The right janitorial company is one that provides a site-specific cleaning plan, relevant facility experience, trained and supervised staff, documented safety procedures, and clear contract terms.
Do not choose a company based only on its lowest price. A reliable selection process is to:
- Define your cleaning requirements.
- Invite three qualified companies to inspect the property.
- Compare detailed scopes of work, not just monthly prices.
- Verify insurance, references, staffing, safety practices, and quality controls.
- Start with a trial period or set a clear performance review.
Janitorial Company Selection Checklist
| Selection factor | What a strong company should provide |
|---|---|
| Facility experience | References from similar buildings and industries |
| Site inspection | An in-person walkthrough before quoting |
| Scope of work | Specific tasks, areas, frequencies, and exclusions |
| Staffing | Named supervisor, backup coverage, and staffing plan |
| Safety | Training, PPE procedures, chemical labels, and SDS access |
| Quality control | Inspections, checklists, reporting, and complaint response |
| Insurance | Proof of applicable liability, workers' compensation, and bonding |
| Pricing | Itemized, easy-to-compare proposal |
| Contract | Clear renewal, cancellation, damage, and missed-service terms |
1. Define What You Need Cleaned
Create a basic requirements list before contacting janitorial companies. Include:
- Building type and approximate square footage
- Number of restrooms and break rooms
- Office, lobby, warehouse, classroom, retail, or production areas
- Carpet, tile, hardwood, concrete, or other flooring
- Trash and recycling collection
- Restroom supply restocking
- High-touch surface cleaning
- Window, carpet, upholstery, or floor maintenance
- Day porter or daytime cleaning
- Preferred cleaning schedule
- Security, key, alarm, and access requirements
- Special cleaning chemicals or fragrance restrictions
Separate recurring work from periodic services.
Recurring work may include vacuuming, mopping, restroom cleaning, dusting, and trash removal. Periodic services may include carpet extraction, floor stripping, window washing, high dusting, and cleaning after an illness or other incident.
This gives each company the same information when preparing a quote. It also makes it easier to spot missing services and different assumptions.
Match the Company to the Facility Type
A company that mainly cleans small offices may not have the staff, equipment, or procedures needed for a medical facility, school, warehouse, restaurant, laboratory, or manufacturing site.
For healthcare, food service, childcare, manufacturing, and other specialized environments, ask for documented experience with the cleaning procedures and regulations that apply to that facility type. General facility-cleaning guidance does not cover healthcare settings and several other specialized environments.
2. Require an On-Site Walkthrough
A janitorial company should inspect the property before providing a final quote.
During the walkthrough, ask the company to consider:
- Occupancy and foot traffic
- Cleaning frequency
- Building access and security
- Furniture density
- Flooring and surface types
- Restroom fixtures
- High-touch areas
- Waste volume
- Existing cleaning problems
- Required service times
- Supplies and equipment
- Emergency or event cleaning
A quote prepared without seeing the building may leave out important work, underestimate labor, or lead to extra charges after the contract begins.
Give each company the same property information and access to the same areas. The proposals will be easier to compare when they are based on the same conditions.
3. Review the Scope of Work in Detail
The scope of work should state what the company will clean, how often it will clean each area, and how the work will be evaluated.
Look for details such as:
- Restrooms cleaned and disinfected nightly
- Floors vacuumed or mopped at a specified frequency
- Trash removed from defined areas
- High-touch surfaces cleaned during each visit
- Break rooms and kitchen surfaces included
- Supplies provided or excluded
- Periodic floor and carpet services listed separately
- Windows, interior glass, and exterior glass clearly defined
- Areas that are not included
Avoid vague wording such as "general cleaning" or "clean as needed." Those phrases can mean different things to the customer and the contractor.
Ask whether the company will provide:
- Cleaning chemicals
- Paper products
- Hand soap
- Liners
- Equipment
- Vacuum bags and filters
- Floor mats
- Restroom dispensers
If supplies are excluded, request a separate supply schedule and pricing structure.
4. Verify Insurance, Licensing, and Bonding
Ask each finalist for current documentation before signing a contract.
Depending on your location and facility, you may need to verify:
- General liability insurance
- Workers' compensation coverage
- Commercial auto coverage
- Employee dishonesty or janitorial bonding
- Business license
- Industry-specific certifications or permits
Do not rely only on a website statement that a company is "fully insured." Request a certificate of insurance and confirm that the coverage is current. Ask your insurance broker or legal adviser whether the proposed coverage is adequate for your property.
Find out whether the company uses employees, subcontractors, or both. The contract should identify who is responsible for training, supervision, insurance, and damage caused by workers or subcontractors.
5. Evaluate Employees, Supervision, and Backup Coverage
The workers assigned to your building may have access to your property, equipment, documents, and restricted areas. Ask the janitorial company:
- Are workers employees or subcontractors?
- Are background checks performed?
- Who supervises the crew?
- What happens when a worker is absent?
- How are new employees trained?
- Does training include your building's procedures?
- Will the same crew normally service the property?
- Who handles complaints after hours?
- How quickly can the company respond to missed service?
The company should explain how it will maintain coverage when an employee is sick, leaves the company, or cannot access the building.
