Insights · Published October 22, 2026 · Updated October 30, 2026

Won by less than 0.1%: how close Illinois cleaning bids really get

On some Illinois public cleaning contracts, the top two bids were less than 1% apart. And on one joint bid, no single company was cheapest on every building.

Wide price spreads get the headlines, but at the top of the tab the race is often razor-close. When we looked at the two lowest bids on Illinois public custodial contracts, several were separated by margins most companies would round off.

The closest finishes we found

• Less than a tenth of one percent. In a December 2025 joint bid for three north-suburban communities, the two lowest combined totals were less than 0.1% apart.
• About 2% on a porter contract. On the day-porter portion of the same joint bid, the two lowest bids were about 2% apart.
• About 2% over three years. On a 2024 park district janitorial bid with seven bidders, the two lowest three-year totals were about 2.2% apart.
• Under 1% on a large school contract. On a 2024 school district contract with nine bidders, the awarded bid and the next one were less than 1% apart.

No one was cheapest everywhere

The joint bid is worth a closer look. The same five companies priced four separate portions: one city, one village, a second village, and porter services. The company with the lowest combined total was not the lowest on every portion. A different bidder was cheapest on two of the four. One company was second-lowest on one portion and the highest on another, where its price was about 2.5 times the lowest bid.

In other words, companies don't just have a "high" or "low" price. They price each building differently, and a competitor who's expensive on one job can be the one to beat on the next.

Why this matters before you bid

• Small changes decide contracts. When the top two bids are within 1 or 2%, a single assumption about supplies, staffing or wage rates can be the difference.
• Your competitors are knowable. The same companies show up again and again on Illinois public cleaning bids. In our records, seven companies appear on three or more contracts.
• Past tabs show patterns. How a competitor priced similar buildings, and how they price incumbent contracts versus new ones, is all in the public record.

None of this tells you what to bid. That's your call, based on your costs and the job. But it does show how much can turn on a percent or two, and why looking at past results first is worth the time.

Where these numbers come from

All figures come from published bid tabulations and board documents from Illinois public agencies. Gaps are calculated from contract totals as read at the bid opening, unless a board document shows the award amount.

Figures are from public records available as of October 30, 2026. Newer bids may have been awarded since; subscribers get every new result.