What Should a Commercial Cleaning Quote Checklist Cover?
A complete quote should identify the premises, tasks, frequency, service hours, supplies, price, exclusions and responsibilities on both sides. A monthly total beside “general cleaning” leaves too much open to interpretation.
Start with the building address, the areas included and the person authorized to approve work. For recurring office cleaning, ask for a room-by-room task schedule rather than a promise to keep everything clean.
Use the following commercial cleaning quote checklist when reviewing a written proposal. Each item should have a clear answer in the quote or an attached scope that the agreement references.
| Quote item | What should be written down | Gap to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Areas and tasks | Rooms, surfaces, floor types and cleaning methods where relevant. | Does “desks” mean cleared surfaces or moving papers? |
| Visit schedule | Service days, access window and periodic tasks. | Does five nights mean Monday through Friday? |
| Products and equipment | Who supplies, stores and maintains each item. | Are floor machines and specialty products included? |
| Consumables | Purchasing and replenishment of soap, paper and liners. | Is stock included in the fee or billed separately? |
| Price and extras | CAD amount, billing basis, tax treatment and approval of extras. | Is the first clean separate from the recurring price? |
| Account management | Contact person, inspections, issue reporting and scope changes. | Who follows up on a missed task? |
| Agreement terms | Start date, duration, payment terms and change or cancellation process. | Do the quote and agreement describe the same work? |
Keep the final scope with the signed agreement. If an important detail exists only in an email, ask for it to be carried into the final documents.
How Detailed Should Tasks, Frequency and Supplies Be?
The commercial cleaning scope of work should say what happens in each area and on which visits. It should also distinguish cleaning labour from the products and consumables needed to complete it.
Separate routine tasks from periodic work
List washroom fixtures, kitchen counters, waste collection, accessible desks, shared touch points and floors separately. State whether glass means entrance doors, interior partitions or exterior windows, and identify any height or access limits.
Put carpet extraction, high dusting and floor finish work on their own schedule or mark them as separately quoted. Evergreen’s building maintenance and floor care page describes services to discuss during a walkthrough; their availability does not mean they are included in every recurring agreement.
Assign responsibility for products and stock
Confirm who brings cleaning products and equipment, where they can be stored, and who orders paper towels, toilet tissue, hand soap and bin liners. Replenishing a dispenser and paying for its contents are separate responsibilities.
For product questions, CCOHS’s Cleaning Products – Working Safely, consulted in 2026, recommends reviewing labels and safety data sheets. Ask for product information appropriate to your site rather than accepting a general claim that everything used is safe or green.
If product selection matters to your facility, review our Green Clean Products information and discuss specific products at the walkthrough. Record restrictions around finishes, scents or storage in the scope.
How Should Price, Exclusions and Extra Work Be Presented?
The price should be tied to the written scope, with routine charges, exclusions and separately approved work easy to identify. Ask whether the amount is per visit or per month, stated in CAD, and before or after HST.
A useful proposal explains what affects the price: cleanable floor area, visit frequency, floor types, washroom count, access hours, consumables and special areas. Square footage alone cannot describe the work in a busy washroom or a heavily used kitchen.
Check these items before comparing totals:
- Initial or catch-up cleaning before the recurring schedule begins.
- Carpet extraction, stripping and waxing, exterior glass and high surfaces.
- Extra visits, events, holiday schedules and emergency requests.
- Product or consumable charges outside the regular fee.
- Changes when occupancy, layout or service days increase.
Ask who can approve additional work and how that approval is recorded. The commercial cleaning scope of work should make a routine visit distinguishable from an extra request before an invoice arrives.
At Evergreen, every quote follows a free on-site walkthrough. We assess the actual building rather than price it over the phone.
What Would a Quote for a 6,000 sq ft Office Look Like?
A quote for a 6,000 sq ft office should describe its actual rooms and usage, not simply multiply its area by a rate. This illustrative planning example assumes two washrooms, one kitchen and service five nights a week; it is not a client story or a price estimate.
- Record the areas. Confirm the cleanable area, carpet and hard-floor locations, meeting rooms, reception, kitchen and both washrooms. Note locked rooms and surfaces excluded from access.
