The most reliable way to get janitorial contracts is to combine direct outreach to facility and property managers, referrals from related businesses, and selective bidding on private and government opportunities.

Do not rely only on online bid boards. New janitorial companies often gain traction faster by choosing a specific building type, offering a walkthrough, submitting a clear proposal and following up consistently.

This plan covers 5 common contract sources, from local office buildings to federal facilities.

Janitorial Contract Opportunities at a Glance

Contract source Best contact What helps you win
Office buildings Facility manager, office manager, property manager Reliable recurring service and a clear scope
Apartment communities Property manager, regional manager Fast response, turnover cleaning and backup staff
Medical and dental offices Practice administrator, facility manager Strong procedures, trained staff and documentation
Schools and public buildings Purchasing department, facilities director Complete compliance documents and competitive pricing
Construction cleanup General contractor, project manager Speed, labor availability and flexible scheduling
Government facilities Contracting officer, prime contractor SAM registration, the correct NAICS code and bid compliance
Large janitorial companies Vendor or subcontract manager Insurance, staffing capacity and dependable execution

1. Make Your Janitorial Business Contract-Ready

Before contacting prospects, prepare the documents a commercial buyer is likely to request:

  • Business name, address, phone number and email
  • Business registration documents
  • Employer Identification Number, if applicable
  • State, county or city licenses and permits
  • General liability insurance
  • Workers' compensation coverage when required
  • Certificate of insurance
  • W-9 form
  • Service agreement template
  • Safety and chemical-handling procedures
  • Customer references or records of past work
  • List of services, service area and operating hours

License and permit requirements depend on your location and business activity. Check your state, county and city requirements before selling services. The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends reviewing local government and Secretary of State resources. The IRS issues EINs directly and does not charge a fee for applying online.

If employees use hazardous cleaning chemicals, prepare a hazard communication program. OSHA requires employers to provide information and training about hazardous chemicals, use appropriate labels and make Safety Data Sheets available to employees.

Create a One-Page Capability Sheet

Your capability sheet should answer these questions quickly:

  • What types of buildings do you clean?
  • Which cities or ZIP codes do you serve?
  • What services do you provide?
  • What days and hours can you work?
  • How quickly can you respond to an issue?
  • Are you insured?
  • Do you provide supplies and equipment?
  • Do you have references?
  • Who should the prospect contact for a quote?

Avoid a broad claim such as "We provide quality cleaning." Use a specific description instead:

"ABC Janitorial Services provides nightly office cleaning, restroom sanitation, floor care and trash removal for commercial buildings within 20 miles of downtown."

2. Choose One Market Before Contacting Everyone

A focused offer is easier to sell than a general promise to clean any type of building.

Choose:

  1. One primary building type
  2. One service area you can reach profitably
  3. Three to five main services
  4. One type of decision-maker

Good starting markets include:

  • Small office buildings
  • Professional offices
  • Apartment communities
  • Churches and nonprofit facilities
  • Daycare centers
  • Retail stores
  • Warehouses
  • Medical and dental offices
  • Construction and post-construction sites

For example, instead of targeting every business in a city, focus on:

"Nightly janitorial service for medical and professional offices within 15 miles of Columbus."

This gives you a more relevant prospect list and makes staffing, travel and scheduling easier to manage.

3. Find the Person Who Controls the Cleaning Contract

The person who works in a building is not always the person who hires the janitorial company.

Look for:

  • Facility manager
  • Property manager
  • Office manager
  • Operations manager
  • Building owner
  • Practice administrator
  • Procurement manager
  • Maintenance director
  • General contractor

For multi-tenant properties, contact the property management company instead of contacting every tenant. One property manager may control cleaning work for several buildings.

Build a prospect list with these fields:

  • Company name
  • Building address
  • Decision-maker name
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Building type
  • Estimated size
  • Current cleaning provider, if known
  • Contract renewal date, if available
  • Last contact date
  • Next follow-up date

The renewal date is useful because a buyer may not be willing to change providers halfway through an agreement. Contacting the buyer several weeks or months before renewal gives you a better chance of being considered.

4. Use the Five Main Sources for Janitorial Contracts

Direct Outreach to Local Businesses

Direct outreach is a strong starting point for a new janitorial business because you can choose buildings that fit your service area, staffing and equipment.

Use:

  • Phone calls
  • Personalized emails
  • LinkedIn
  • In-person visits
  • Local commercial property directories
  • Business parks and office complexes
  • Chamber of Commerce directories
  • Google Business Profile and local search results

The goal of the first contact is not to give a price over the phone. It is to identify the decision-maker and schedule a walkthrough.

