Landing commercial cleaning contracts can really change the game for a small cleaning business. These jobs bring in steady income and predictable schedules.
They also open the door to long-term client relationships. Winning commercial bids, though, isn’t quite the same as quoting for homes.
Prepping well, nailing your numbers, and showing real value—those are the keys to winning commercial cleaning contracts. You’ve got to know how to size up big spaces, figure out labor hours, and respond to those formal RFPs that can feel a bit intimidating.
Lots of companies miss out because they either undercharge or just don’t present their bids in a way that looks professional. Commercial clients want detailed proposals that spell out exactly what they’re getting and when.
They’re looking for cleaning partners who understand their unique needs, whether it’s an office, a clinic, or a retail shop. It’s not just about being the cheapest—reliability, expertise, and clear added value matter just as much.
Key Takeaways
- Winning commercial bids means getting your cost estimates right and doing thorough walkthroughs
- Presenting your services professionally and pricing competitively helps your bid rise above the rest
- Long-term success depends on understanding different types of commercial spaces and pricing each one thoughtfully
Understanding Commercial Cleaning Contracts
Commercial cleaning contracts are ongoing deals between cleaning companies and businesses for regular maintenance. Each job type comes with its own quirks, and contract terms should be clear to avoid headaches later.
Types of Commercial Cleaning Jobs
Office Buildings are probably the bread and butter for most cleaning companies. These contracts usually cover daily or weekly cleaning of offices, meeting rooms, and break spaces.
Medical Facilities need a different approach. Hospitals, clinics, and dental offices come with strict sanitization requirements and health codes.
Retail Spaces are all about keeping customer areas spotless. Stores and malls need frequent floor care and bathroom maintenance, often during business hours.
Educational Facilities—think schools and colleges—have their own needs. These usually include classrooms, cafeterias, gyms, and a big push for deep cleaning in the summer.
Industrial Sites like warehouses and plants can be a whole different animal. These often need specialized equipment and sometimes include cleaning machinery itself.
Religious Buildings and community centers have their own rhythm. Cleaning might be weekly or tied to special events, with extra setup or breakdown work.
Key Contract Terms and Clauses
Payment Terms lay out when and how you’ll get paid. Net 30 or net 15 are pretty standard for commercial cleaning.
Service Frequency spells out how often you’ll clean each area—daily, weekly, monthly, or whatever the client needs.
Termination Clauses are there for protection. Most contracts require 30 days’ notice, but there are usually conditions for immediate cancellation too.
Insurance Requirements are almost always in play. Most businesses want you to have at least $1 million in general liability coverage.
Equipment and Supply Responsibilities need to be clear. Some clients want you to bring everything; others supply the basics.
Quality Standards set the bar for what’s expected. Contracts usually define what “clean” means and how it’ll be checked.
Importance of Scope of Work
Detailed Task Lists are your best friend when it comes to avoiding disputes. Spell out exactly what you’ll clean in each area.
Frequency Specifications make it clear how often each job gets done. Trash removal might be daily, but floor mopping could be weekly.
Areas Covered need to be specific. The contract should say which rooms or spaces are included.
Excluded Services help you avoid doing extra work for free. Make sure the contract lists anything that’s not included, like carpet cleaning or post-event cleanup.
Quality Metrics give you something to measure against. Both you and the client should know what “good enough” looks like.
Change Order Procedures lay out how changes get made. Written processes protect everyone if tasks need to be added or dropped.
Preparing for the Bidding Process
Getting ready to bid on commercial jobs is all about prep and knowing your audience. The better your prep, the better your shot at landing the right clients.
Researching Prospective Clients
Before you send a bid, it pays to do your homework on each prospect. Figure out their business type, how big they are, and what kind of cleaning they actually need.
Start with their website and social media. You can usually find hours, staff size, and what kind of space they have.
That tells you a lot about traffic and cleaning needs. If you can, visit during business hours and watch how busy it gets.
Key research areas include:
- Business hours and busy periods
- Industry rules and regulations
- Who’s cleaning for them now
- Size of the company and recent growth
- Any budget limits or preferences
Online reviews can be surprisingly helpful. They’ll show you what the business cares about and if there are complaints about cleanliness.
Generating High-Quality Leads
You want leads from businesses that need your services and can actually pay for them. Don’t waste time on dead ends.
Effective lead generation methods:
- Join local business groups and go to events
- Reach out to property managers
- Drive around business parks and check for hiring signs
- Ask happy clients for referrals
- Search online directories and business lists
Keep an eye out for businesses that are expanding or moving. They’re likely to rethink their cleaning provider.
Some industries—like medical, restaurants, and banks—really care about cleanliness. They’re usually willing to pay more for good service.
