Different Payroll Options for the Clean Industry

  • Updated on Oct 28, 2025
  • 7 minute(s) read
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Overview

In the clean industry, there are four common scenarios for how laborers will be paid to perform janitorial/day porter recurring services:

Option 1 - Regular Pay Rate: This applies if the laborer will be paid their regular hourly pay rate to maintain the property. Different laborers may be paid at different rates

Option 2 - Variable Pay Rate by Property: This applies if the laborer is paid a different pay rate to maintain this particular property. All laborers will be paid the same rate to maintain this particular property.

Option 3 - Variable Pay Rate by Property and by Laborer: This applies if the laborer is paid a different pay rate to maintain this particular property. Different laborers may be paid at different rates to maintain this particular property.

Option 4 - Flat Fee by Subcontractor: This applies if the subcontractor is paid a flat rate every time they go to maintain this particular property, regardless of how many hours it takes to do the job. One specific subcontractor will be paid to perform this recurring work. If the subcontractor changes, the contract will need to be updated in Aspire.

Follow the instructions for each option down below based on what your company is currently doing (or would like to do). 👇

Option 1 – Regular Pay Rate

Setup

In the Items Catalog, create a Labor Item (e.g. “Labor – Janitor,” “Labor – Day Porter”) where the Purchase Unit is “Hr,” the Allocation Unit is also “Hr” (with a conversion factor of 1), and the Cost represents the average labor rate with burden.

  • In Application/Lists/Pay Codes create a “Regular Hourly” and a “Regular OT” Pay Code.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Schedules create either a “Daily 8” or “Weekly 40” Pay Schedule (depending on how overtime should be calculated in the state where the labor will be performed). Assign “Regular Hourly” as the Default Pay Code and “Regular OT” as the Default OT Pay Code.
  • Set up the Laborers as “Employee” type Contacts. Assign the Pay Schedule (i.e. “Daily 8,” “Weekly 40”), an Employee Number, a PIN Number, and a current Pay Rate.
    • Once the Contact has been set up, go to the three dot menu at the top right corner of the Contact page and “Create User.” This will require you to set up a password, re-enter the PIN, assign Branch access, and assign the “Crew Leader” Role Permission.

Estimating

  • Inside the Contract estimate, under the recurring service, add the (i.e. “Labor – Janitor,” or “Labor – Day Porter”) labor item or kit (which contains the labor item).
  • Update the quantity for the estimated cost (i.e. “Hours” for the Labor Item, or “Square Feet” or “Each” for the kit).

Production

  • Tickets will be scheduled.
  • Laborers will log time against Tickets from the Mobile app.
  • Managers will review Time Entry daily to accept hours reported from the Mobile app.
  • Payroll will review Weekly time review weekly to approve hours and export to the payroll system.
  • Laborers will be paid their regular rate for all hours and OT according to their Pay Schedule.

Option 2 – Variable Pay Rate by Property

Setup

  • In the Items Catalog, create a Labor Item (e.g. “Labor – Janitor,” “Labor – Day Porter”) where the Purchase Unit is “Hr,” the Allocation Unit is also “Hr” (with a conversion factor of 1), and the Cost represents the average labor rate with burden.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Codes, create a pay code with the name of the Property and specify the Fixed Rate that laborers will be paid per hour when maintaining this Property.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Codes, also create an OT pay code with the name of the Property and specify the Fixed Rate that laborers will be paid per hour for any overtime accrued while maintaining this Property.
  • Set up the Laborers as “Employee” type Contacts. Assign the Pay Schedule (i.e. “Daily 8,” “Weekly 40”), an Employee Number, a PIN Number, and a current Pay Rate.
    • Once the Contact has been set up, go to the three dot menu at the top right corner of the Contact page and “Create User.” This will require you to set up a password, re-enter the PIN, assign Branch access, and assign the “Crew Leader” Role Permission.

Estimating

Inside the Contract estimate, under the recurring service, add the (i.e. “Labor – Janitor,” or “Labor – Day Porter”) labor item or kit (which contains the labor item).

  • Drill into the Labor Item and override the hourly cost to reflect the burdened rate applied to this Property.
  • Update the quantity for the estimated cost (i.e. “Hours” for the Labor Item, or “Square Feet” or “Each” for the kit).
  • Drill into the Service and assign the Pay Code as the “Default Pay Code.”

Production

  • Tickets will be scheduled.
  • Laborers will log time against Tickets from the Mobile app.
  • Managers will review Time Entry daily to accept hours reported from the Mobile app. Hours against these tickets will show an “Override Pay Code” (the one assigned as “Default Pay Code” in the estimated Service).

