The scope of work document is the most important thing you will evaluate when hiring a commercial cleaning company. Generic contracts that promise “janitorial services” without itemizing what gets cleaned, at what frequency, and to what standard give you no recourse when quality slips. Ask for a written scope built from a walkthrough of your building, not a template. Any company worth hiring will want to see the space before quoting it.

Beyond the scope, the three questions that separate dependable vendors from ones that will frustrate you: Who specifically will clean my building, and what happens when they are not available? How do you handle complaints, and what is the response time? What documentation will I receive, and how do I access it? Dedicated crew assignments, a documented escalation path, and a client portal or visit log are features that make quality maintainable rather than dependent on whoever shows up on a given night.

Start with a walkthrough, not a phone call

Any company that quotes your building without visiting it is guessing. Square footage from a lease doesn’t tell a cleaning company how many restrooms you have, whether the floor is VCT or carpet, how the trash stations are laid out, or whether the lobby has floor-to-ceiling glass. All of those factors affect labor time and cost.

Request a walkthrough before you receive a proposal. During the walkthrough, note how the sales rep engages with the space. A prepared vendor will take measurements, count fixtures, photograph areas of concern, and ask about your current service gaps. A vendor who shows up, looks around for 10 minutes, and follows up with a templated proposal hasn’t scoped your building. They’ve estimated it.

What to look for in the contract

A proper commercial cleaning contract includes:

A written scope of work. Task-by-task, frequency-by-frequency. “Restrooms cleaned nightly” is not enough. The scope should specify what cleaning means per restroom: fixture disinfection, floor mopping, consumable restocking, and how many restrooms per floor.

A service schedule. Days of the week, approximate time windows, and whether the scope changes on certain days (some companies do lighter passes midweek).

Consumables language. Trash liners, paper products, hand soap, and seat covers: who supplies them, and at what cost. Some contracts exclude these entirely.

QA provisions. How often does a supervisor inspect the work? What is the process for documenting and resolving deficiencies? If there’s no inspection language in the contract, there’s no QA process.

Termination terms. How much notice do both parties need? Are there penalties for early termination? A 30-day mutual termination clause is standard and protects both sides fairly.

Background checks and insurance: verify both

Background screening varies significantly across cleaning companies. Ask directly: Do you run background checks on all employees, or just supervisors? What does the check cover: criminal history, work authorization, identity verification? If a company can’t answer these questions with specifics, assume their screening process is minimal.

Insurance requirements for commercial cleaning typically include:

  • General liability: $1M per occurrence minimum, $2M aggregate for larger facilities
  • Workers’ compensation: required in Ohio and most states for any company with employees
  • Commercial auto if crew drives company vehicles to your site

Ask for a certificate of insurance naming your property as an additional insured. A reputable company will produce this without hesitation. One that hedges, delays, or says the document is “being updated” is telling you something.

Red flags in the sales process

The price comes before the walkthrough. If a company quotes you over the phone or via email without seeing the building, the number is a placeholder, not a real quote.

No crew assignment information. If a vendor can’t tell you whether you’ll have a consistent crew or a rotating pool, expect turnover and inconsistency.

“We’ll take care of it” answers. When you ask how complaints are handled and the answer is vague reassurance rather than a specific process (ticket system, response time window, escalation contact), the QA process doesn’t exist in a usable form.

Missing insurance documents. Legitimate commercial cleaning companies carry insurance and can provide a certificate within 24 hours of a request. Delays here often mean coverage is lapsed or insufficient.

References from different industries. A company that cleans auto dealerships and restaurants isn’t the same operation as one that cleans office buildings. Ask for references specifically from facilities similar to yours in size and type.

What to ask references

When you call a reference, the most useful questions are specific:

  • What happens when someone on the crew is sick or out? Is there a backup system?
  • Have you had to escalate a complaint? How was it handled?
  • Has the quality changed over time? Is it the same now as when you started?
  • If you knew what you know now, would you have signed with them?

A reference who answers these questions with specific examples is giving you real data. A reference who offers only generalities (“they’re great, very professional”) is either disengaged from their facilities management or was coached on what to say.

Getting to a decision

Once you have two or three written scopes, comparing them is straightforward if the scopes are specific. The same 10,000 sq ft building should get similar labor-time estimates from any competent vendor. Significant price divergence usually means one of three things: one vendor scoped more work, one is underpricing to win and will cut corners, or one is including consumables and the other isn’t.

Ask each vendor to walk you through what their price covers. If a vendor can’t explain the gap between their number and a competitor’s, that’s an answer too.

The janitorial services we provide include a written scope, dedicated crew assignment, and documented monthly inspections. If you’re ready to have a conversation about your facility, contact us.

Should I hire a local company or a national cleaning franchise?

Both can deliver good service. The practical difference is accountability structure. National franchises often use sub-contracted crews, which affects consistency and crew assignment. Local companies typically self-perform, meaning the crew you meet during the walkthrough is the crew who shows up. For smaller facilities (under 25,000 sq ft), local operators often have shorter escalation paths. You call the owner directly rather than a regional account manager.

How long should a commercial cleaning contract be?

One year is standard. Longer contracts benefit the vendor more than the facility. A good cleaning company won’t ask you to commit to three or five years on the first contract. After a successful first year, longer terms can work in your favor if they come with price stability.

What's a reasonable response time for a complaint?

A quality issue raised on Monday should be acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved by Tuesday night’s service at the latest. Issues related to health or safety (a spill, a restroom out of supplies) should get a same-day response. Ask vendors to put their complaint response time in writing before you sign.

Can I switch companies mid-contract if service quality drops?

It depends on the termination clause. Standard contracts have a 30-day written notice provision. Some have longer lock-in periods or early-termination fees. Read the exit terms before signing, especially for multi-year agreements. If a company requires 90+ days notice or significant termination penalties, treat that as a risk factor in your vendor decision.