When you get a lead, follow up quickly. Responding within a day makes a strong impression.
Analyzing Client Expectations
Every business has its own priorities when it comes to cleaning. The more you know about what they want, the better you can tailor your bid.
Ask them about their current cleaning setup. What do they like? What’s driving them nuts?
Important expectation areas:
- How often and when they want cleaning
- Any special rules or needs
- What “quality” looks like to them
- How they want to communicate
- If they need emergency cleaning sometimes
Medical offices expect something totally different than a retail shop. And a carpeted office isn’t the same as a warehouse with concrete floors.
Write down all their requirements. Clear notes now save you trouble later. Plus, good communication builds trust right from the start.
Conducting Effective Walk-Throughs
Walk-throughs are where you really get to know the job. Measuring spaces, spotting special needs, and jotting down the details all make your bid stronger.
Assessing Facility Square Footage
If your measurements are off, your bid will be too. Bring a measuring wheel or laser tool so you can get the right numbers for each area.
Key measurement areas include:
- Open office and cubicle spaces
- Private offices and meeting rooms
- Lobbies and entryways
- Restrooms and break areas
- Hallways and staircases
Each space might need cleaning at a different frequency. Restrooms are usually daily, but conference rooms might only need it a few times a week.
Measure room by room. Don’t just guess the total square footage. This helps you see where you might need extra services, like carpet cleaning.
Identifying Specialty Areas and Services
Certain spaces need special care, and that affects your labor and supply costs. Medical offices, for example, have their own cleaning rules.
Common specialty areas include:
- Kitchens – Need deep cleaning and degreasing
- Medical rooms – Require specific disinfectants
- Server rooms – Need anti-static cleaning
- Manufacturing zones – May call for industrial-strength supplies
Carpeted spots might need more than just vacuuming. High-traffic hard floors could need regular refinishing.
Ask about hazardous materials or safety rules. These can bump up your labor and supply costs, and sometimes require extra staff training.
Documenting Cleaning Requirements
Take good notes during the walk-through. It’ll save you from headaches and miscommunications later.
Essential documentation includes:
- How often each area gets cleaned now
- Any problem spots
- Who’s providing cleaning supplies
- Access rules and security needs
- Preferred cleaning times
Ask about any issues with previous cleaning companies. That way, you don’t repeat their mistakes.
If the client’s okay with it, take photos for reference. Also, note any supplies already on-site—you might save some money there.
Calculating Accurate Costs and Labor
Getting your numbers right is everything. You’ve got to know how long things take, what supplies cost, and what your overhead looks like.
Determining Production Rates
Production rates tell you how fast your team can get tasks done. Start timing how long it takes to vacuum a thousand square feet or clean a restroom.
Time these common tasks:
- Vacuuming per 1,000 sq ft
- Mopping hard floors per 1,000 sq ft
- Restroom cleaning (small, medium, large)
- Trash removal and liner replacement
- Dusting surfaces and furniture
Track your current jobs to build real data. New cleaning businesses often guess low on how long things take.
Industry standards can give you a starting point—ISSA has some helpful numbers. For example, a small restroom might take 15-20 minutes, while open office spaces can be vacuumed at 3,000-4,000 sq ft per hour.
Your production rates will get better as your team gains experience. Don’t forget to factor in your crew’s actual skill level.
Estimating Labor Hours
Start by multiplying your production rates by the space you need to clean. Break the space down by task type and how often each needs to happen.
Example calculation for a 5,000 sq ft office:
- Vacuum carpet areas: 3,000 sq ft ÷ 3,500 sq ft/hour = 0.9 hours
- Clean 4 restrooms: 4 × 0.3 hours = 1.2 hours
- Empty trash: 0.5 hours
- Total per visit: 2.6 hours
Multiply by cleaning frequency for weekly or monthly totals. If you clean three times a week, that’s 7.8 hours weekly.
Add some buffer time for setup, moving between areas, and the unexpected stuff that always pops up. Most cleaners tack on 10-15% to be safe.
Calculating Supply and Overhead Costs
Supplies usually run about 3-5% of your labor costs. Track your own usage to get your real number—everyone’s a little different.
Key supply categories:
- Paper products (toilet paper, towels)
- Cleaning chemicals and disinfectants
- Trash bags and liners
- Equipment replacement and maintenance
To get your hourly rate, add up labor, overhead, and a little profit. Don’t forget insurance, vehicle costs, equipment wear, and admin time.
If your worker earns $15/hour, add payroll taxes (about $2), overhead ($5-8), and profit ($5-10). That puts your billing rate at $27-35 an hour, give or take.
Check these numbers every few months. Compare estimates to what you actually spend—that’s how you get sharper over time.
