Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
KAPUT JIM L
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SERVICEMASTER CO [SVM] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Sr. VP & General Counsel
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
3250 LACEY ROAD, SUITE 600		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/27/2004
(Street)

DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515-1700		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common stock $.01 par value 12/27/2004   S   2,000 D $ 13.67 45,318 (1) D  
Common stock $.01 par value               15,770 I through 401(k) plan
Common stock $.01 par value               400 I Cust. for children
Common stock $.01 par value               5,123 (2) I Deferred Comp

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Options (Right to buy) $ 8.75             08/08/2001 08/07/2007 Common Stock 10,000   10,000 (3) D  
Stock Options (Right to buy) $ 10.52             03/16/2002 03/15/2008 Common Stock 75,000   75,000 (3) D  
Stock Options (Right to buy) $ 11.4125             04/01/2001 03/31/2010 Common Stock 50,000   50,000 (3) D  
Stock Options (Right to buy) $ 13.83             02/08/2003 02/07/2009 Common Stock 85,000   85,000 D  
Stock Options (Right to buy) $ 13.87             05/04/2000 05/03/2006 Common Stock 541   541 (4) D  
2000 Emplee Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 9.88             03/18/2004 03/17/2013 Common Stock 66,667   66,667 (3) D  
2003 EIP Stock Appreciation Right $ 10.73             02/13/2005 02/12/2014 Common Stock 50,000   50,000 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
KAPUT JIM L
3250 LACEY ROAD, SUITE 600
DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515-1700		       Sr. VP & General Counsel  

Signatures

 Sandra L. Groman by power of attorney   12/28/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Includes 236 shares acquired through the ServiceMaster Employee Share Purchase Plan during the months of September through December 2004.
(2) Includes 42 shares purchased through the dividend reinvestment feature of the ServiceMaster Deferred Compensation Plan in November 2004.
(3) The option is exercisable in five equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of the grant.
(4) In 1999, ServiceMaster entered into a joint venture with Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers to develop an Internet company, We Serve Homes.com ("WSH"). A WSH option was granted in 2000. On January 11, 2002, the WSH option was converted into a ServiceMaster option at a ratio of 55.48 to 1, pursuant to a merger with a subsidiary of ServiceMaster in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-7.

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