How to choose a commercial cleaning company

Start with what you need

Before you call anyone, write down four things. Every company will ask, and you’ll get quotes you can actually compare.

• Size: roughly how many square feet, and how many restrooms and kitchens or breakrooms
• Frequency: how many times a week you want cleaning: once, twice, three times or every weekday
• Timing: when the crew can be in the building (evenings, early mornings or weekends) and how they get in
• Extras: whether you want the cleaner to supply paper towels, toilet paper and trash liners, and whether any rooms need special care, such as exam rooms, server rooms or a nursery

Ask who actually does the work

This is the question that matters most, and the one people forget to ask. The company that sells you the contract isn’t always the company that shows up.

Ask whether the cleaners are the company’s own staff or subcontracted out, and whether it’s the same crew every visit. With some franchise models, the brand sells the account and an individual owner-operator does the work. That can work well, but you should know who you’re dealing with and who to call when something is missed.

A consistent crew learns your building: which doors lock, which office is off limits, where the supplies are kept. A rotating crew starts from zero every time.

Get the scope in writing

A good quote isn’t just a price. It should come with a written checklist of what gets cleaned on every visit, and which tasks are done less often. Without one, “we clean the restrooms” can mean anything.

Ask for the checklist before you sign. If something goes wrong later, it’s the document you both point to.

Check insurance properly

Any cleaner you let into your building should carry general liability insurance. Don’t take “we’re insured” on faith. Ask for a certificate of insurance (COI). Many landlords and property managers require one before a vendor can work in the building, and some want to be named on it.

Compare quotes the right way

Cleaning is mostly labor. When one quote is far below the others, it usually means fewer hours in your building, not a more efficient crew. Ask each company:

• How many hours a visit does this price include?
• Is the price fixed every month, or billed per visit?
• What’s included: equipment, cleaning products, paper goods, trash liners?
• Does the quote include Texas sales tax? Janitorial services are taxable in Texas, so make sure you’re comparing like with like.
• Is there a one-time initial deep clean before regular service starts?

For larger buildings, a company should see the space before giving a firm price. A quote over the phone for a 20,000 sq ft building is a guess.

Know how problems get fixed

Something will eventually get missed. What matters is what happens next. Ask: who do I call, how fast do you respond, and what changes so it doesn’t happen again? The best answer names a person, not a general inbox.

Read the contract terms

Look at the length of the agreement, how either side can end it, and whether it renews automatically. A company that’s confident in its work doesn’t need to lock you in for years.

Red flags

• No written scope or checklist
• Can’t or won’t send a certificate of insurance
• Can’t tell you who will be cleaning your building
• A firm price for a large building without a walkthrough
• A price far below everyone else’s, with no explanation of hours
• A long contract that renews automatically, with a hard exit

Questions to take to every walkthrough

• Who cleans the building: your staff or a subcontractor? Same crew every visit?
• Can I see the checklist you’ll follow?
• Can you send a certificate of insurance?
• How many hours a visit does this price cover?
• Is the monthly price fixed, and does it include sales tax and supplies?
• Who do I call if something is missed, and what happens next?
• How long is the agreement, and how do I end it?

Talk to us

If you’re in the Austin or Houston area and want a second opinion on your cleaning, we’ll walk your space for free and send a fixed monthly price in writing.

Related

Looking for cleaning in the Austin area? See office cleaning in Buda, office cleaning in Austin and our typical monthly prices.