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Comparing janitorial bids: a checklist for lining them up fairly
Before the numbers mean anything, every bid has to describe the same job. Use this checklist to set each proposal’s tasks, timing, inspections, coverage and first weeks next to the others, one sheet per bid.
Printable checklist
Why two bids rarely describe the same job.
Put three janitorial bids on a desk and they will almost never match line for line. One counts the restrooms as nightly and another as three times a week. One brings the paper and soap, another expects you to. One says nothing about who checks the work. The bottom line on each page reflects those differences, so comparing totals before comparing the work underneath tells you very little.
This checklist is about the work, not the price. It walks through the seven things to line up before you compare figures at all. Our guide to what goes into a commercial cleaning quote covers how a figure is built, and what drives commercial cleaning cost explains why figures differ. Here, the goal is simply to make sure every bidder is answering the same question.
The printable is one sheet per bid. Make notes on it while you read that proposal, then spread the finished sheets out together. Gaps show up quickly when one sheet has blanks where the others have answers.
1. Scope and frequencies.
Start here, because every other line depends on it. The cleanest way to compare is to hand every bidder the same written scope and ask each one to price that, rather than their own idea of your building. Still without one? Writing a janitorial scope of work takes you through drafting it area by area.
- Does the bid name every area you walked, including support rooms and stairwells?
- Is there a frequency against each task, not one schedule for the whole building?
- Do periodic jobs on hard floors and carpet appear, each with its own interval?
- Does it say which rooms the crew leaves alone?
- Do restroom and kitchen frequencies match what you asked for?
2. Hours and access.
A bid that cleans on the wrong nights, or inside the wrong window, is not really the same bid. Confirm when the crew arrives, when it is gone, and how it gets in.
- Service nights and the start and finish window, in writing
- How holidays and building closures are handled
- How keys, badges and alarm codes are issued and logged
- Whether the bidder has asked about your building’s own rules for after-hours entry, elevators and the loading dock
Ask, too, how long the crew expects to spend in the building on each visit. Two bids with the same scope and very different time on site deserve a follow-up question about how the work will actually fit into the night.
3. Supplies and equipment.
Consumables are a common reason two totals look far apart. See whether each bid folds in restroom paper, seat covers, can liners, soap and sanitizer, or expects your building to buy them. Then check equipment: vacuums, floor machines and chemicals usually come with the crew, but the bid should say so. If you want a particular product, such as unscented soap, note whether each bidder has accounted for it.
Ask who watches stock levels between deliveries and who places the reorder. A bid that includes supplies but leaves restocking unclear can still leave you with an empty towel dispenser on a busy afternoon.
4. Supervision and inspections.
A clean building is the goal of every bid; what you want in writing is how anyone will know. Look for a named role that checks the work, how often those checks happen, and how you see the results. A bid that answers these in a sentence or two is easier to hold to later.
- Who inspects the crew’s work, and on what schedule?
- Will you see inspection results, or only hear about problems?
- Who is your contact for day-to-day questions?
- How is a missed task followed up?
At Fieldstone, supervisors carry out quality inspections as part of the service. Our guide on how a cleaning inspection works shows what one looks like, which is a useful yardstick when you read other bids.
5. Insurance and paperwork.
Request a certificate of insurance from each company, then confirm the dates are current and the named insured matches the business that bid. Ask whether the company carries workers’ compensation, whether it is bonded, and how it screens the people who will hold your keys. Write down what each bidder sends and when. Your own advisor or property manager can tell you what coverage your building or lease calls for.
On our side of that sheet: Fieldstone holds insurance and a bond, has workers’ compensation in place, runs background checks on its crews, and sends each client a certificate of insurance.
6. Communication. 7. The start-up plan.
The last two lines are about the relationship rather than the cleaning. How do you reach the company when something goes wrong, and who answers? Is there one person or a general inbox? Settle this in writing before service begins.
Then ask how the first weeks will run. A good start-up plan covers a walkthrough with the person who will check the work, the handover of keys and codes, a confirmed task list before the first night, and a check-in after the first week. Our guide to the first weeks with a new cleaning company covers what that period should look like once you have chosen.
With every sheet filled in, read the blanks before the answers and the answers before the figures. Each blank is a question that bidder has not answered yet, so send them back and ask for replies in writing. Only when the sheets line up does a side-by-side look at the totals tell you something real. If you would like Fieldstone among the bids, request a quote and we will start with a walkthrough.
A few useful answers
Common questions.
Should every bidder walk the building?
Yes. A bid written without a walkthrough is a guess about your rooms, floors and traffic. Walk each bidder through the same areas and hand them the same written scope, so the bids answer the same question.
What if two bids describe different scopes?
Send both bidders your written scope and ask them to revise against it. Until the work matches, the totals can’t be compared fairly.
What paperwork should come with a janitorial bid?
A written scope or plan, a current certificate of insurance, and answers on workers’ compensation, bonding and how crews are screened. Note what each company sends so the sheets can be compared.
Does Fieldstone give a written plan with its quote?
Yes. Every quote starts with a walkthrough of your building, and the plan comes back to you in writing, along with a certificate of insurance.
Can I print the comparison sheet?
Yes. Download the PDF here at no charge, and keep to one copy per bid, filled in while that proposal is open in front of you.