Referrals and Business Partnerships

Build relationships with businesses that already work with facility owners and property managers:

  • Commercial real estate brokers
  • Property management companies
  • General contractors
  • Flooring contractors
  • HVAC companies
  • Pest-control companies
  • Security companies
  • Janitorial supply distributors
  • Office furniture installers
  • Commercial moving companies

These businesses may hear about a new tenant, a renovation, a building opening or a problem with the current cleaning provider before a janitorial company hears about it.

Make it easy for a referral partner to understand your offer. Tell them which buildings you serve, what work you accept and how quickly you respond to introductions.

Subcontracting for Larger Janitorial Companies

Large janitorial companies sometimes need local crews for overflow work, special projects or buildings outside their main service area.

Subcontracting can help you gain:

  • Commercial references
  • Experience with formal scopes of work
  • Consistent work
  • Familiarity with commercial quality standards

The tradeoff is that subcontracting often produces less revenue per account than signing your own client directly. Review the payment terms, insurance requirements, liability language and any non-compete provisions before accepting the work.

Also confirm who supplies chemicals and equipment, who handles customer complaints and how much notice you will receive when work is assigned.

Private Requests for Proposals

Some companies issue a formal Request for Proposal, or RFP, when they want several cleaning companies to compete.

Search for opportunities through:

  • Property management company websites
  • Corporate procurement pages
  • Local business associations
  • School and hospital purchasing pages
  • Commercial real estate networks
  • Vendor registration portals

Follow every instruction in the RFP. A proposal may be rejected because a form is missing, a price is incomplete, a deadline is missed or a mandatory requirement is not addressed.

Before bidding, check whether the requested schedule, building location and service requirements fit your staffing plan. A contract is not useful if you cannot perform the work at the proposed price.

Government Contracts

Federal janitorial opportunities commonly use NAICS code 561720, Janitorial Services. To bid as a prime contractor for federal opportunities, your business generally needs an active registration in SAM.gov and a Unique Entity ID. SAM.gov is the federal system used to register entities and find contract opportunities.

A practical government-contracting process is:

  1. Register your business in SAM.gov.
  2. Select accurate NAICS codes.
  3. Write a clear SAM profile describing your janitorial services.
  4. Search SAM.gov for janitorial and custodial opportunities.
  5. Review the performance work statement and site-visit requirements.
  6. Check whether the contract is reserved for small businesses.
  7. Submit every required form before the deadline.
  8. Track the incumbent contractor and contract expiration date.

Eligible businesses may also review SBA programs such as 8(a), Women-Owned Small Business, HUBZone and Veteran Small Business certifications. These programs can provide access to certain set-aside opportunities, but each has eligibility requirements. SBA and APEX Accelerators can provide contracting guidance.

5. Use a Short Script to Request a Walkthrough

Phone Script

"Hello, my name is [Name] with [Company]. We provide [specific janitorial service] for [building type] in [area]. Who handles janitorial services for this location? I would like to arrange a short walkthrough and provide a written proposal."

If the person is interested, ask:

  • When does the current cleaning agreement expire?
  • Are you currently accepting proposals?
  • How often is the facility cleaned?
  • Do you provide supplies, or should the contractor provide them?
  • Are there recurring complaints or problem areas?
  • Who else participates in the decision?

Do not turn the first call into a long sales presentation. Find out whether the building is a fit and ask for the next step.

Email Script

Subject: Janitorial service proposal for [building or company name]

Hello [Name],

[Company] provides [specific services] for [type of facility] in [service area]. We are insured and can provide references, a certificate of insurance and a written scope of work.

Would you be available for a brief walkthrough next week so we can prepare an accurate proposal?

Regards, [Name] [Phone] [Company]

Keep the message specific. "Can we clean your building?" is weaker than "Can we provide a proposal for nightly office cleaning and restroom service?"

6. Conduct a Proper Building Walkthrough

Do not price a commercial janitorial contract from square footage alone. Two buildings with the same square footage can require different labor because of restroom counts, floor types, occupancy, trash volume and cleaning frequency.

During the walkthrough, document:

  • Total cleanable area
  • Number of restrooms and fixtures
  • Flooring types
  • Carpeted areas
  • Break rooms and kitchens
  • Stairwells and elevators
  • Glass and entry doors
  • Trash and recycling requirements
  • High-touch surfaces
  • Supply and equipment storage
  • Security and access procedures
  • Required cleaning days and times
  • Whether employees will work alone
  • Areas requiring disinfection or floor care
  • Snow, weather or emergency response expectations
  • Current service problems
  • Contract start date and decision timeline

Ask the buyer what "clean" means to them. The proposal should address the problems they identify, not simply list standard cleaning tasks.

