Updated September 7, 2026 by Ark Pizarro, Dream Cleaned Services. 7 min read.
Direct answer
Compare cleaning quotes only after every vendor walks the same building and prices the same written scope. Match frequency, named tasks, exclusions, insurance, and how misses get fixed. A lower monthly number usually means a thinner scope, not a better vendor. If two bids are far apart, the scopes are not the same.
Do this before you ask for prices
Walk the building with your phone. Photograph the restrooms, the kitchen, the entry glass, and the rooms that already generate complaints. Count stalls, urinals, and glass doors. Note carpet versus hard floor. That packet is what every vendor should price. If you skip it, you will get three numbers for three different jobs.
Put the work in writing next. What belongs in a commercial cleaning scope of work is the checklist. You can use ours even if you hire someone else.
The five things that have to match
| Item | What “same job” looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Walkthrough | Every vendor walked the same address | Priced from square footage on a form |
| Scope | Named tasks and named exclusions | “Full service” with no list |
| Frequency | The same visits, split by zone | One vendor daily, another weekly, same price |
| Insurance | Certificate in your building’s name | “We can send that later” |
| Misses | Photo log plus a 24-hour make-it-right visit | Invoice only, no supervisor, no redo |
How to read a number that looks too low
Ask which of these were left out: high dusting, chair bases, conference glass, grout, the entry mat, and supply checks. Those are the eight tasks that get skipped when a crew is behind. A bid that never named them is not aggressive. It is incomplete. See what gets missed every night.
Ask whether medical or childcare protocols are in the price. If you run a clinic, “hospital-grade” on the quote is not enough. You want dwell times and a written protocol. That work costs 30–50% more than a standard office. A vendor matching office rates on a medical suite is not matching the job.
A one-page scorecard
Give each vendor a 0 or 1 on these lines, then look at price last:
- Walked this building
- Priced the written scope, not a template
- Frequency listed by zone
- Certificate of insurance ready
- Supervisor visits defined
- Photo logs defined
- Make-it-right visit inside 24 hours
- Exclusions listed (carpet extraction, waxing, exterior glass)
The vendor with sevens and eights and a middle price is the one you can manage. The vendor with a two and the lowest number will spend the first 90 days explaining why the restrooms still smell.
Common questions
Why are commercial cleaning quotes so far apart?
The vendors are not pricing the same job. One included restroom grout, high dusting, and a supervisor visit. The other priced trash, vacuum, and a wipe of what they can see. Force a written scope before you compare numbers.
Should I pick the cheapest commercial cleaning bid?
Not if the cheap bid skipped the walkthrough, used a price-per-square-foot formula, or cannot name the tasks. That bid is missing work you will still have to pay for later.
What documents should every vendor send with a quote?
A site-specific scope of work, visit frequency by zone, a certificate of insurance, and a written make-it-right rule. Product lists and brochures are not a quote.
Sources
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Get a free quoteRelated guides
- What belongs in a commercial cleaning scope of work
Name the rooms, the tasks, the frequency, and what is not included.
- In-house janitors vs a contracted cleaning crew
Fully loaded cost, coverage when someone is out, and when a staff janitor still makes sense.
- What Gets Missed Every Night: The 8 Most Skipped Commercial Cleaning Tasks
The eight tasks that turn into Monday complaints when a crew is unsupervised.