How to Bid Out a Commercial Cleaning Contract: RFP Template & Scoring Guide

Selecting a commercial cleaning company is one of the most consequential vendor decisions a facility manager makes. Cleaning is visible to every occupant and visitor every day — and a poor-performing contractor creates constant complaints, potential liability, and significant management overhead. Yet many organizations approach the selection process informally, accepting a few referrals and choosing on price alone.

This guide walks through the complete process: how to build a cleaning scope of work, structure a formal RFP, evaluate proposals objectively, and avoid the most common selection mistakes.

Step 1: Define Your Scope of Work Before You Go to Market

The most common reason cleaning bids come back wildly inconsistent in price is an undefined or ambiguous scope. Before issuing any RFP, document:

• Total cleanable square footage by area type (office, restroom, kitchen, warehouse, lobby, exterior)
• Number of restrooms and fixtures per restroom
• Floor types — VCT tile, hardwood, carpet, concrete, stone — each requires different products and methods
• Cleaning frequency by area — nightly, 3x/week, weekly, monthly
• Specific periodic services required — floor stripping and waxing, carpet extraction, window cleaning, pressure washing
• Special requirements — green/sustainable cleaning products, OSHA-regulated areas, food handling zones, high-security areas
• Supplies — will the contractor provide consumables (paper towels, soap, liners) or will you supply them?
• Access and scheduling constraints — after-hours only, no cleaning during business meetings, badge access requirements

A well-defined scope is the single most important factor in getting comparable, competitive bids.

Step 2: Structure Your RFP

A commercial cleaning RFP should include the following sections:

Section 1: Company Overview

• Years in business and ownership structure
• Number of full-time vs. part-time employees
• Geographic service area and nearest operational base to your facility
• Current client portfolio size (number of accounts, total sq ft serviced)
• Subcontracting policy — do they self-perform all work?

Section 2: Insurance and Compliance

• Certificate of insurance — general liability ($1M per occurrence minimum), workers' compensation, commercial auto
• Bonding status
• OSHA compliance program and safety record (request EMR rating)
• Employee background check policy
• Drug testing program

Section 3: Staffing and Training

• Dedicated account team structure — who is the primary contact?
• Site supervisor ratio (how many accounts does each supervisor oversee?)
• Employee onboarding and training program details
• Turnover rate — a high turnover rate (above 100% annually) signals management problems
• Training certifications — ISSA CIMS, GBAC STAR, Green Seal

Section 4: Quality Assurance

• Inspection methodology — how is cleaning quality verified?
• Inspection frequency (weekly site walks are the minimum standard)
• Technology platform — do they use a cleaning management app with digital inspection reports?
• Issue resolution process and response time guarantee
• KPI and reporting framework

Section 5: Pricing

• Monthly base service price (broken down by area/frequency)
• Periodic services pricing schedule (floor care, carpet extraction, window cleaning)
• Consumables pricing if applicable
• Price escalation terms — what are annual rate increase terms?
• Minimum contract term

Section 6: References

• Three references from comparable facilities (similar size, building type, industry)
• Contact name, title, phone, and email for each reference
• How long each reference has been a client

Step 3: Proposal Scoring Matrix

Score each proposal across five weighted categories:

Category	Weight	What to Evaluate
Price	25%	Total annual cost, value relative to scope
Quality Assurance	25%	Inspection process, technology, response guarantees
Staffing & Training	20%	Turnover rate, training program, supervisor ratio
References	20%	Reference quality, tenure, comparable accounts
Insurance & Compliance	10%	Coverage levels, certifications, safety record

Score each category 1–10 and multiply by weight. The highest weighted score wins — not necessarily the lowest price.

Step 4: The Site Walk

Never finalize a cleaning contract without a supervised site walk with each finalist. During the walk:

• Point out all special areas, high-traffic zones, and problem areas
• Ask how they would approach each area specifically
• Observe how thoroughly they document what they see
• Ask about staffing — how many people, what schedule, what shift structure
• A contractor who doesn't ask detailed questions during a site walk is likely submitting a generic bid

Red Flags to Watch For

• Extremely low bid: Cleaning is 60–70% labor cost. A bid significantly below market means cut corners — understaffing, high turnover, skipped tasks, or misclassified workers
• No dedicated supervisor: Without a site supervisor, quality issues will go unaddressed
• Vague staffing plan: If they can't tell you exactly how many people and what hours, they haven't thought it through
• Reluctance to provide insurance certificates: Non-negotiable — require certificates before contract execution
• No formal QA process: "We'll take care of any issues" is not a QA program
• High turnover (>100% annual): Constant staff turnover means inconsistent cleaning and security risks from frequent new employees with building access

Market Rate Benchmarks (2026)

• General office cleaning (nightly): $0.08 – $0.18 per sq ft per month
• Healthcare/medical office (nightly): $0.18 – $0.35 per sq ft per month
• Industrial/warehouse (weekly): $0.03 – $0.08 per sq ft per month
• VCT floor strip and wax: $0.35 – $0.75 per sq ft
• Carpet extraction: $0.15 – $0.35 per sq ft
• Exterior window cleaning: $3 – $8 per pane (ground level)

Contract Terms to Negotiate

• Term length: One year with renewal options is standard; avoid auto-renewing multi-year terms without performance benchmarks
• Termination for convenience: 30–60 day written notice should be your right without penalty
• Performance remedies: Define what happens when QA inspections fail — credit, re-clean, or escalation path
• Price escalation cap: Negotiate a cap on annual price increases (typically CPI or 3–5% maximum)
• Key personnel: If specific supervisors were a factor in selection, name them in the contract with replacement approval rights