Ask anyone in commercial cleaning, and they will list the myriad ways the industry continues to innovate. For every geopolitical challenge impacting operational logistics, a solution to enhance cleaning capabilities is created. Every building service contractor (BSC) knows that success is found when change is embraced. Market segment strategizing, service diversification, and digital technologies are factors driving BSCs beyond meeting present-day needs to realize future ones.  

These insights are supported by Contracting Profits’ annual market study, sponsored by Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI). Overall, the “2026 Building Service Contractor Market Study” determined that data is driving cleaning operations. 

From 2020 to 2026, building occupant well-being remained at the core of customer concern. This foundation of prioritizing healthy, safe, and sanitary environments, aligns with a current industry trend. In a monthly CleanLink poll, 38 percent of industry members shared that client expectations have shifted from “perception of clean” to “proof of clean.” Technological advancements have made providing this evidence easily attainable—with artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) among these measurable collection methods. 

Contract cleaning companies are planning to embrace data-driven cleaning systems—about 38 percent of BSCs believe the demand for automation/technology in contracts will grow in 2026, a nearly 13 percentage point increase from 2025. As automation and robotics continue to integrate into daily life, around 37 percent of BSCs predict these digital tools will become increasingly incorporated into their businesses. Data collection extends beyond providing customers with the scope of cleaning operational efficacy—it allocates resources responsibly, equitably enforces compliance, and supports sustainability initiatives. 

Resource management in particular has become a greater focal point as BSCs continue to expand their service portfolio. Nearly half of those surveyed share that their diversification of service offerings will increase in 2026, a 14 percentage point increase from 2025. 

Although BSCs continue to provide floor care and carpet care services—carpet cleaning and floor finish stripping/application have remained the top two services provided since 2020—composting and recycling services will be added to the mix. 

In 2025, 28 percent of BSCs planned to provide composting services within the next 12 months. This figure jumped to 68 percent in 2026. Similarly, about 38 percent of BSCs are planning on offering recycling services, a nearly 10 percentage point increase from the year prior. This growth highlights how evolving environmental regulations and support for eco-friendly practices continue to impact commercial cleaning standards. 

Consumer requests may also influence where BSCs choose to diversify. Although BSCs believe customer appetite for environmentally friendly (green) cleaning programs is low—from 2020 to 2026, an average 1.7 percent of BSCs believe it is a client priority—about 28 percent of BSCs believe client demands for sustainable initiatives will increase. 

As green cleaning products and equipment become more visible in high-traffic areas, customer consciousness of their use has grown. According to a global market report, eco-friendly cleaning services are projected to grow at an estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.5 percent, reaching around $75 billion by 2031. The predicted growth is attributed to greater consumer awareness of sustainability. To meet this rising demand, roughly 23 percent of BSCs say that 26 to 50 percent of their cleaning products/equipment are considered green. 

Diversification is not only a strategy to attain sustainability goals; it can also strategically position a BSC when new needs emerge. For instance, rising temperatures attributed to climate change are reshaping industry demands. While warming weather is the culprit for other industry stressors—from frequent wildfires impacting indoor air quality to droughts limiting water resources—it is also a major contributor of growing pest populations. 

Currently, around 35 percent of BSCs provide pest management services. In the next 12 months, around 65 percent plan to offer pest solutions. These extended pest seasons add to the complexity of commercial environmental threats that BSCs are becoming more primed to tackle. 

From pest management to composting, the 2026 market study found that more BSCs are planning to enter the market for additional special services than in prior years. Supply chain disruptions, rising inflation, and market unpredictability have led to the present period of economic uncertainty. BSCs looking to diversify can leverage their broadened service selection to maintain stable revenue streams while also supporting customers with their facility cleaning and maintenance needs. 

What, then, is the next challenge facing commercial cleaning companies? It all comes down to cost. According to the market report, BSCs predict growing consumer awareness of cleaning will impact the overall cost of supplies and doing business. Nearly 82 percent of respondents anticipate that costs will rise, which may impact operational budgets and competitive service pricing.  

If that sounds familiar, it’s because budgetary concerns were also present in 2025. At the start of 2026, a CleanLink survey revealed 40 percent of industry respondents anticipated budget pressures would remain a pressure point. However, BSCs plan to address this obstacle through one aforementioned innovation: digital tools. 

Beyond data collection, technology can also streamline services and support staff. Within the next 12 months, around 32 percent of BSCs plan to adopt robotic floor equipment, double the percentage of BSCs in 2025. Similarly, more BSCs (about 42 percent) will use AI for office/marketing/back-of-house assistance moving forward. This sector continues to transform and tailor solutions to emerging operational challenges, and evidently, BSCs are more accepting of their utility. 

Despite economic and budget challenges, BSCs continue to demonstrate business resilience. The majority of BSCs shared that their sales and profits in 2025 were significantly or slightly higher than in 2024, a recurring trend since 2020. Akin to last year’s results, around half of respondents expect both their sales and profits to exceed expectations in 2026. Maintaining profitability amid global volatility reinforces how success hinges on adaptability. 

While the commercial cleaning landscape is always changing, this market study points to the ways BSCs are becoming equipped to face it. Every challenge presents an opportunity for growth. Download the full 2026 report to find out how. 

To access the 2025 data, click here. 

Taylor Vraney is the Assistant Editor working on Facility Cleaning Decisions, Sanitary Maintenance, and Contracting Profits magazines. She's also very active in contributing to CleanLink.com. Prior to her time in media, Taylor served as a Special Education teacher, which gives her a strong perspective on custodial operations and its role in creating healthy environments for building occupants.
Taylor works closely with the building service contractor market and BSCAI. She excels in connecting with readers from all our brands. Taylor currently handles the collection of content for the Cleaning Insider newsletter and facilitates CleanLink's monthly polling questions. She also oversees Sanitary Maintenance's Sales Leaders Award program, which provides an introduction to some of the many outstanding personalities that make up this great industry. At industry events, Taylor expands her knowledge of the industry through first-hand experience with products and equipment, and even recorded the experience to demonstrate what frontline workers experience on the daily.
Follow Taylor on LinkedIn here.




POSTED ON: 7/31/2026