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Comparing janitorial bids: a side-by-side checklist for the proposals on your desk.
Three proposals on the desk and no two laid out alike? Use this sheet to line them up on scope, hours, supplies, supervision, insurance and the start, so you compare the same service.
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Printable checklist
Why bids are hard to compare.
Every cleaning company writes its proposal its own way. One lists tasks room by room, another sends a single paragraph and a monthly figure, and a third attaches a long schedule with codes you have to decode. Put them side by side and it is rarely clear whether they describe the same work.
The checklist on this page gives you one set of questions to ask of every bid. It assumes the shortlist is already made and the walkthroughs are done; if you are still at that stage, start with our guide to choosing a janitorial company. Once the proposals are in, go down the sheet with each one and mark what it answers clearly, what it answers vaguely and what it leaves out.
Scope and frequencies.
The scope is the heart of a bid. Two numbers can only be compared if they buy the same tasks, done the same number of times. Read each proposal for:
- A room or area list that matches your building, including storage, stairwells and outdoor entries
- A frequency on every task, not just “as needed”
- Periodic work named separately: carpet extraction, floor refinishing, window cleaning, high dusting
- How a task added later would be handled and quoted
- Anything you asked for on the walkthrough that is missing from the paper
When one bid lists carpet extraction twice a year and another leaves it out, they are not two prices for one service. Mark the gap and ask the second company to quote it, or set it aside for both.
Hours, access and supplies.
When the work happens and what it uses both shape how the service feels day to day. Check that each bid states:
- Which nights or days the crew comes, and the window they work in
- How keys, access cards and alarm codes are issued and returned
- Whether holiday weeks or closures shift the schedule
- Who buys restroom paper, soap, liners and sanitizer, and who keeps dispensers filled
- Whether equipment and cleaning products are brought by the crew
Supplies are easy to miss. A bid that includes restroom paper and liners covers different ground than one that leaves them to your office manager, so note which way each proposal goes before you weigh them.
Supervision and inspections.
A written plan is only as good as the checking behind it. Look for a clear answer on who walks the building after the crew has been through, and how often. Note in each bid:
- Whether a supervisor inspects the work, and on what schedule
- What gets recorded on an inspection and whether you see the results
- Who your day-to-day contact is, by role
- How a missed task is reported and how quickly it is put right
Our page on how cleaning quality inspections work explains what a useful inspection covers, which helps when you read what each bid promises.
Insurance and paperwork.
Ask every company for the same documents, and compare them the same way. If your organization has its own vendor requirements, check those first.
- A certificate of insurance naming your organization, received before work begins
- Workers’ compensation coverage for the crew
- Bonding
- Background checks on the people who will be in your building
- A named contact for billing questions
Arbor Janitorial is insured and bonded, carries workers’ compensation, background-checks its crews and provides a certificate of insurance to every client.
Communication and the start-up plan.
The first weeks of a new contract tell you a lot about the months that follow. A good bid explains how the start will run instead of leaving it to the first night. Look for:
- A start date and what happens in the days before it
- A first-week walkthrough with you or your facilities lead
- How you reach the company during the day and after hours
- How changes to the scope are requested and confirmed in writing
- A review point after the first month
Once you have signed, our first-month checklist for a new cleaning crew picks up where this sheet stops. It covers the key handoff, the first week of checks and the review at day 30.
Reading the sheet at the end.
When every bid has been through the list, count the blanks. A proposal with a slightly higher figure and a full sheet often describes more service than a cheaper one with gaps in supplies, periodic work or supervision. Send each company a short note listing what its bid left unclear, and compare the answers. For a sense of what moves the figures themselves, see what drives janitorial cost. The printable sheet covers one bid, so print a copy for each proposal and fill it in by hand at your desk.
A few useful answers
Common questions
How many bids are enough to compare?
Three is a workable number. It gives you a fair spread to weigh while keeping the reading manageable, and each company still has time to walk the building properly.
What if a bid leaves out periodic work?
Ask the company to quote it as a separate line, or remove it from every bid you are weighing. Comparing a proposal with carpet and floor work against one without it gives a false picture.
Should the insurance certificate arrive before we sign?
It should arrive before any work starts, and many buyers ask for it with the proposal. Check that it names your organization and that the dates are current.
Does Arbor Janitorial put the scope in writing?
Yes. After the free walkthrough we send a written plan with rooms, tasks and a frequency on every line, so it can be laid next to any other bid.
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