Most commercial cleaning quotes are a single monthly number with a service name above it. That number is impossible to compare against another bid, because it never says how much work it buys. A useful bid tells you what gets cleaned, how often, and who supplies what.
1. A written task list, room by room
The scope should read like an instruction sheet for the crew, not a marketing paragraph. Restrooms, breakrooms, offices, corridors, entries and floors each carry different tasks, and the tasks are what you are paying for.
- Restroom cleaning, disinfecting and consumable restocking
- Trash and recycling collection to a defined point
- Vacuuming, dust mopping and damp mopping of hard floors
- Dusting of desks, sills, vents and common-area surfaces
- Breakroom counters, sinks and appliance exteriors
- Entry glass, high-touch points and door hardware
2. A frequency for every task
Not everything happens on every visit, and that is fine — as long as it is written down. Restrooms may be nightly while high dusting is monthly and vent detail is quarterly. When frequency is missing, the cheapest bid usually wins by quietly cleaning less.
3. Periodic work called out separately
Floor care runs on its own cycle. Strip and wax, machine scrub and recoat, burnishing, tile and grout, and carpet extraction do not belong inside a vague nightly rate. Ask whether they are included at a stated frequency, quoted per event, or excluded.
4. Supplies, equipment and consumables
Confirm who buys paper products, soap and liners, and whether they are billed inside the rate or passed through. This single line is often the difference between two bids that look identical.
5. Schedule, access and communication
Most janitorial work happens after hours, so the bid should state service days, arrival window, how the crew gets in, how keys or codes are handled, and who you call when something needs to change. A direct phone number matters more than a ticket portal for a building that needs a same-night fix.
6. A walkthrough before the price
Square footage alone does not price a building. Traffic, floor types, restroom count, fixture count and how the space is actually used all move the number. We scope a building in person where possible and then quote, which is why you will not find a flat per-square-foot rate on this site.
Questions worth asking every bidder
- What exactly happens on a normal visit, and what does not?
- Which tasks are weekly, monthly or quarterly?
- Is floor care included, quoted separately, or excluded?
- Who supplies consumables, and at what cost?
- Is it the same crew each visit?
- Who do I call at 9pm when something is missed?
If you have a competing bid in hand, bring it to the walkthrough. It is easier to price honestly against a task list than against a guess.