Pricing Strategies and Building Your Bid
Getting your price right is everything. Set it too high, you lose contracts; too low, you’re working for peanuts. Smart pricing means balancing competitive rates with extra services that make you stand out.
Selecting Pricing Models
Most cleaning companies go with hourly rates or charge by square footage. Hourly pricing is good for routine jobs because it matches labor costs pretty closely.
The hourly formula: hourly rate × hours per visit × days per week × 52 weeks ÷ 12 months. For example, $25/hour × 4 hours × 5 days × 52 ÷ 12 = $2,167 monthly.
Square footage pricing is better for specialty work like carpets or floors. That runs about $0.10 to $0.30 per square foot, depending on the job’s complexity and how often you clean.
Key factors when choosing pricing models:
- Labor intensity of tasks
- Equipment requirements
- Cleaning frequency
- Building complexity
Setting Profit Margins
Most successful bids shoot for profit margins of 20-30% after expenses. You’ve got to account for labor, supplies, equipment, transportation, and all the overhead that sneaks in.
Supplies add about 3-5% to labor. Insurance, equipment, and admin? That’s another 10-15% on top.
Essential cost considerations:
- Direct labor wages and benefits
- Cleaning supplies and equipment
- Vehicle expenses and fuel
- Business insurance premiums
- Administrative overhead
Incorporating Value-Added Services
Add-on services can set your bid apart—no need to race to the bottom on price. These extras help justify higher rates and can build better client loyalty.
Popular value-added services include:
- Flexible scheduling – Evening or weekend cleaning
- Green cleaning products – Eco-friendly options for health-conscious clients
- Emergency response – 24-hour availability for urgent cleaning
- Technology integration – Digital reports or scheduling
Bundle these into your service plans to boost contract value. Many clients will pay more for convenience and expertise.
Pitch value-added services as answers to a client’s specific headaches. Medical offices might need extra disinfection; retail stores may want cleaning outside business hours.
Responding to RFPs and Presenting Your Proposal
If you want to win a cleaning contract, your proposal needs to look sharp and organized. Professional presentation matters—a lot. Showing off your experience and laying out clear service schedules builds trust.
Structuring a Formal Cleaning Contract Proposal
There’s a standard structure most clients expect. Start with an executive summary showing you understand what the client needs.
Detail your service schedule. Daily stuff: empty trash, clean restrooms, vacuum high-traffic spots. Weekly: deep clean floors, sanitize surfaces.
Essential proposal sections include:
- Company overview and certifications
- Detailed scope of work
- Service schedule breakdown
- Pricing structure with line items
- Insurance and bonding information
In the scope of work, address every area in the RFP. Break down square footage and spell out the cleaning tasks for each type of space.
List your cleaning supplies and equipment. Clients want to know what’s being used in their buildings—some care a lot about this.
Professional Presentation Techniques
Visuals make a difference. Use clear headings, bullet points, and don’t be afraid of white space.
Tables help, especially for service schedules:
| Service | Frequency | Areas Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuuming | Daily | All carpeted areas |
| Restroom cleaning | Daily | All facilities |
| Floor mopping | 3x weekly | Hard surface floors |
Bind your proposal or use a nice folder. Company letterhead and consistent fonts show you care about details.
Photos of your crew or before-and-after shots can help, too. People like to see proof of good work.
Send digital proposals as PDFs so nothing gets scrambled. When emailing, use a clear subject line and follow up to make sure it arrived.
Including References and Testimonials
References prove you can handle the work. List at least three current clients with similar buildings or needs.
Give full contact info: name, title, company, phone, and email.
Reference information should specify:
- Contract duration and current status
- Facility size and type
- Services provided
- Key achievements or improvements
Client testimonials are gold. Use real quotes about measurable results, like better cleanliness scores or fewer complaints.
Facility managers’ testimonials carry weight, especially if they mention reliability and good communication. Property managers want contractors who respond fast.
If you’ve got hospital or medical facility references, highlight those for healthcare bids. Those standards are tough—clients notice.
Stick to recent testimonials. Anything older than a year might not reflect how you work now.
Strategies for Standing Out and Winning Contracts
At the end of the day, winning contracts is about showing expertise and keeping communication clear. Too many competitors just focus on price and hope for the best.
Emphasizing Experience and Certifications
Show off your qualifications and track record—clients want to know you’re legit. Certifications prove you care about standards and training.
Key certifications to highlight:
- OSHA safety training compliance
- Green cleaning certifications
- Industry-specific training (healthcare, lab, food service)
- Bonding and insurance coverage details
It’s not just about years in business—give specific examples. Say “5 years servicing medical clinics” instead of just “5 years of experience.” That’s what clients want to hear.