Take notes about access, alarms, keys, locked areas and the time available for each visit. These details affect labor hours and should be reflected in the scope.

7. Write a Proposal That Is Easy to Approve

A strong janitorial proposal should include:

  1. Executive summary Explain the service you recommend and the problem it will address.

  2. Detailed scope of work List each task and how often it will be completed.

  3. Service schedule State the days, times and expected service duration.

  4. Staffing plan Explain who will perform the work and who will supervise the account.

  5. Quality-control process Describe inspections, issue reporting and corrective action.

  6. Supplies and equipment State what you provide and what the client provides.

  7. Pricing Separate recurring work from one-time services and optional add-ons.

  8. Insurance and credentials Include your certificate of insurance and other requested documents.

  9. Contract terms Include payment terms, start date, renewal, cancellation, access and damage procedures.

  10. Next step Tell the buyer how to approve the proposal.

Common add-on services include:

  • Carpet extraction
  • Floor stripping and waxing
  • Window cleaning
  • High dusting
  • Pressure washing
  • Post-construction cleaning
  • Consumable restocking
  • Day porter service
  • Emergency cleanup

A clear scope protects both parties. Commercial janitorial agreements commonly define the services, cleaning frequency, covered areas, billing structure, response expectations, add-on pricing, contract length and cancellation terms.

Do not bury important terms in a paragraph of general sales language. A buyer should be able to find the work schedule, price, responsibilities and approval process without searching through the document.

8. Price the Contract So You Can Keep It

Use this basic pricing structure:

Monthly price = loaded labor cost + supplies + equipment + travel + supervision + overhead + profit

Loaded labor cost includes more than the employee's hourly wage. Account for payroll taxes, workers' compensation, training time, paid travel between locations and employee replacement coverage.

Before submitting a price, estimate:

  • Labor hours per visit
  • Visits per week
  • Monthly labor hours
  • Supply consumption
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Travel time and mileage
  • Supervisor time
  • Administrative costs
  • Required insurance
  • Payment delays
  • One-time startup work

If the client wants consumables, floor care or emergency response included, price those responsibilities instead of treating them as free extras.

Do not win a contract by underbidding a price you cannot sustain. A low price that leads to missed visits, staff turnover or poor quality can cost more than losing the bid.

9. Follow Up After Sending the Proposal

Many janitorial companies send one quote and wait. Use a simple follow-up system:

  • Confirm that the proposal was received.
  • Ask whether any scope items need clarification.
  • Follow up after three to five business days.
  • Ask when the decision is expected.
  • Follow up near the buyer's stated decision date.
  • Continue contact before the current contract renews.

Keep each follow-up useful. You might clarify a service frequency, answer a question about supplies or confirm that your staff can meet the proposed schedule.

If you lose, ask one useful question:

"Was the decision based mainly on price, scope, experience or timing?"

The answer can show whether your next proposal needs a different price, a clearer scope or stronger proof of past work.

10. Avoid These Common Mistakes

  • Quoting without seeing the building
  • Using the same proposal for every prospect
  • Competing only on the lowest price
  • Failing to identify the actual decision-maker
  • Ignoring contract renewal dates
  • Promising services your staff cannot deliver
  • Accepting a large account without backup labor
  • Leaving supply and equipment responsibilities unclear
  • Omitting cancellation and payment terms
  • Failing to document inspections and complaints
  • Bidding on government work without understanding every requirement

A Simple 30-Day Plan

Week 1: Prepare

  • Finalize your service list.
  • Obtain required licenses and insurance.
  • Create your capability sheet.
  • Prepare a proposal and service agreement template.
  • Choose one building type and service area.

Week 2: Build a Prospect List

  • Identify 50 to 100 local buildings.
  • Find the facility or property manager.
  • Record phone numbers, emails and renewal information.
  • Contact referral partners and larger janitorial companies.

Week 3: Schedule Walkthroughs

  • Make calls every business day.
  • Send personalized emails.
  • Visit suitable commercial properties.
  • Offer walkthroughs instead of instant quotes.
  • Record every follow-up date.

Week 4: Submit and Improve Proposals

  • Complete walkthroughs.
  • Estimate labor carefully.
  • Send proposals while the opportunity is active.
  • Follow up consistently.
  • Review lost bids and adjust your pricing or scope.

Bottom Line

Treat your first commercial account as both a sale and an operating test. Choose work your team can staff, price the full cost of service and put every responsibility in writing. A contract that is profitable, properly staffed and delivered consistently gives you a stronger reference than a larger account that strains the business.