What Should a Commercial Cleaning RFP Include?
Template and Checklist
Most cleaning RFPs generate proposals that cannot be compared to each other. Here is what a real RFP should contain so you can make an apples-to-apples decision.
A complete commercial cleaning RFP must include facility specs, task-level scope, verification requirements, and disqualifying criteria to generate comparable proposals.
Direct Answer
A commercial cleaning RFP should include eight sections: facility overview and specifications, scope of work with specific task frequencies, service schedule and access requirements, supply and equipment provisions, accountability and verification requirements, company qualifications and references, pricing structure with required line-item format, and evaluation criteria with disqualifiers. Without all eight sections, providers fill in the gaps with assumptions and you receive proposals that cannot be accurately compared. For broader context on what cleaning should cost, see our commercial cleaning costs guide.
You sent a vague RFP. Now you have four proposals that cannot be compared. The problem was never the providers.
The number of required sections in a complete commercial cleaning RFP that produces comparable, apples-to-apples proposals.
Source: MFS RFP Framework
millfac.comWhy Most Commercial Cleaning RFPs Fail
I have reviewed more cleaning RFPs than I can count and the same problem shows up in most of them. The facility overview is there. The general scope is vague. The pricing request is a single line for monthly cost. And then the buyer receives four proposals that look completely different from each other and has no idea how to compare them.
The problem is not the providers. It is the RFP. When you ask a vague question, you get a vague answer. Each provider fills in the ambiguity differently based on their assumptions about your facility, their preferred service model, and where they can protect margin. The buyer ends up comparing a comprehensive program against a stripped-down one, with no way to know which is which until after the contract starts.
A well-built RFP eliminates ambiguity. It specifies the scope so precisely that every provider is proposing on the same work. It requires line-item pricing so you can see what each component costs. And it asks the questions that surface a provider's accountability infrastructure before you are committed to a two-year contract.
Section 1: Facility Overview and Specifications
Give providers everything they need to understand the physical scope of the program. Do not make them guess or ask.
- •Total square footage by area type (office, warehouse, common area, restrooms, break rooms, lobby)
- •Number of floors and building count if multi-building
- •Operating hours and access constraints (badging requirements, restricted zones, security clearance needs)
- •Number of restrooms by floor, with fixture counts
- •Flooring types by area (carpet, VCT, polished concrete, epoxy, tile)
- •Ceiling heights in warehouse and industrial zones
- •Average daily occupant count and peak occupancy periods
- •Special areas with protocol requirements (server rooms, labs, food prep areas, high-security zones)
- •Current parking and equipment storage access for service vehicles
Section 2: Scope of Work With Task Frequencies
This is the most important section of the RFP. Vague scope language is where billing errors and service gaps originate. Specify every task and its required frequency.
| Task | Specify This |
|---|---|
| Trash and recycling removal | Which containers, which areas, frequency, liner replacement included or not |
| Restroom sanitization | Which fixtures, frequency per night, product type requirements, supply restocking included |
| Vacuuming | Which areas, frequency, edge detailing required, under-desk vacuuming required |
| Hard floor sweeping and mopping | Which areas, frequency, product type, buffing or burnishing required |
| Break room cleaning | Counter surfaces, appliance exteriors, sink, refrigerator exterior, microwave interior |
| Conference room service | Tables, chair alignment, whiteboard cleaning, frequency, same night or separate program |
| Lobby and common areas | Glass panels, entryway mats, elevator landings, frequency, presentation standard |
| High dusting | Above 8 feet, frequency (quarterly, semi-annual), equipment requirements |
| Periodic floor care | Carpet extraction (annual, semi-annual), strip and wax (annual), concrete sealing |
| Window cleaning | Interior only, interior + exterior, frequency, ladder or lift required |
| Day porter coverage | Hours, tasks, coverage days, response time requirements |
Section 3: Service Schedule and Access Requirements
Define when cleaning must happen and the access constraints that affect it. This section prevents providers from proposing a schedule that works for them but fails your facility.
- •Required service days (Monday through Friday only, or including weekends)
- •Service window hours (must begin after 6 PM, must complete before 6 AM)
- •Areas that must be cleaned before building opens (lobby, main entryways, restrooms)
- •Areas with restricted access windows (boardrooms available after 7 PM only, server room requires escort)
- •Holiday schedule and how it is handled (service the next business day, or make-up scheduling)
- •Emergency response expectations (spill response, event turnovers, last-minute scope additions)
Section 4: Accountability and Verification Requirements
This is the section most buyers skip and most providers hope they do. Require providers to document how they verify that service was delivered. Any provider who cannot answer this question clearly does not have an answer.
- •GPS shift verification: confirmation of staff arrival and departure at each service location
- •Digital inspection records: documentation of task completion by area and date
- •Client-accessible reporting: dashboard or report format showing service history on demand
- •Quality inspection frequency and format (weekly? Monthly? Who conducts? How documented?)
