld delivers the crisp business knowledge we need to drive our business. Whether it be serving up our major clients, winning new business or educating on industry issues, IBISWorld brings real value.
IBISWorld has revolutionised business information — which has proved commercially invaluable to exporters, investors and public policy professionals in Australia and overseas.
When you’re able to speak to clients and be knowledgeable about what they do and the state that they operate in, they’re going to trust you a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
The market size of the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom is £9.8bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?
There are 13,888 businesses in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 3.9 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom?
The General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom?
The General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 5.6 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom are Ideal Cleaning Services Ltd, Swift Office Cleaning Services Ltd and Molly Maid UK Ltd
What does the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom include?
Hard surface cleaning and Bathroom and toilet cleaning are part of the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom.
Which companies have the highest market share in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom is Ideal Cleaning Services Ltd.
How competitive is the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the General Building Cleaning industry in the United Kingdom.
Cut through the noise with intelligence you can trust