📌 Note: For any overtime hours logged against this property, managers will need to manually assign the OT Pay Code.

  • Payroll will review Weekly time review weekly to approve hours and export to the payroll system.
  • Laborers will be paid the Fixed Rate specified on the Pay Code for all regular hours logged against these tickets.

Option 3 – Variable Pay Rate by Property and by Laborer

Setup

  • In the Items Catalog, create a Labor Item (e.g. “Labor – Janitor,” “Labor – Day Porter”) where the Purchase Unit is “Hr,” the Allocation Unit is also “Hr” (with a conversion factor of 1), and the Cost represents the average labor rate with burden.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Codes, create a pay code with the name of the Property and specify the Fixed Rate that laborers will be paid per hour when maintaining this Property.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Codes, also create an OT pay code with the name of the Property and specify the Fixed Rate that laborers will be paid per hour for any overtime accrued while maintaining this Property.
  • Set up the Laborers as “Employee” type Contacts. Assign the Pay Schedule (i.e. “Daily 8,” “Weekly 40”), an Employee Number, a PIN Number, and a current Pay Rate.
  • Select the “More” menu to the right of the Contact’s current Pay Rate to add Override Paycodes. In the dropdown menu below “PAY CODE”, select the needed Property Pay Code and enter the rate this employee will be paid when that Pay Code is applied.
    • Once the Contact has been set up, go to the three dot menu at the top right corner of the Contact page and “Create User.” This will require you to set up a password, re-enter the PIN, assign Branch access, and assign the “Crew Leader” Role Permission.

Estimating

  • Inside the Contract estimate, under the recurring service, add the (i.e. “Labor – Janitor,” or “Labor – Day Porter”) labor item or kit (which contains the labor item).
  • Drill into the Labor Item and override the hourly cost to reflect the average burdened rate applied to this Property.
  • Update the quantity for the estimated cost (i.e. “Hours” for the Labor Item, or “Square Feet” or “Each” for the kit).
  • Drill into the Service and assign the Pay Code as the “Default Pay Code.”

Production

  • Tickets will be scheduled.
  • Laborers will log time against Tickets from the Mobile app.
  • Managers will review Time Entry daily to accept hours reported from the Mobile app. Hours against these tickets will show an “Override Pay Code” (the one assigned as “Default Pay Code” in the estimated Service).

📌 Note: For any overtime hours logged against this property, managers will need to manually assign the OT Pay Code.

  • Payroll will review Weekly time review weekly to approve hours and export to the payroll system.
  • Laborers will be paid the Fixed Rate specified on the Override Paycode set on their Contact page for all regular hours logged against these tickets.

Option 4 – Flat Fee by Subcontractor

Setup:

  • In the Items Catalog, create a Sub Item with the sub’s name (e.g. “John Smith,” “Jane Doe”) where the Purchase Unit is “Dollars,” the Allocation Unit is also “Dollars” (with a conversion factor of 1), and the Cost is $1.00.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Codes, create a “Subcontractor” Pay Code with a $0.00 Fixed Rate.
  • In Application/Lists/Pay Schedules, create a “Subcontractor” Pay Schedule where Daily Hours Before OT is 24 and Weekly Hours Before OT is 280. Assign “Subcontractor” as the Default Pay Code and “NONE” as the Default OT Pay Code.
  • Set up the Subcontractor as “Sub” type Contacts. Assign the “Subcontractor” Pay Schedule, an Employee Number, a PIN Number, and a current Pay Rate (for $0.00). Create a “Company” with either the sub’s personal name or company name (whichever applies).
    • Once the Contact has been set up, go to the … menu at the top right corner of the Contact page and “Create User.” This will require you to set up a password, re-enter the PIN, assign Branch access, and assign the “Crew Leader” Role Permission.

📌 Note: If the sub will be using the Mobile app to log time against the ticket (and for notifications), they can either be set up as an “Employee” type contact, or additional settings can be enabled to grant sub access.

Estimating

  • Inside the Contract estimate, under the recurring service, add the sub item.
  • Update the quantity to reflect the dollar amount the sub will be paid for each occurrence.

📌 Note: If the sub will be using the Mobile app, Subcontractor Auto Expenses may be a viable option. Review this video to learn more about this functionality.

Production

  • Review the Purchasing Assistant to find the daily/weekly/monthly (depending upon how frequently payments are made) amounts owed to your subcontractors.
  • Purchase receipts can be generated from the Purchasing Assistant and, once approved, will be pushed to your accounting system to pay your subcontractors what they are owed (based upon the estimated dollar amount per occurrence).
  • These costs will automatically be allocated to the needed work ticket(s).