Choosing the wrong commercial janitorial service exposes your team to safety issues, compliance failures, and tenant complaints. Commercial cleaning services directly affect facility health, reputation, and operational efficiency. With more property managers and EHS leaders demanding green cleaning, secure access controls, and transparent quality reporting, choosing the right partner matters.
Commercial cleaning companies vary widely in accountability, service, and flexibility. Gaps in scope or unclear pricing can lead to surprise fees and service lapses. Evaluating janitorial services carefully protects your facility, keeps tenants satisfied, and ensures you meet regulatory and sustainability goals within budget.
What Commercial Janitorial Services Include (and What They Don’t)
Commercial janitorial services keep office buildings, healthcare centers, and high-security facilities clean and safe. Good providers use commercial-grade products appropriate for the surface and soil load, and document dilution, dwell time, and safety handling. A standard janitorial contract outlines day-to-day cleaning tasks and periodic specialty services. That makes it easier to match services to your building’s needs and budget.
Core Services You Should Expect
Most commercial cleaning services should include:
- Trash removal from offices and common areas
- Restroom cleaning and restocking of soap and paper products
- Vacuuming carpets and mopping hard floors
- Wiping down high-touch surfaces like door handles and elevator buttons
Common Exclusions and Add-Ons
Not everything is included. Specialty work like floor refinishing or high dusting typically costs extra because it needs different equipment, training, and scheduling.
Common exclusions that are billed separately include:
- High dusting of vents, lights, or exposed pipes
- Carpet extraction and deep stain treatment
- Floor stripping, waxing, and refinishing
- Upholstery cleaning or exterior window washing
If your building requires tracked sanitation logs in regulated environments, you’ll need to add commercial disinfection services separately and specify protocols in your contract.
Define Scope and Write an RFP Vendors Can Price Accurately
A detailed RFP prevents surprises. Document your building layout, service expectations, and vendor requirements upfront so you get proposals you can actually compare—and avoid change orders later.
Step 1: Inventory Zones and Usage
Break your facility into zones (lobby, restrooms, breakrooms, conference rooms, loading areas) and describe how each is used: traffic patterns, peak times, and after-hours activity.
Step 2: Set Frequency Plus Periodic Work
Specify how often each zone needs service (daily/three times per week/weekly). Add any periodic tasks that need special equipment or scheduling (floor stripping and waxing, carpet extraction, upholstery, interior glass).
Step 3: Capture Site Constraints
Include site-specific constraints: access rules for tenants or restricted areas, noise limits during business hours, dock hours, and where supplies or equipment can be staged.
Step 4: Lock the Base Scope, Add-Ons, and Triggers
Define what’s in the base price for each zone and what counts as an add-on. Specify triggers for extra work (special events, post-construction dust, seasonal pollen). Clarify who supplies consumables (liners, soap, paper goods) and set service windows and response times for urgent requests.
Risk Controls That Protect Your Facility
Janitorial services affect safety, access, and liability, not just appearance. Look for vendors who can demonstrate controls across three risk areas: people, facility, and operations.
1. People Controls: Hiring, Training, and Supervision
Find out how the vendor vets and trains staff. Do they run background checks? Are cleaners direct employees or subcontractors? Do they receive site-specific onboarding and instruction on chemical safety and equipment?
Reputable vendors provide:
- Documented background checks for all staff
- Around 8–12 hours of structured initial training (aligned with BSCAI standards)
- Site-specific training aligned to your building rules
- Clear lines of supervision with regular site checks
- A single point of contact for escalations
When vendors hire carefully and train thoroughly, you get lower turnover and more consistent work.
2. Facility Controls: Access and Key Management
Because cleaning crews access sensitive areas after hours, your vendor needs tight security protocols for tenant spaces, government offices, or healthcare zones.
During vendor evaluation, ask:
- How are keys or badge access managed?
- Are cleaners escorted in secure zones or logged at entry points?
- What’s the protocol for lost keys or access violations?
Look for timestamped check-ins, supervisor confirmations, or GPS-based mobile apps that track crew accountability during night shifts.
3. Operational Controls: Incidents, Documentation, and Oversight
Strong vendors document, report, and correct problems, not just clean. They track issues, assign ownership, and verify resolution. Ask how they handle:
- Safety incidents or chemical spills
- Requests for special attention (odor, dust, complaints)
- Documentation for inspections or audits
You should receive:
- Standard inspection reports or scorecards
- Photos of issues or completed work
- Logs for periodic tasks and product usage
- Performance reviews on a set cadence
That documentation confirms work quality and catches problems early.
Evaluate Quality Assurance with Evidence
Strong janitorial partners document quality, not just promise it. Look for providers that use formal inspection systems with scoring, timestamped photos, and trend reports. These reports should cover cleaning consistency by zone, track re-clean rates, and show where the vendor is meeting your standards or falling short.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) should define re-clean protocols, response times, and escalation steps. Ask for samples to see what happens when standards aren’t met.
The vendor should track issues in work orders or digital logs with before/after photos and proof of closeout. Supervisors should check work after every shift, not only when you schedule an inspection.
Find out how often the vendor holds performance reviews and ask for a sample report. These should include inspection scores, response metrics, and incident summaries that let you track performance over months, not just the first few weeks.
Verify Green Cleaning with Documentation, Not Claims
Vague claims about “eco-friendly cleaning” mean nothing. Credible vendors prove their green practices with third-party certifications, product-level documentation, and compliance records. Get the full list of cleaning products, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), chemical dilution procedures, and PPE protocols.
Verify staff training in green cleaning standards and safe handling. When a vendor claims certifications (such as GS-42), get a copy and check the expiration date.
