How to Choose a Commercial Cleaning Company: A Facility Manager’s Checklist

Most commercial cleaning proposals use the same words: reliable, thorough, trained, detail-oriented. When every bid sounds alike, the words don’t help you decide. What sets one commercial cleaning company apart is how it hires, insures, supervises, and writes its contracts.

This checklist is for facility managers, property managers, and business owners comparing cleaning vendors. It covers what to decide before you request bids, what to ask each company, which contract terms to check, and which warning signs to watch for.

Tully’s Cleaning Company has worked in commercial buildings since 1983. Here is what we would ask if we were the ones hiring.

Define Your Building’s Needs Before You Request Bids

You can only compare bids if every vendor prices the same job. If one company quotes nightly service and another quotes three nights a week, the lower price tells you nothing.

Write a one-page summary of the building and send it to every bidder. List the recurring commercial cleaning services you need, like nightly janitorial or day porter coverage. Add periodic work, such as strip and wax, hot water carpet extraction, and window cleaning. Then note restricted areas, like cash rooms or server closets, that need extra access rules.

Questions to Ask Any Commercial Cleaning Company

Sales calls tend to stick to price and schedule. These questions cover what a proposal won’t show you. Get the answers in writing.

Who Employs the Crew Cleaning Your Building?

Ask whether the cleaners are company employees or independent contractors. Under Massachusetts’ independent contractor law, most workers count as employees unless the employer can prove the work passes a strict three-part test. Misclassification can bring civil or criminal penalties. A vendor who cuts corners on payroll is likely to cut them elsewhere too.

How Does Their Insurance Cover You?

Start with a certificate of insurance. Ask to be named as an additional insured on the vendor’s general liability policy. Have their insurance agent, not the sales rep, send you the certificate. Check the policy dates and set a reminder before renewal, because lapsed coverage protects no one. Confirm the janitorial bond is current as well.

How Are Keys, Codes, and After-Hours Access Controlled?

Your cleaning crew may be the only outsiders in your building at night. Ask who carries keys and how they are tracked. If your alarm system allows it, give each crew member a separate code so you can trace every entry. Also ask what happens when a cleaner quits, how lost keys are handled, and what the lockup routine includes.

Which Services Are Handled In-House?

Some companies sell floor care, carpet cleaning, and window work, then hire another firm to do it. That puts a different crew in your building, with its own insurance and standards. Ask which services the company handles with its own staff. If anything is subcontracted, request that firm’s certificate of insurance too.

What Products Will Be Used on Site?

Your staff and tenants are exposed to whatever products the crew uses. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires cleaning companies to label hazardous chemicals, keep safety data sheets on hand, and train crews to handle them safely. Ask for the product list and safety data sheets before service starts.

How Is the Work Supervised and Measured?

Every company says it checks its work. Ask to see its inspection form, how often a supervisor uses it, and whether you get the results. Also ask how long the current crew has been with the company. Steady staff usually means steady results.

Contract Terms to Read Before You Sign

The contract decides what happens when service slips. Read these terms closely:

• Termination: Look for the right to end the agreement with short written notice, not only for cause.
• Automatic Renewal: Note the renewal date and the deadline to cancel.
• Price Increases: Check how often rates can go up and whether increases need your written approval.
• Added Work: Know how one-time jobs and extra space are priced, so a tenant move-in doesn’t bring a surprise bill.
• Damage Claims: Confirm how you report damage and how soon the vendor must respond.

Be wary of a company that pushes back on fair exit terms. Vendors who plan to keep you through good work rarely need a long lock-in.

Warning Signs While Comparing Proposals

Some problems show up before you sign. These are the signs to watch for during bidding.

A Price Quoted Without Seeing the Building

A quote given over the phone or from square footage alone is a guess. No one has seen your floors, traffic, or access rules.

No Labor Hours Per Visit

If a proposal leaves out labor hours, you can’t tell whether the price covers the work.

No Plan for a Sick or Absent Cleaner

Ask every bidder how they cover a missed shift. Without a plan, the night someone calls out is the night your building gets skipped.

The Salesperson Is the Only Contact

After signing, you need someone who manages the crew and can make decisions. If the proposal names only the salesperson, ask who that person will be.

A Discount That Expires This Week

An offer that disappears unless you sign now is a pressure tactic. Time pressure often means the deal won’t hold up to comparison.

One of these may have a fair explanation. Two or three in one proposal deserve a closer look.

Holding Tully’s Cleaning Company to the Same Standard

Tully’s Cleaning Company is owner-operated, with Ken and Ryan Tully directly involved in the work. We maintain around 60 commercial accounts with a crew of roughly 30 cleaners. We are insured and bonded, and our cleaners are our own employees, not subcontractors.

We handle nightly janitorial, strip and wax, carpet extraction, and window cleaning ourselves. Hard-floor work is covered under our commercial floor cleaning service.

Buildings that need daytime coverage can add day porter services to the same plan. We also limit how many accounts we take on. Our crews are local, so a manager can get to your building fast.

Choosing a Commercial Cleaning Company: FAQs

How many cleaning companies should I get quotes from?

Three is a practical number for most buildings. That’s enough to see typical pricing and spot an outlier without weeks of walkthroughs. For a multi-building portfolio, consider bidding one property first and expanding once a vendor proves itself.

What should the first month with a new cleaning company look like?

Expect a short adjustment period while the crew learns the building. A good vendor checks in during the first week or two, walks the space with you, and fixes small misses quickly. Keep a running list of issues and review it together at the 30-day mark. Raise any problem that keeps repeating after that.

What will a new cleaning company need from us after we sign?

Expect to provide keys or access cards, an after-hours contact, and a lockable space for supplies and equipment. Share building rules too, like loading dock hours, elevator limits, or tenant quiet times. Settling these before the first night avoids a slow start.