A commercial cleaning proposal can look like a single number. It is really a stack of decisions about who cleans, how often, with what, and who checks. Two bids at very different prices are often pricing two different jobs. Here is how to read any proposal, ours or a competitor’s, so you compare like with like.
1. The scope, line by line
Ask for a written task list by area: restrooms, break rooms, offices, entrances, floors, glass. “Nightly cleaning” is not a scope. Each task should have a frequency (nightly, weekly, monthly, quarterly). If a task you expect is missing, it is not included.
2. Frequency and hours
Five nights a week and three nights a week are different prices and different results. Confirm the visit days, the service window, and what happens on holidays. If your building is occupied during the day, ask whether a day porter is priced in or left out.
3. Supplies and consumables
Paper, soap and liners are either included, billed at cost, or billed with a markup. This single line often explains a price gap between two bids.
4. Periodic and floor work
Strip and wax, carpet extraction, window cleaning and pressure washing are usually separate line items, not part of the nightly price. Ask how they are scheduled and priced so they do not arrive as a surprise invoice. See our commercial cleaning services for how we scope these.
5. Supervision and quality checks
Who walks the building, how often, and how do you report a problem? Ask for the answer in writing. A cheap bid with no supervision tends to cost more in complaints than it saves.
6. Insurance, staffing and compliance
Ask for the certificate of insurance, whether staff are employees or subcontractors, and how the provider handles background screening and training. These are routine questions for any legitimate provider.
7. Contract terms
Look at the term length, the cancellation notice, price-adjustment language and any service-failure remedy. Shorter notice periods are a sign the provider expects to earn the account every month.
For a broader look at what drives price, read our guide to commercial cleaning cost in Las Vegas. Want us to price your building against your current proposal? Request a free walkthrough and we will put the scope in writing line by line.