The 12 questions to ask a cleaning contractor before you sign
Written by Rowles & James · 30+ years in commercial cleaning
In short
— Ask how many hours per visit are priced in. It is the number that predicts whether the clean holds up.
— Find out who supervises, how often they attend, and whether they are on site or on a phone.
— Get the escalation path in writing before you sign, not after the first problem.
A cleaning contract is unusual: you sign it based on a walk-through and a number, then judge it every day for the next three years. Most of the disputes we are called in to fix started with a question nobody asked at the quote stage. Here are the ones worth asking, in the order they matter.
1. Are the cleaners employees or subcontractors?
Subcontracted labour is not automatically worse, but it changes who is accountable and whose insurance applies. Ask for the employer name on the payslips and the certificate of currency in the same breath.
2. Who supervises, and how often?
A contract with no named supervisor is a contract that degrades quietly. Ask who owns your site, how often they physically attend, and what they do when standards slip.
3. How many hours are priced into each visit?
This is the question that exposes an underquoted contract. A building that needs four hours a night cannot be cleaned in two, whatever the task list says.
4. What happens when someone does not turn up?
Absence is inevitable. The answer you want is a named backup and a phone call, not a note the next morning explaining why the bins were not emptied.
5. Can I see the certificate of currency and WorkCover registration?
Ask for both before you shortlist, not after. Check the expiry date on the certificate, and check that the insured name matches the company on the quote. If they differ, ask why.
6. How are new cleaners inducted on my site?
Every building has its own rules: alarm codes, restricted rooms, where chemicals are stored, which areas are cleaned in which order. Ask who runs the induction, whether it happens on your site, and whether it is written down for the next person.
7. What chemicals and equipment will you use?
Ask for the safety data sheets for anything kept on your premises, and how cloths and mops are colour-coded so the same one never goes from a washroom to a kitchen. A contractor who has thought about this will answer straight away.
8. Who supplies the consumables, and how are they charged?
Toilet paper, hand towel, soap and bin liners add up. Find out whether they are included in the price, charged at cost, or marked up, and who notices when stock runs low. Unclear consumables are one of the most common causes of a creeping monthly bill.
9. How will I know the work was done?
Ask what you will actually see: supervisor inspections, sign-off sheets, photos, a log of issues raised and closed. If the only check is you noticing something was missed, the contract is being managed by you.
10. How are keys, alarm codes and access managed?
Ask who holds keys and codes, how that is recorded, and what happens when a cleaner leaves the company. You should be able to get a straight answer about who can get into your building at 2am.
11. What periodic work is included, and when is it scheduled?
Carpet extraction, high dusting, windows and hard-floor maintenance are where quotes quietly differ. Ask for each one to be listed with a frequency, so it is in the scope you signed rather than a separate quote later.
12. What are the notice terms if it does not work out?
Ask about the notice period, any lock-in, and how keys and access are handed back. A contractor confident in their work does not need a long lock-in to keep you.
The cheapest quote is almost always the one that assumed fewer hours than your building needs. Ask how many hours are priced in, per visit.
If you are going through this now, we will walk your site and put the scope in writing — no charge, and no obligation to switch contractors.
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