Commercial cleaning proposal template: what buyers actually read

The cover letter is one page that proves you listened during the walkthrough. Do not use it to describe your company history. Use it to repeat the buyer's priorities and state your offer in three or four sentences.

Wording you can adapt:

• "Thank you for walking us through [building name] on [date]. You told us that restroom condition and missed trash are the two issues tenants raise most often, and our scope addresses both directly."
• "We propose nightly cleaning five nights per week for a monthly price of [amount], with a dedicated supervisor who inspects the building every week and reports to you by email."
• "The proposal below details the scope, schedule, staffing and terms. We can start on [date] after a short transition described in Section 8."

Sign it with a real name and a direct contact. Buyers want to know who they will call when something goes wrong.

State the facts your price is built on. If the buyer's numbers differ from yours, this is where the misunderstanding surfaces before the contract is signed, not after.

Add one sentence that protects you: "Pricing is based on the areas and square footage listed above. Changes to occupied space or scope will be quoted separately."

The scope of work is the heart of a commercial cleaning proposal. It is what the buyer checks against the price, and it is what you will be held to for the next one to three years. Organize it by area and frequency, not as one long list.

Below the table, list what is specifically excluded or priced separately. This is the part buyers read closely, so write it plainly:

• Carpet extraction, strip and wax, and exterior window cleaning are priced per occurrence in Section 9.
• Biohazard cleanup beyond routine restroom care is quoted on request.
• Moving furniture, cleaning inside tenant refrigerators and cleaning personal items are not included.

For medical, school or public buildings, reference any cleaning standards or disinfection requirements the buyer gave you and state that your procedures follow them.

The schedule answers three questions: when do you clean, how many people come, and who is responsible. A buyer who can picture your crew in their building is more likely to trust your price.

Showing labor hours per visit is a strong move. It lets the buyer see that a much cheaper competitor is either promising fewer hours or not covering the scope. Our guide on how to bid janitorial contracts shows how to calculate those hours from production rates.

Most cleaning contracts are lost because of small, repeated misses and slow responses, not because of one disaster. Buyers know this, so a concrete quality control plan often matters more than a lower price.

• Inspections: the supervisor inspects [weekly] using a written checklist by area, with scores kept on file.
• Reporting: an inspection summary goes to the facility manager [monthly], including issues found and fixed.
• Issue response: problems reported by [email or phone] are acknowledged within [one business day] and corrected on the next service visit or sooner.
• Account review: a short review with the facility manager [quarterly] to adjust scope and priorities.
• Staffing changes: new cleaners are introduced before their first shift and trained on the building's specific procedures.

Keep these commitments realistic. Everything in this section becomes a promise the buyer will remember at renewal.

Consumables are a common source of disputes, so spell them out:

If you provide paper goods, price them as a separate monthly line based on usage. Occupancy changes, and a separate line lets you adjust without renegotiating the whole contract.

This section is short in the body of the proposal and long in the appendix. State the essentials and attach the documents.

• General liability insurance with limits of [amount], certificate of insurance attached, client named as additional insured on request.
• Workers' compensation coverage for all employees, certificate attached.
• Janitorial bond covering employee dishonesty, [amount].
• Background checks for staff working in [secure areas, schools, medical offices].
• Hazard communication: staff trained on the chemicals they use, safety data sheets kept on site.
• For medical facilities: training on bloodborne pathogens and proper disinfectant use.

Public agencies often require specific forms and certifications instead of your own summary. In a formal bid, always use their forms. Our page on government cleaning contracts explains what those solicitations usually ask for.

Switching cleaning contractors worries buyers. A short transition plan removes that worry:

• Week before start: walkthrough with the supervisor, keys and alarm codes, supply storage set up, contact list agreed.
• First night: supervisor on site for the full shift.
• First two weeks: daily check-in email with the facility manager and a punch list of anything found.
• End of month one: joint inspection and scope adjustments if needed.

Keep it to a few lines. The goal is to show that you have done this before and that the first weeks will not fall on the buyer's shoulders.

This is the page every buyer reads first. Make the monthly price impossible to miss and easy to compare.

Add two or three plain sentences under the table:

• "The monthly price includes all labor, supervision, equipment and cleaning chemicals for the scope in Section 3."
• "Paper goods and liners are [included or billed separately at the prices listed]."
• "Prices are valid for [60] days from the date of this proposal."

Some buyers also like to see price per square foot. If you show it, show the monthly total next to it so nobody multiplies it wrongly. For the method behind the numbers, see the janitorial bid calculator and our guide on how to bid janitorial contracts.

The terms section sets the rules for the whole relationship. Keep it readable and cover at least:

• Contract length: [one year], renewing automatically for further one-year terms unless either party gives notice.
• Start date: [date].
• Termination: either party may terminate with [30] days written notice. For cause, the notice period and the cure period.
• Price adjustments: annual adjustment of [percentage or index], and adjustment when mandatory wage rates or scope change.
• Invoicing and payment: invoiced monthly in advance, payment due within [30] days.
• Holidays: service not performed on [listed holidays], or performed on the next business day.
• Changes in scope: quoted in writing before work begins.

The full agreement often follows as a separate document once the buyer accepts. Our guide to the commercial cleaning agreement covers the clauses in more depth, including escalation and termination.

Keep this section short and relevant. The buyer wants to know one thing: have you cleaned buildings like mine, and will you still be there next year?

• Two or three sentences on who you are, your service area and the facility types you specialize in.
• Relevant experience: the kinds of buildings you clean now, their size and frequency, without naming anyone who has not agreed to be named.
• References: contact details of facility managers who have agreed to take a call, ideally from similar buildings.
• Your supervision model: who the buyer's single point of contact will be.

Never invent references or photos of buildings you do not clean. Buyers check, and one false claim ends the bid.

End with a clear way to say yes. A signature block with name, title, date and the selected options (for example with or without day porter) turns a good proposal into a signed contract faster.

• Signature lines for both parties.
• A checkbox list of optional services the buyer can add.
• One sentence on what happens after signing: "We will schedule the transition walkthrough within [three] business days."

• A generic proposal that never mentions the building or anything from the walkthrough.
• A price with no breakdown of what it covers, which forces the buyer to guess.
• A scope written as one long list without frequencies.
• Hidden or unstated exclusions that surface as extra invoices later.
• Arriving days after the walkthrough, when competitors have already been reviewed.
• Promising inspection and response times the company cannot keep.
• Missing insurance certificates or required forms in a formal bid.