A named supervisor and a practical backup plan are more useful than a general promise that "someone will be available."
6. Check Cleaning Chemicals and Safety Procedures
Ask to see the company's chemical list and safety procedures. It should be able to explain:
- Which products are used in each area
- How chemicals are diluted
- Where products are stored
- What personal protective equipment workers use
- How employees access Safety Data Sheets
- How spills and chemical incidents are handled
- How ventilation is managed
- How products are kept away from occupants and unauthorized people
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using the protective equipment specified by a product's Safety Data Sheet, maintaining ventilation, observing disinfectant contact time, and never mixing cleaning chemicals.
More disinfectant does not mean better cleaning. Cleaning removes dirt and reduces germs. Disinfecting is a separate process that may be appropriate for high-touch areas, illness-related incidents, or specific facility requirements. Disinfectants should be used according to their labels and only for the organisms and surfaces they are approved to address.
If Green Cleaning Matters, Ask for Proof
Do not accept broad claims such as "eco-friendly" or "green cleaning" without product information. Ask for:
- Product names
- Product Safety Data Sheets
- EPA Safer Choice or Design for the Environment products where appropriate
- Fragrance-free options
- Low-VOC products
- Concentrated-product dilution procedures
- Microfiber and reusable-material policies
The EPA warns that vague environmental claims can be misleading. Its Safer Choice program identifies products that meet specific health and environmental criteria, while the Design for the Environment label applies to certain antimicrobial products.
7. Compare Proposals by Value, Not Price Alone
A low monthly quote may reflect fewer labor hours, less frequent cleaning, inexperienced staff, or important exclusions.
Compare each proposal using the same criteria:
| Proposal detail | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Labor | How many workers and labor hours are assigned? |
| Frequency | What is cleaned daily, weekly, monthly, or periodically? |
| Supplies | Are chemicals, liners, paper products, and soap included? |
| Equipment | Does the company provide vacuums, floor machines, and ladders? |
| Supervision | Who inspects the work and how often? |
| Quality standards | What does "acceptable" service mean? |
| Extra work | What are the rates for emergency or one-time services? |
| Price changes | When can the company increase the price? |
| Exclusions | What is specifically not included? |
| Contract | What are the renewal and cancellation terms? |
Compare the total expected cost, not just the monthly invoice:
Total cost = recurring service + supplies + periodic work + extra-service charges + management time spent correcting problems
A company with a higher quote may still be the better choice if it includes stronger supervision, backup coverage, and a more complete scope.
8. Contact References From Similar Facilities
Ask for at least two or three current or recent customers with buildings similar to yours.
Ask each reference:
- How long have you used the company?
- Does the crew arrive as scheduled?
- Are missed tasks corrected quickly?
- Is the supervisor easy to reach?
- Has the price changed unexpectedly?
- How does the company handle complaints?
- Are workers respectful and professional?
- Would you renew the contract?
Online reviews can reveal recurring problems, but direct references give you better information about reliability, communication, and consistency in a commercial setting.
9. Review Quality-Control Procedures
Do not rely on a promise that the company "checks its work." Ask how it measures service quality.
Useful methods include:
- Site inspection checklists
- Supervisor inspections
- Customer sign-off procedures
- Digital work orders
- Photo documentation for specific tasks
- Monthly performance meetings
- Complaint tracking
- Corrective-action reports
- A named account manager
The contract should state what happens when a scheduled service is missed or the work does not meet the agreed standard. Possible remedies include re-cleaning, service credits, corrective plans, or termination rights after repeated failures.
10. Read the Contract Before Signing
Pay close attention to:
- Start date and contract length
- Automatic renewal language
- Notice required for cancellation
- Price increase rules
- Included and excluded services
- Payment terms
- Damage responsibility
- Lost-key and access procedures
- Confidentiality requirements
- Subcontractor rules
- Emergency service pricing
- Missed-service remedies
- Insurance requirements
- Dispute-resolution terms
Do not sign a long-term agreement before confirming that the company can meet your standards. A short initial term or trial period can reduce risk, as long as the contract protects your property and defines the expected service.
Red Flags When Choosing a Janitorial Company
Be cautious if a company:
- Provides a quote without inspecting the property
- Cannot provide current insurance documents
- Offers only a vague list of services
- Gives an unusually low price without explaining the labor plan
- Has no named supervisor or backup coverage
- Cannot provide references from similar customers
- Uses "green" claims without product information
- Has no chemical-safety or training process
- Requires a long contract before demonstrating performance
- Is difficult to reach during the bidding process
- Adds unspecified fees to the proposal
The bidding process gives you an early view of how the company may communicate after you become a customer.
A Simple Way to Score Finalists
Score each finalist from 1 to 5 in these categories:
- Scope of work: 30%
- Facility experience: 20%
- Staffing and supervision: 15%
- Safety and compliance: 15%
- Quality control and communication: 10%
- Price: 10%
Adjust the percentages to match your facility. A medical facility may place more weight on safety and specialized experience. A small office may give more weight to schedule flexibility and communication.
Final Recommendation
Choose the finalist with the clearest scope, strongest staffing plan, verified safety practices, and workable contract terms. If two proposals are close, use the trial period and written performance standards as the tie-breaker.