- Write the nightly tasks. Include agreed waste collection, washroom cleaning, kitchen surfaces, shared touch points and floor care. Specify that desks must be cleared before surface cleaning.
- Add periodic tasks. Schedule detailed edges and ledges separately from nightly work. State whether carpet extraction or floor finish care is included on a defined rotation or quoted later.
- Set the handover rules. Identify the access window, alarm contact, storage space, dispenser supplies and person who approves changes. Clarify who handles spills during occupied hours.
- Connect the price to the schedule. Ask for the recurring CAD amount, HST treatment and separately priced startup work. Confirm how a holiday or additional visit changes billing.
Compare two proposals against those same assumptions. One may include kitchen appliance interiors and consumables while another leaves both out; the difference needs resolving before either total is useful.
What Should You Ask Before Signing a Cleaning Agreement?
Ask who will attend the building, who manages the account, how concerns are handled and how changes are agreed. Then check that the written answers match the proposal and agreement.
Request current insurance documentation and appropriate WSIB information. The WSIB clearance guidance, consulted in 2026, explains that a clearance confirms registration and current payment and reporting status; it is different from liability insurance.
Use these questions in your final review:
- Will the same crew normally visit, and who is the account contact?
- How are inspections, missed tasks and requested changes handled?
- What is the plan for keys, alarms, restricted rooms and locking up?
- Which tasks stay with our staff or building management?
- How do we approve extras, change frequency or end the agreement?
Common mistakes include assuming “deep cleaning” covers every surface, leaving periodic work undated, and choosing on price before checking exclusions. Another is agreeing to a schedule that leaves nobody responsible for essential upkeep between visits.
Evergreen uses the same crew every visit and one account executive for inspections, changes and extra work. We carry WSIB Ontario coverage and liability insurance, with bonded, background-screened staff; after-hours and weekend scheduling is available.
Use Your Commercial Cleaning Quote Checklist With Evergreen
Use your commercial cleaning quote checklist to turn a proposal into a clear agreement about the work your building needs. A written commercial cleaning scope of work gives both your team and the cleaning crew something concrete to follow.
For a Toronto or GTA property, call +1 (416) 803-4880 or request a free walkthrough through our quote form. An account executive replies within 2 hours during office hours, Mon–Fri, 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Cleaning Quotes
Should a commercial cleaning quote include supplies?
A commercial cleaning quote should state who supplies products, equipment and consumables, even when some are billed separately. Ask specifically about soap, paper towels, toilet tissue and bin liners. Confirm who orders them, where stock is kept and whether replenishment labour is included in regular visits.
Is carpet extraction normally included in office cleaning?
Carpet extraction is included only when the written proposal says it is. Routine vacuuming and periodic extraction are different tasks. Ask which carpeted areas are covered, how often extraction is planned, what access or drying time is needed and whether the charge sits inside the recurring fee or requires separate approval.
Can I get an accurate cleaning quote over the phone?
Evergreen prepares its quotes after an on-site walkthrough rather than pricing a building over the phone. Floor area helps start the conversation, but layout, washrooms, flooring, access and actual use affect the work. Bring your priorities and current task list so the visit produces a scope suited to your building.
How do I compare two quotes with different prices?
Compare the included work and assumptions before comparing the totals. Put visit days, rooms, periodic tasks, consumables, startup work and tax treatment side by side. Ask each provider to clarify gaps in writing. A lower recurring price may cover fewer tasks, while a higher proposal may include work you do not need.
What should happen when our cleaning needs change?
Changes should be documented with the revised tasks, frequency, effective date and any price adjustment before the new work begins. Identify who can approve changes on each side. Review the scope when occupancy, floor layouts, operating hours or washroom use changes, rather than relying on informal instructions to individual cleaners.
Does a cleaning quote need a cancellation policy?
The proposal or accompanying agreement should explain how either party changes or ends the arrangement. Read the duration, renewal, notice and payment wording before signing, and ask for unclear terms to be explained. Keep the final scope attached so the agreed work and the agreement's business terms can be reviewed together.