How to compare cleaning proposals
Put the task lists next to each other before you put the prices next to each other.
Compare the same scope
Use this worksheet during the walkthrough or when you review a proposal. Print it and add the details for your facility.
| Line to compare | Proposal A | Proposal B |
|---|---|---|
| Rooms and cleanable area | Write included/excluded rooms | Write included/excluded rooms |
| Visits and task frequency | Record visits and periodic tasks | Record visits and periodic tasks |
| Supplies | Identify purchaser and replenishment | Identify purchaser and replenishment |
| Startup work | Record scope and separate charge | Record scope and separate charge |
| Inspection and follow-up | Record process and contact | Record process and contact |
| Price and terms | Record recurring total, extras and notice | Record recurring total, extras and notice |
Give every bidder the same starting information
Use one facility brief for all proposals. List the rooms, approximate cleanable area, occupancy, operating hours, floor types and access restrictions. Include the current checklist if it reflects the work you want.
Explain the problems you are trying to solve. A bidder needs to know whether the issue is missed routine work, insufficient frequency or a condition that needs an initial project. Without a common brief, the proposals can answer different questions.
Compare tasks and frequency by area
Create a row for each area and its required tasks. For example, a restroom row should distinguish fixture cleaning, floor cleaning, waste and replenishment. Add the frequency for each. Broad phrases such as full service or complete cleaning do not provide that detail.
Mark an item as included, excluded or unclear for each proposal. Resolve unclear items before selecting a provider. Otherwise, an attractive total can depend on assumptions that neither side has agreed.
Separate supplies and periodic work
Identify who purchases paper products, soap, liners and other consumables. Then identify who checks stock and replenishes dispensers. These are related duties, but they are not the same duty.
List carpet extraction, floor restoration, high dusting and other projects separately. State frequency, surfaces and whether the cost is included in the monthly amount. An annual service with no defined scope is still difficult to compare.
Ask how the company manages the work
The proposal should explain who supervises the team, who the client contacts and how quality is checked. Ask what happens after a missed task is reported. An inspection process has value when findings lead to assigned follow-up.
Attendance tracking can support management, but it does not establish cleaning quality by itself. A useful program combines the task list, site attendance, inspection findings and client feedback. Ask to see how those pieces fit the account.
Review startup and contract terms
A transition needs access, supplies, site instructions and a clear start date. Ask whether an initial deep clean is included and what it covers. Distinguish that work from recurring maintenance.
Read the proposed notice, renewal, payment and scope-change terms. Record any exception you negotiated in the agreement. A conversation during the sales process should not be the only record of an important commitment.
Make the final comparison auditable
Keep the final scope beside the price and the management commitments. You should be able to explain why one proposal fits the building better, including any difference in frequency or periodic work. That record is useful after the contract starts too.
For a multi-site account, repeat the comparison by location before reviewing the regional total. Common reporting can simplify management, but different buildings still have different cleaning requirements. Clean Facility can review your scope during a walkthrough and identify the tasks proposed for each site.
Your questions,
answered.
What is the most useful first comparison?
Compare included areas, tasks and frequency. Price comparisons become more meaningful once the work is equivalent.
Should the cheapest quote be rejected?
No. Determine what it covers and how the work will be managed. A lower price is not a problem by itself; an unclear scope is.
What should be written down before signing?
The final scope, frequency, supplies, exclusions, periodic work, startup arrangements and contract terms should be recorded in the agreement.
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