Cleaning proposal template for commercial contracts, by section

What a commercial cleaning proposal has to do

The proposal is not where you win the client. You win them on the call and the walkthrough; the proposal confirms in writing that you listened, that you understood the building, and that the price is safe to approve. A facility or office manager may have to forward it to someone else (an owner, a director, a property manager), so it must make sense to a reader who never met you.

That gives you three tests for every page: can the decision maker see in under a minute what they get and what it costs, can the person who forwards it defend it without calling you, and does anything leave room for a dispute six months in. If you have not done the walkthrough yet, start with the 8-step method to get commercial cleaning contracts, which covers finding and calling the client.

The cleaning proposal template: eight sections

Keep it to four to eight pages for a single site. Use the client’s name and building throughout, never a generic “the Client”.

1. Cover and summary (one page): who it is for, the site address, the service in one sentence, the monthly price, the proposed start date and your contact.
2. What we found on the walkthrough: three to five specific observations, in the client’s words where possible.
3. Scope of work: a table by area and frequency (example below).
4. Price: the monthly figure, what it includes, the extras price list, and how the price can change.
5. Staffing and quality control: who cleans, how they are vetted and trained, who supervises, how issues are reported and fixed.
6. Insurance and compliance: the policies you hold, with certificates attached.
7. References: two or three comparable sites with a contact who agreed to be called.
8. Terms and acceptance: term, notice, payment, keys and alarm codes, and a signature block.

Sample wording for the first two sections

The summary and the walkthrough findings do most of the selling. Here is wording you can adapt; replace every bracket and delete anything that is not true for you.

Cleaning proposal for [Business name], [site address]
Prepared for [contact name, job title] on [date]

We propose to clean [Business name] [frequency, e.g. five evenings a week, Monday to Friday, after 6 pm], covering the offices, restrooms, kitchen and common areas described in the scope of work below.

Monthly price: [amount] plus applicable tax, supplies and consumables [included / not included].
Proposed start date: [date], with a review meeting with you after the first two weeks.
Your contact: [name], [mobile], [email], reachable [hours].

During our walkthrough on [date], you told us:
- the restrooms on the second floor are often not restocked by mid-morning;
- the kitchen bins overflow on Mondays after weekend use;
- the lobby floor shows salt marks in winter and visitors see it first.

Our scope below addresses each point: a restock check on every visit, an extra bin run on Monday mornings, and a weekly machine scrub of the lobby from [month] to [month].

Scope of work: an example table

The scope of work protects both sides. Split the building into areas and give each task a frequency. Anything not in the table is an extra, which is exactly what you want when the client asks for oven cleaning in month four.

Write tasks as visible results (“restock soap and paper”), not effort (“attend to restrooms”). If the site has special surfaces or rules, such as treatment rooms in a clinic or a secure records room, add a line for each with who holds access.

How to present the price

Show one monthly price for the regular service, then a short price list for extras. A single figure is easier to approve than a per-visit rate that the client has to multiply, and it smooths over months with more or fewer working days.

• State what is in the monthly price, and what changes it: a change of scope, a change in floor area or visit frequency, or a yearly review on a fixed date.
• If you supply restroom paper and soap, say whether the price covers a fixed quantity or billing at cost; consumption varies a lot between sites.
• Offer two options at most, for example five nights a week or three nights plus a day porter. More choices can delay the decision.
• Put a validity date on the price, such as 30 days.

Staffing, quality control and insurance

Here the client is asking one question: what happens when something goes wrong? Answer it plainly.

Your site will be cleaned by [a team of two / one cleaner], the same people each week wherever possible. All staff are [background-checked / reference-checked] before they start and trained on our site checklist and the products we use.

[Supervisor name] inspects the site [every two weeks] using a written checklist and shares the result with you. To report an issue, text or call [number]; we fix anything missed on the next visit, or within [time] if it affects hygiene or safety.

Keys and alarm codes are held by [named people], logged, and returned on the last day of the contract.

Attach the certificates rather than just naming the policies. In the US that usually means general liability, workers’ compensation once you employ staff, and a janitorial (fidelity) bond if the client asks for one. In the UK, public liability is standard, and employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for most employers. In Canada, general liability plus your provincial workers’ compensation coverage. Your broker can confirm what applies in your state or province.

Terms worth putting in writing

• Term and notice: for example a 12-month agreement with 30 days’ notice by either side, or a rolling monthly agreement after a first period. A short first period lowers the risk of switching to you.
• Payment: invoice date, payment terms, and how late payment is handled.
• Access: service hours, who opens and locks, alarm procedure, what happens if the cleaner cannot get in (a missed visit you can still bill, or not).
• Damage and breakage: report the same day; covered by your insurance subject to the policy terms.
• Scope changes: agreed in writing, with the new monthly price, before work changes.
• Price review: on a date, not “at our discretion”.
• Client responsibilities: clear desks if you only wipe cleared surfaces, a storage cupboard, water and power.

Do not promise outcomes you cannot control, such as “spotless at all times”. Promise a checklist, a response time and a supervisor, which you can deliver.

What wins and what loses a cleaning proposal

Send it as a PDF with a short email, then call. The post-walkthrough email template in the hub guide works well as the cover message. If you are still building the list of offices, clinics or property managers to visit, find commercial cleaning clients near you by business type and city; LeadsIt returns the phone numbers, websites and emails each business publishes. More tools for cleaning companies are on the cleaning companies page.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• GOV.UK — Employers’ liability insurance