The verdict in three sentences
In commercial cleaning, a contract is rarely lost on price alone: it is lost when the client cannot check that the visit happened and that the work met the standard. For a contractor with 220 cleaners across 300 sites, in Toulouse or in London, the 2026 options range from a specialist SaaS at 5 to 12 EUR per cleaner per month (about 4 to 10 GBP) to a custom app at 25,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT (about 21,000 to 38,000 GBP) combining scheduling, NFC clock-in, photo quality checks and a client portal. The metric that justifies the investment is the contract renewal rate, which can rise from 82 to 93%.
Why proof of service decides renewal
Facilities managers at head offices, clinics and office parks now compare their contractors on data: hours spent on site, inspection frequency, complaint response time. A contractor answering with a paper sign-in sheet or a spreadsheet sent at month end looks less reliable than a competitor who opens a real-time portal. Public and semi-public tenders also include traceability criteria, often weighted at 10 to 20% of the technical score.
| Client expectation | Paper method | With software | Effect on renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof of visit | Sign-in sheet | Time-stamped NFC tag on site | No more disputes |
| Quality control | Supervisor visit, verbal report | Scored checklist with before and after photos | Quality score shared monthly |
| Complaints | Email or call, uncertain follow-up | Ticket with measured response time | Average delay cut from 48 h to 6 h |
| Cover for absences | Client told afterwards | Absence alert and replacement assigned | Fewer sites missed |
| Reporting | Spreadsheet at month end | Real-time client portal | Decisive in renegotiation |
| Actual hours | Self-declared | Measured by clock-in | Extra work can be billed |
Specialist SaaS or custom app: 2026 prices
The French and UK markets each have several software vendors specialised in cleaning and building services. They suit contractors whose processes follow the standard. A custom build pays off when the company has its own quality checklists, clients demanding on reporting, or a need to integrate with payroll and invoicing.
| Criterion | Specialist SaaS | Custom app |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 0 to 3,000 EUR setup | 25,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost for 220 cleaners | 5 to 12 EUR per cleaner per month, i.e. 13,200 to 31,680 EUR a year | Maintenance 300 to 600 EUR a month |
| Scheduling and cover | Included, standard logic | Fitted to your rotas and contracts |
| Clock-in | NFC or QR depending on vendor | NFC, QR or geolocation as you choose |
| Quality checklists | Fixed templates | Your checklists, by site type |
| Client portal | Often a paid add-on | Included, in your branding |
| Payroll and invoicing export | Limited connectors | Export to your payroll (Silae, Sage) and invoicing |
| Time to go live | 2 to 6 weeks | 3 to 5 months |
The custom budget usually breaks down as follows: mobile app for cleaners and supervisors 9,000 to 15,000 EUR, scheduling and cover 5,000 to 9,000 EUR, quality control module 4,000 to 7,000 EUR, client portal 4,000 to 8,000 EUR, payroll and invoicing exports 3,000 to 6,000 EUR. NFC tags cost 1 to 3 EUR each, under 1,000 EUR for 300 sites, and most Android smartphones read NFC with no extra hardware.
Mini case study
Sophie, managing director of a cleaning contractor in Toulouse, generates 6,600,000 EUR of revenue with 220 cleaners. About a third of her contracts come up for renewal each year, so 2,200,000 EUR is at stake. With an 82% renewal rate, she loses 396,000 EUR of revenue a year.
She compares two options over three years. The SaaS at 8 EUR per cleaner costs 1,760 EUR a month, i.e. 63,360 EUR over three years. The custom app costs 38,000 EUR excl. VAT plus 400 EUR a month of maintenance, i.e. 52,400 EUR over three years, with her own quality checklists and a client portal. By lifting renewal to 93%, she keeps an extra 242,000 EUR of revenue every year. With a 15% margin over direct costs, that is 36,300 EUR of margin a year, which pays back the app in just over a year.
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FAQ
Do cleaners accept NFC clock-in?
Yes, when it replaces the paper sheet and secures payment for actual hours. Allow 30 minutes of training per cleaner and consult staff representatives, which French law requires before any activity monitoring system (UK employers face similar consultation and privacy notice duties).
Does clock-in need to be declared to the data protection authority?
There is no prior declaration any more, but the processing must appear in the GDPR record, with limited retention, often 5 years for payroll data. Continuous tracking of cleaners should be avoided: one-off tag clock-in is proportionate.
How long does it take to build the custom app?
Allow 3 to 5 months, including a 4 to 6 week pilot on 20 to 30 sites. Full rollout across 300 sites then takes 3 to 4 weeks.
Do clients really use the portal?
Facilities managers mainly check it when there is a complaint and during quarterly reviews. Contractors who open one usually see 30 to 50% fewer complaint calls.
Can we start with a SaaS and move to a custom app later?
Yes, provided the vendor lets you export clock-in and inspection history. A data migration usually costs 2,000 to 5,000 EUR excl. VAT depending on volume.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of cleaners, sites and your payroll and invoicing tools: we quote an app between 25,000 and 45,000 EUR excl. VAT delivered in 3 to 5 months, or help you pick a SaaS. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