- •Escalation path and response time commitment for quality complaints
- •Account manager contact and availability during service hours
- •Incident reporting process for spills, damage, or safety events
We covered why verification is the difference between a cleaning program that works and one that erodes quietly in our article on GPS verification replacing the honor system.
Section 5: Pricing Structure and Required Format
Require line-item pricing. A single monthly total is not a proposal. It is a number with no context. Line-item pricing lets you compare what each provider includes, identify what is excluded, and understand where cost creep is likely to appear.
Require providers to price each of the following separately:
- •Base janitorial service (routine cleaning at specified frequency)
- •Consumable supplies (paper products, trash liners, hand soap, cleaning chemicals)
- •Day porter coverage if applicable (hourly rate and projected monthly hours)
- •Periodic floor care (annual strip and wax, carpet extraction, concrete sealing)
- •High dusting (per occurrence or annual program)
- •Window cleaning (interior and exterior separately)
- •After-hours emergency response rate (per hour or minimum call-out)
- •Annual escalation rate and the index it is tied to
Section 6: Company Qualifications
Ask the questions that surface operational maturity. A provider who has never managed an account at your scale will have a different answer than one who manages your facility type regularly.
- •Years in business and years operating in this market
- •Largest account currently managed (square footage and facility type)
- •Three references from accounts of similar size and facility type, with contact information
- •Proof of general liability insurance ($1M per occurrence minimum, $2M aggregate)
- •Workers compensation insurance certificate
- •Background check process for all cleaning associates
- •Training program for new hires (OSHA, chemical handling, bloodborne pathogens)
- •Describe your quality inspection process in detail
- •What technology do you use for shift verification and service documentation?
- •What is your average account tenure? (Tests retention and client satisfaction)
Section 7: Disqualifying Criteria
State explicitly what will disqualify a proposal. This eliminates lowball bids that cannot actually deliver the program and saves you from evaluating proposals that were never serious.
Common disqualifying criteria worth stating explicitly:
- ✕Failure to provide a facility walkthrough before submitting a proposal
- ✕Inability to provide proof of insurance at or above the specified minimums
- ✕No verifiable references from accounts of comparable size or facility type
- ✕Proposals that do not include line-item pricing as specified
- ✕No documented shift verification or quality inspection process
- ✕Response proposing a scope materially different from what was specified without explanation
For guidance on evaluating what comes back, our article on negotiating a commercial cleaning contract covers how to handle the back-and-forth after proposals arrive. If you want to understand what scope gaps tend to look like in contracts that pass the RFP stage, see our piece on the 15% scope gap problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be included in a commercial cleaning RFP?
A complete commercial cleaning RFP includes eight sections: facility overview and specifications, scope of work with task-level frequencies, service schedule and access requirements, supply and equipment provisions, accountability and verification requirements, company qualifications and references, pricing structure with required line-item format, and evaluation criteria with disqualifiers. All eight are necessary to receive proposals that can be accurately compared.
How do I make sure cleaning proposals are comparable?
Require line-item pricing for each service component and specify the scope in task-level detail with frequencies. If two providers price on the same task list at the same frequencies, their proposals are directly comparable. If scope is vague, providers fill it with different assumptions and you cannot compare the results accurately.
Should I require a facility walkthrough before proposals?
Yes, and you should make it a disqualifier if a provider declines. A walkthrough-based proposal is more accurate and reflects a provider who is serious about scoping the work correctly. Form-based estimates without a walkthrough miss the variables that actually drive cost: access complexity, soil levels, floor types, restroom fixture counts, and special protocol areas.
What insurance should I require from a cleaning company?
At minimum, require general liability insurance with $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Workers compensation insurance is non-negotiable. For facilities with high-value assets or specialized environments, umbrella coverage of $5 million or more may be appropriate. Request current certificates, not just declarations pages.
How many proposals should I request in a cleaning RFP?
Three to five proposals is the practical range for most procurements. Fewer than three limits comparison. More than five creates evaluation overhead that rarely produces better outcomes. Qualify the provider list before sending the RFP by confirming that each candidate has experience with your facility type and scale.
How long should the evaluation period be after receiving proposals?
Allow two to four weeks for initial review and reference checks. After shortlisting two to three providers, schedule on-site presentations and a second facility walkthrough with each finalist. Reference checks with accounts of similar size and type are essential. The total process from RFP issue to contract award typically runs six to eight weeks for complex accounts.
What questions should I ask during the provider interview?
Ask specifically how they verify that service was delivered (GPS and inspection documentation, not just supervision claims). Ask for the name and direct contact of the account manager who would own your account. Ask how they handle an associate who does not show up for a scheduled shift. Ask what their process is when a client escalates a quality complaint. The answers reveal operational maturity more reliably than proposal language does.
We welcome a well-built RFP.
If you are running a formal procurement, we will do the facility walkthrough, provide line-item pricing on every scope component, and answer every qualification question with documentation. We compete on specifics, not on price alone.
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