Compare what you're getting, not just the bottom line
- Ask every provider for the scope on paper, every task listed with how often it gets done.
- Get them to tell you the labor hours per visit they're counting on.
- Sort out what supplies are baked into the price and what costs extra.
- Nail down whether periodic jobs such as floor care are in the price or quoted on their own.
What a cleaning contract should cover
| Contract term | What it should say |
|---|---|
| What gets done | Each task, each area and how often it happens. This is what you get to hold the provider to. |
| Schedule | The days and times the crew comes, plus what happens around holidays. |
| Price and what's in it | Your monthly or per-visit number, whether supplies come with it, and how any extra work gets okayed and billed. |
| Insurance | Proof of their liability insurance, plus workers comp if they've got employees. |
| Keys and security | Who's holding the keys and codes, and what the plan is if one goes missing. |
| Quality checks | How often somebody checks the work, plus how you flag something that got missed and get it handled. |
| Length and cancellation | How long the deal runs and how much notice each side has to give. |
Red flags
- A number tossed out before anyone has looked at your space or asked a single question about it.
- Nothing on paper, or a scope with no mention of how often anything happens.
- Won't show proof of insurance.
- A long contract you can't get out of if the work slides.