Compare the scope before you compare the number
- Have each provider put the scope in writing with task-by-task frequencies.
- Ask how many crew hours per visit sit behind the price in each quote.
- Confirm what supplies are included and what gets invoiced separately.
- Find out whether periodic work, especially floor care, lives inside the monthly figure or gets billed on its own.
Terms a cleaning contract has to cover
| Contract term | What it should say |
|---|---|
| Scope of work | Every task, every area, every frequency, written down. That document is what you hold the provider against. |
| Schedule | The days, the hours and the holiday calendar, including how LDS Church holidays, Pioneer Day and the state's own observances are handled. |
| Price and inclusions | The monthly or per-visit figure, which supplies are part of it, and the sign-off process for anything billed on top. |
| Insurance | A current certificate of liability insurance, plus workers compensation when the provider has employees. |
| Keys, badges and alarm codes | Who on the crew holds keys or badges, which alarm codes are issued, and what the provider does if any of them are lost. |
| Quality assurance | How often supervisors inspect the work, how you flag a missed task and how fast the provider commits to correcting it. |
| Term and cancellation | How long the agreement runs, and the notice either side has to give to end it. |
Things that should slow you down
- A firm price delivered without a walkthrough or any questions about the building.
- A verbal scope, or a written one that leaves out frequencies on each task.
- Hesitation when you ask for a current certificate of insurance.
- A long contract term with no reasonable off-ramp if the work slips.