Resources
Janitorial bid comparison checklist for Concord facility managers
Hold competing janitorial proposals to the same questions, line by line, so scope, hours, supplies and oversight are compared like for like before you sign anything.
Printable checklist
One sheet for every bid
No two cleaning proposals are built alike. You might get a room list from the first company, a task list from the second and, from the third, a short paragraph with a monthly total at the bottom. Set side by side, they look comparable when they are not, and the lowest number on the page may simply cover the least work.
The checklist below asks every proposal identical questions. Fill in one printable sheet per company, work down the lines, and mark each one as stated, missing or unclear. Gaps show up quickly, and those gaps become your follow-up questions before anyone signs.
It sits alongside our other buying guides. Choosing a Concord cleaning company covers the first call and the walkthrough, and the scope of work guide shows how to write the task list itself. This page is the step in between, once the bids are on your desk. The printable is a free download, with nothing to fill in to get it.
Scope and frequencies
Scope comes first; hours, supplies and oversight only matter once the work itself matches. A bid that leaves out a room or halves a frequency is a different job, whatever the cover letter says.
- Every room and area from your walkthrough named in the bid
- How often each task happens, written right next to it
- Restrooms and breakrooms listed on every visit
- Periodic work such as carpet extraction, floor refinishing and glass shown as separate dated lines
- Days of service per week matching what you asked for
- Any room the bid leaves out, flagged for a question
Pay close attention to the periodic lines. Carpet extraction, a floor recoat or high glass can be written in, quoted as an extra later, or left out altogether. A bid that names those projects with a rough timing is easier to budget for than one that mentions them only in passing.
Hours, access and building rules
Two bids for the same tasks can still fit your building very differently. Check when each company plans to clean and how its crew will get in.
- Cleaning window stated, evening, early morning or weekend
- Entry procedure covered: keys, fobs, alarm codes and who holds them
- Locked or restricted rooms named, with how they are handled
- Building rules for after-hours entry acknowledged
- Holiday and closure days addressed
Timing is easy to overlook on paper. A crew that plans to arrive while half your team is still at their desks will clean around people and furniture, and the results show it. If your Concord office empties late or opens early, make sure each bid names a window that actually fits.
Supplies and equipment
Supplies are where bids drift apart without anyone noticing. Some include restroom and breakroom products, others assume you keep buying them.
- Which side buys paper goods, hand soap, sanitizer and bin liners
- Who installs and maintains dispensers
- Restocking described as part of each visit
- Cleaning chemicals and equipment named as the company’s own
- Storage space the crew needs in your janitor closet
If you want products sourced, ask each company to say so in writing. Concord Janitorial lists any supplies we provide on the written plan, through our janitorial supplies service.
Oversight, insurance and screening
A strong task list means little without someone checking it. Look for how quality is watched and what protection comes with the crew.
- Supervisor quality inspections described, with how often they happen
- How missed tasks are recorded and corrected
- General liability insurance and workers’ compensation confirmed
- Bonding stated
- Background checks for cleaners stated
- Proof of insurance promised ahead of day one
On our own sheet, each of those lines gets filled in. We carry insurance, workers’ compensation and a bond, screen each cleaner with a background check, and send supervisors out on quality inspections against your task list. Before work begins, every client has our certificate of insurance on file.
Communication and the start-up plan
The first weeks of a new contract go smoothly when both sides know how to reach each other and what happens on day one. Bids that skip these lines leave you to sort them out later.
- One named contact for cleaning questions and requests
- How you report a missed task, and how quickly you hear back
- A start date that leaves no nights uncovered
- A walkthrough booked for the end of the first week
- A clear way to change frequencies as the building changes
A good start-up section reads like a short plan: who walks the building, when keys change hands, which night the crew starts and when the first check-in happens. Our guide on switching cleaning companies covers the handover from an outgoing provider in more detail.
We reply to every request within one business day and can be reached 24/7 by phone or through the quote form.
Reading the finished sheet
When every sheet is filled in, compare the bids on what they cover before you compare what they cost. Two quotes that look far apart often close the gap once you count the missing supplies or the periodic floor work one of them left off. For local budget ranges, see Concord commercial cleaning prices.
Send each company the questions its sheet raised and ask for answers in writing. Then choose the bid that matches your building best, not the one with the shortest page. If you’d like ours on the sheet, request a walkthrough.
A few useful answers
Common questions.
What should I compare in janitorial bids besides the total?
Scope and frequencies, cleaning hours and access, who supplies products, how supervisors inspect the work, insurance and screening, how you reach the company, and the start-up plan. The checklist puts each of those on its own line.
Why do janitorial bids for the same building differ so much?
They usually describe different work. One bid folds in supplies or periodic floor care that another leaves out, or plans fewer nights per week. Setting the filled-in sheets side by side shows where they diverge.
Should every bid include a certificate of insurance?
Ask each finalist for one. Concord Janitorial hands every client a certificate of insurance before cleaning starts.
Is the comparison checklist free to print?
Yes. It is a plain download on this page. Print a copy for each bid you received and work down the lines.