Professional credentials to include:
- Business license and registration numbers
- Workers’ compensation coverage
- Background check policies for all staff
- Professional association memberships
Documentation matters. Clients want to know you meet all legal and safety requirements.
Demonstrating Consistent Client Communication
Clear, regular communication sets you apart. Clients notice when you check in and respond quickly—most don’t.
Set up communication protocols from day one. Promise response times and explain how you’ll report on progress.
Effective communication strategies include:
- Weekly or monthly service reports
- Digital inspection checklists with photos
- Client portals for real-time updates
- 24-hour response guarantee for urgent issues
Trust and reliability are everything in this industry. Clients want to know you’ll handle problems fast.
Tech tools help: GPS tracking, mobile apps, digital reports—they all boost transparency. Clients appreciate that.
Don’t forget to train your staff in professional communication. Every interaction reflects on your company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bidding on big commercial cleaning jobs can be tricky. If you know how to do a proper walk-through, calculate costs, and put together a solid proposal, you’re ahead of most.
What are the essential steps to prepare for a commercial cleaning contract walk-through?
Book the walk-through at least a day ahead. Bring a measuring wheel, camera, and something to jot notes on—don’t trust your memory.
Measure each room and hallway during the visit. Watch for special areas like medical rooms or high-security zones.
Ask about cleaning frequency and specific tasks. Find out when you can access the building and if there are any key procedures.
Look for hazardous materials or special equipment areas. Also, check if there’s storage space for your supplies.
Take photos of anything unusual—it’ll help you later. If possible, walk the whole facility with the decision-maker.
How do you accurately assess the scope and square footage for commercial cleaning jobs?
Use a measuring wheel or laser for accuracy. Measure each room separately, then add it all up.
Different spaces take different amounts of time. Offices need about 3-5 minutes per 1,000 square feet; restrooms and kitchens take longer.
Draw up a floor plan with your measurements. It’s easy to miss something otherwise, and clients like the extra effort.
Identify high-traffic areas—they’ll need more attention and affect your labor costs.
Flag special spaces like server rooms or medical suites. Note them separately from regular office space.
What is the best method to calculate labor hours and costs for large commercial cleaning spaces?
Rely on industry standards for time per square foot. Most offices can be cleaned at 2,000-3,000 square feet per hour.
Add time for special tasks like trash removal and restrooms—these aren’t covered by square footage alone.
Labor costs should include wages, taxes, and benefits. Always calculate the full loaded cost per hour.
Remember to add time for moving between areas, especially in big buildings or those with multiple floors.
It’s smart to include a 10-15% buffer for surprises. That keeps your margins healthy and your quality up.
How can you structure a formal and professional commercial cleaning bid or proposal?
Start the proposal with an executive summary. This gives decision-makers a brief look at your services and costs right away.
Next, add a company introduction. Mention your experience, certifications, and maybe a line about how long you’ve been around or what sets you apart.
Include a scope of work section. Here, list all the cleaning tasks in detail so there’s no confusion about what’s covered.
Break down your pricing by service type. Show monthly, quarterly, and annual costs separately for clarity.
Don’t forget contract terms. Add start dates, cancellation policies, and details about your insurance and bonding.
Wrap up with references from similar clients. Three is usually enough, and make sure to include their contact info.
What strategies can be employed to make a commercial cleaning bid more competitive and stand out to potential clients?
Highlight your insurance coverage and bonding. A lot of clients want to see solid documentation here, so don’t skimp on the details.
If you use tech like GPS tracking or digital reporting, mention it. These features show you’re serious about accountability and staying modern.
Point out any green cleaning products or eco-friendly methods you use. Some businesses really care about this, and environmental certifications can help.
Offer flexible scheduling options. Evening, weekend, or even holiday services can make your bid more appealing.
Let clients know about your staff training and background checks. It reassures them that you’re careful about who you send to their site.
Finally, talk about your response time for special requests. Clients like knowing you’ll handle emergencies or extra cleaning needs quickly.
What kind of value-added services can be included in a commercial cleaning contract to enhance the appeal of a bid?
Window cleaning’s a solid extra that doesn’t blow up the budget. Lots of commercial clients want both inside and outside glass kept clean.
Floor care—think carpet cleaning or waxing—can be a nice little earner. Usually, these only need to happen once a month or every few months.
Managing supplies is underrated. If the contractor keeps restrooms and kitchens stocked with paper goods and soap, that’s one less headache for the client.
Seasonal stuff like snow removal or even a bit of landscaping can keep the partnership going all year. It opens up more steady work, too.
Emergency cleaning for spills or sudden messes is a big trust-builder. Clients like knowing someone’s got their back in a pinch.
Air fresheners and even taking care of plants can brighten up the place. It’s a small thing, but it makes the office feel more welcoming.
