Commercial cleaning walkthrough checklist

Print it and bring it to the site visit. Each item tells you where it goes in the calculator, so your price comes from what you saw, not from a guess.

Back to the calculator

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Client
Address
Who walked you through
Date of the visit

Before you go

  1. Ask for the floor plan or the cleanable square footage

    If they don't have it, measure length × width of each area on the visit and add them up. Count only what you will clean.

    In the calculator: Square feet

  2. Ask who decides and who signs

    Ask that person to join the walkthrough, or when they can review your proposal.

    In the calculator: Proposal terms

  3. Ask what insurance they require

    Certificate of insurance (COI) for general liability, additional insured, workers' comp, janitorial bond, background checks, W-9.

    In the calculator: Insurance

On the walkthrough

  1. Type of building and use

    Office, medical, gym, church, school, retail. Any special areas: exam rooms, server room, children’s areas, kitchen?

    In the calculator: Type of building

  2. Square feet, area by area

    Walk everything: offices, hallways, lobby, breakroom, restrooms, storage. Note what is NOT cleaned (locked storage, another tenant’s space).

    In the calculator: Square feet

  3. Restrooms and fixtures

    How many restrooms, and how many toilets, urinals and sinks in each. Count a large multi-stall restroom as 2.

    In the calculator: Restrooms

  4. Locker rooms and showers

    Gyms and studios only: how many, and what shape they are in.

    In the calculator: Locker rooms (gyms)

  5. Floors: carpet or hard floor

    How much is carpet and how much hard floor: VCT, ceramic tile, LVT, sealed concrete, wood. Is the VCT waxed? When was it last stripped? Stained carpet? Dirty grout?

    In the calculator: Floors and periodic services

  6. How many people use the space

    Employees and visitors per day. More people = more trash, more restroom use and more time per visit: lower the production rate.

    In the calculator: Production rate (sq ft per hour)

  7. Trash and recycling

    Number of cans, recycling, shredding bins, and where the dumpster is.

    In the calculator: Production rate (sq ft per hour)

  8. Breakroom or kitchen

    Dishes? Inside the fridge or microwave? Write down what is in and what is out.

    In the calculator: Proposal tasks

  9. Glass

    Entry doors, glass partitions, interior windows within reach. Exterior windows are quoted separately.

    In the calculator: Proposal tasks

  10. High dusting

    Vents, ledges, light fixtures, ceiling height. Do you need a ladder?

    In the calculator: Proposal tasks

  11. Condition of the space

    Clean or neglected? Construction dust? If the first clean will take much longer, quote it separately as an initial deep clean or a post-construction clean.

    In the calculator: One-time job

  12. Paper and soap

    Who buys them? Which brands and dispensers? If you supply them, add them to the price.

    In the calculator: Paper and soap

  13. Janitor closet

    A lockable space for your products and equipment, a mop sink, water and power.

    In the calculator: Proposal terms

  14. Getting there and parking

    How far is it? Where do you park? Elevator, stairs, loading dock? This is time you pay for too.

    In the calculator: Travel and setup

Questions for the client

  1. Days and hours

    How many times a week? Which days? After hours, early morning or during the day?

    In the calculator: Visits per week

  2. Keys, alarm codes and lock-up

    Key or fob? Alarm code? Who locks up and turns off the lights?

    In the calculator: Time window

  3. Why are they changing cleaners?

    What bothers them about the current service and what matters most. If they will say, what they pay today.

    In the calculator: Proposal tasks

  4. Are they tax-exempt?

    Churches, schools and nonprofits: ask for their exemption certificate if cleaning is taxable in your state.

    In the calculator: Sales tax

  5. When do they want to start?

    Start date and when they decide. Write down the date of this visit: the proposal thanks the client for the walkthrough.

    In the calculator: Proposal terms

After the visit

  1. Enter the numbers in the calculator the same day

    While the measurements and notes are fresh. Take photos only if the client agrees.

    In the calculator: Square feet

  2. Send the proposal within 1 or 2 days

    Put the walkthrough date on the proposal. If they don't answer, use the follow-up messages.

    In the calculator: Proposal terms

ContratoClean · Commercial cleaning walkthrough checklist