Commercial cleaning RFP template for facility managers

What this packet is for

A commercial cleaning RFP is the packet you send when you want comparable bids. It is not a brochure request. It tells vendors what building you have, what work you want priced, what proof you expect, and what answers you need in writing. Use the same packet for every bidder. Change the building facts. Do not change the questions.

Pair this page with a written scope. What belongs in a commercial cleaning scope of work is the companion document. When the bids come back, score them with how to compare commercial cleaning quotes.

Copy-ready RFP outline

Use these sections in order. Fill the bracketed lines with your building. Leave the vendor questions the same for every bidder.

1. Invitation

• Building name and street address
• Facility type (office, warehouse, medical suite, retail, school/daycare, church, government)
• Rough cleanable square footage
• Desired start date
• Proposal due date and who receives it
• Whether a mandatory walkthrough is required (yes)

2. Building facts the vendor must price against

• Hours the building is occupied
• Preferred cleaning window (after close, early morning, between shifts)
• Access method (badge, lockbox, escort, alarm instructions)
• Restroom count and high-traffic zones
• Floor types (carpet, VCT, concrete, stone)
• Known complaint rooms
• Any secured areas the crew cannot enter

3. Scope of work attachment

Attach one scope that names zones, frequency by zone, tasks, exclusions, supplies, photo-log proof, and the make-it-right rule. Do not let each vendor invent their own “full service” list. If you do not have a scope yet, start with the scope guide and finish it before you send this RFP.

4. Vendor questionnaire (same answers from everyone)

1. Legal company name, years in commercial cleaning, and DFW references for similar buildings
2. Certificate of insurance: general liability limit, workers’ compensation, additional insured language for the building
3. Background-check policy for people who will hold keys or badges
4. Who supervises the crew, how often they visit, and how misses get escalated
5. Staffing plan: employee vs subcontracted labor for this building
6. Proof of service: photo logs, timestamps, and which rooms are photographed each visit
7. Make-it-right rule: how fast a miss is redone at no charge
8. What is included in the monthly price vs billed separately (carpet extraction, floor finish, exterior glass, day porter, supplies)
9. How price changes if square footage or frequency changes later
10. Transition plan if you are replacing an incumbent without a dark night

5. Price breakout you should demand

• Monthly recurring price for the attached scope
• Visits per week and hours assumed per visit
• Separate lines for day porter, carpet, floors, windows, or deep-clean catch-up if quoted
• One-time start-up or initial deep-clean fee, if any
• Supply fees, if paper/soap/liners are not in the monthly number

After you have numbers, read how pricing works and use the calculator. Neither replaces a walkthrough of this building.

6. Rules that keep bids honest

• Bids without a walkthrough of this address are rejected
• Bids that rewrite the scope without marking changes are rejected
• Lowest monthly number does not win if the packet score is weak
• Dream Cleaned will walk the building, write the scope with you if needed, and price that document. Not a square-footage guess

How to use this without creating busywork

For a small professional suite, keep sections 1 through 5 and cut references you do not need. For a multi-floor or warehouse-plus-office building, keep the whole packet and force separate lines for office zones versus warehouse floor. Do not invent city-specific RFP clones. One strong packet plus a building-specific scope is enough.

When you are ready for Dream Cleaned to bid the same way, send the packet through the quote form or book a walkthrough. We will price the attached scope after we see the building.