For equipment, expect microfiber systems and HEPA-filtered vacuums. Find out how tools are maintained between jobs to prevent cross-contamination. Good vendors provide routine EHS reports and keep detailed product usage and waste logs for indoor air quality audits.
Compare Pricing, Contracts, and Proposals Fairly
Price is only part of the picture. Compare proposals on scope, terms, and service quality, not just cost.
How to Standardize Proposals
Separate labor costs from periodic or specialty cleaning tasks to spot hidden bundled fees. Proposals should break down frequency assumptions and square footage by zone.
Key details to confirm include:
- What is included in routine service vs. billed as extra
- Frequency of services per area or floor
- Pricing for specialty or seasonal work
Check contract terms: price increases, renewal options, termination policies, and service credits for missed performance. The vendor should provide a transition plan that specifies staffing dates, initial inspections, and who handles tenant issues during the switch. Request a standardized format from every vendor so you can compare proposals directly.
| What to Ask For in a Janitorial ProposalYour proposal should include:Cleaning frequencies broken down by zone or areaA list of periodic and specialty tasks (e.g., floor waxing, carpet extraction)Pricing for add-ons, with clearly defined triggersA breakdown of who supplies consumables and what’s includedA sample inspection report showing scoring and documentationA sample SLA outlining re-clean timelines and escalation stepsSupervisor contact details and how often site reviews occurProof of any green certifications and access to Safety Data Sheets (SDS) |
| Evaluation Category | Key Criteria to Verify | Vendor A | Vendor B |
| Scope & Accuracy | Zone Inventory: Does the proposal list specific zones (lobby, restrooms, etc.) and their usage patterns? | ☐ | ☐ |
| Frequency Clarity: Are tasks assigned clear frequencies (daily, three times per week, etc.)? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Base vs. Add-ons: Is there a clear distinction between base price and triggered extras (e.g., post-construction)? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| People & Risk | Staff Vetting: Does the vendor provide documented background checks for all staff? | ☐ | ☐ |
| Training Standards: Is there proof of at least 12 hours of training for new hires (BSCAI standard)? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Supervision: Is there a designated single point of contact for escalations? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Access & Security | Access Protocol: Are there strict procedures for key/badge management in sensitive zones? | ☐ | ☐ |
| Accountability: Does the vendor use GPS-based apps or timestamped check-ins for night crews? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Quality Assurance | Digital Reporting: Does the system provide inspection reports with timestamped photos and scoring? | ☐ | ☐ |
| SLAs: Are there defined Service Level Agreements for re-clean response times? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Review Cadence: Is there a set schedule for formal performance reviews? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Green Compliance | Certifications: Can the vendor provide a current GS-42 or equivalent green certification? | ☐ | ☐ |
| Equipment: Does the vendor use HEPA-filtered vacuums and microfiber systems? | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Safety Data: Is there a complete list of products and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) provided? | ☐ | ☐ |
Use Walkthroughs, References, and Onboarding Plans as Proof
Serious vendors treat the site walkthrough as due diligence, not a formality. Give each bidder a checklist based on your cleaning scope, known restrictions, and staging needs, then have them document their walkthrough notes in the proposal. Their notes reveal how carefully they assessed your facility.
Don’t stop at satisfaction scores when you check references. Ask: How quickly are issues addressed? How often do supervisors check in? Has pricing drifted since the contract started? Look for references from buildings with comparable security requirements or regulatory oversight.
Get the vendor’s onboarding plan before you decide. It should specify staffing start dates, the inspection schedule, initial quality reports, how often you’ll receive updates, and who manages tenant questions during the transition. Vendors who can’t provide this level of detail up front won’t deliver it once the contract starts.
Choose a Janitorial Partner That Meets Every Standard
Wilburn handles the criteria outlined in this guide: defined scopes, security protocols, quality assurance, green certifications, and trained staff. Our process starts with a walkthrough.
We build zone-specific plans, provide compliance documentation, and use tracked inspections with secure access controls.
Contact us to request a custom plan for your building.
Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Janitorial Services
What services are typically included in commercial janitorial services, and which tasks are billed as extras?
Standard janitorial services typically cover daily cleaning of restrooms, floors, trash, and high-touch surfaces. Specialty tasks like carpet extraction, high dusting, disinfection, or floor refinishing are usually considered add-ons. Ask for a full task list broken down by frequency, plus unit pricing for any extras so there are no surprises later.
How do I evaluate a janitorial company’s quality control and accountability before signing a contract?
Ask for documentation, not just promises. Reputable vendors provide inspection reports with zone scoring, timestamped photos, and trend data showing service consistency. Request sample SLAs that define re-clean timeframes, escalation steps, and supervisor check-in schedules.
What credentials, insurance, and staff background checks should a reputable commercial cleaning company provide?
Look for vendors that supply proof of liability insurance, workers’ comp, and business licensing. Staff should be background-checked and wear ID badges. Ask how the company supervises teams and what access protocols they follow on client sites.
What factors influence the pricing, cleaning frequency, and contract structure for commercial janitorial services?
Pricing depends on facility size, service frequency, specialty needs, and who supplies consumables. Your contract should clearly separate base scope from add-ons, define triggers for extras, and list all pricing assumptions. Request a walkthrough summary and proposal format that itemizes by zone.
How do green cleaning standards and compliance requirements impact the vendor selection process for facilities?
Green cleaning isn’t a claim — it’s a documented program. Ask for certification proof (e.g., GS-42), Safety Data Sheets, and staff training records. If your building has EHS requirements, request copies of environmental logs, tool protocols (like microfiber or HEPA vacuums), and product usage summaries for audit support.