What to Have Ready Before You Request a Commercial Janitorial Quote

If you have ever asked a cleaning company how much it costs to clean your building and gotten back a list of questions, that is not stalling. Cleaning a thirty-thousand-square-foot office and cleaning a clinic of the same size are different jobs, and a price that ignores the difference will be wrong in one direction or the other. Automated Maintenance Services (AMS) does not publish prices. It quotes each building on its own, which is the honest way to do it.

What you can do is show up prepared. The more you can tell the cleaner up front, the closer the first quote will be to the final one. Here is a practical checklist for facility managers, office managers, property managers, and school or clinic administrators.

Start with the building itself

Begin with what kind of building it is. Medical facilities, offices, churches, schools and daycares, manufacturing plants, warehouses, banks, government buildings, and retail stores all clean differently. A school needs classrooms, gyms, and cafeterias. A clinic has exam rooms and waiting areas with different expectations. A warehouse may have an office wing and a large open floor. Say which one you are, and say if you are more than one.

• Building type and how it is used day to day.
• Approximate total square footage, and how much is carpet, hard floor, and restroom.
• Number of floors and whether there is an elevator.
• Number of restrooms, kitchens or break rooms, and any shower or locker areas.
• Whether the building is one tenant or several.

Then the schedule

Schedule is one of the biggest factors in a cleaning plan. The same building cleaned after hours, overnight, or while staff are on site can need a different crew and a different approach. Tell the cleaner when the building is occupied, when it is empty, and when it is hardest to access.

• Days and hours the building is in use.
• How often you want service: daily, a few nights a week, weekly.
• Whether you need anything on weekends or holidays.
• Any events that change the load, such as school terms, tax season, or weekend services.

AMS says its service is provided 24-7, so tell the cleaner what hours suit your building. The office takes calls Monday through Friday from 8 to 5, so that is the best window to reach a person.

Special areas and special surfaces

Every building has a few places that do not fit the standard routine. Naming them early avoids surprises later.

• Floor types by area, if you know them: carpet, vinyl tile, ceramic, wood, polished concrete, stone.
• Glass-heavy lobbies or interior windows.
• Exam rooms, labs, kitchens, gyms, or other rooms with specific needs.
• Areas that must be left alone, such as server rooms or secure offices.
• Anything you already know is a recurring problem, like a carpet that never looks clean or a restroom that always smells.

If your building has stone or terrazzo, or if it has a lot of exterior glass, mention that as well. Stone care and window cleaning are different skills, and it helps to know early whether they belong in the same contract or in a separate one.

Supplies and who handles what

Decide who will provide paper products, soap, and liners. Some buildings buy their own, and some prefer the cleaner to handle it. If you are tired of tracking stock, ask about supply management, which AMS offers as its paper product management service. Weekly orders delivered next day is how that works, and the building manager stops tracking orders.

Access, security, and contacts

A crew has to be able to get in. Think through how that will work before you call.

• How the crew enters: keys, key cards, alarm codes, or a door that is opened for them.
• Who is the single point of contact on your side.
• Where the cleaning closet or storage space is.
• Whether any security or safety training is required before anyone starts.

A short sheet is enough

You do not need a formal document. A page with the headings above, filled in with what you know and marked with what you do not, is plenty. Where you are unsure, say so. It is better to be told that the cleaner will look at something than to guess and have it guide the whole quote.

Whether you manage a single office in Fargo or properties across Bismarck, Jamestown, Minot, Detroit Lakes, Billings, or Boise, you can start the conversation by calling AMS at (701) 235-4412. Tell the person who answers what kind of building you have and when it sits empty, and the rest of the questions will follow from there.