How to bid commercial cleaning jobs?
Short answerBid commercial cleaning after a walkthrough, scope each area and visit frequency, and present a clear proposal with insurance proof, supplies and a start date. Building managers compare scope as much as price. A vague bid invites a cheaper rival, and a clear one shows you understand their building.
The explanation
The walkthrough is the sale. Go with the manager, list each area, count restrooms, offices and floors, and ask about hours, key access, security and any special surfaces. Take notes and photos. Ask who handles supplies and what the current provider does badly.
Build the proposal around scope and frequency. Describe tasks per area and per visit, such as nightly trash and restroom service, weekly vacuuming and monthly floor care. State who provides supplies and equipment. Include proof of insurance, since many managers require it.
Be clear on terms: start date, how you handle missed visits, how complaints are reported, and how long the price holds. Offer a short trial period if it suits. Follow up after a few days, and keep the proposal readable, since the person choosing may not be the person who walked you through.
Steps
- Schedule a walkthrough and list every area.
- Note access, hours, security and special surfaces.
- Define tasks per area and visit frequency.
- State supplies, insurance and start date.
- Send the proposal and follow up within days.
What to watch for
- Bidding by square footage alone without a walkthrough.
- Leaving out who supplies paper and soap.
In residential cleaning (maid service)
Commercial cleaning is usually an after-hours, recurring contract. Managers want predictable service, so the bid should show frequency, supervision and how problems are reported. All residential cleaning (maid service) scheduling questions.
How Apex does it
In progress
Part of this is built. The rest is not. Status as of 2026-10-07; the badge shows the least-built feature involved.
Apex is designed to build sales proposals with pictures and bios, set up recurring service plans and sell and renew service agreements. Proposals and agreements are demo or partly built, and not yet saving live data.
- ES01Estimates / quotes builder(Rolling out)
- ES18Sales proposal with pictures, bios, reviews(In progress)
- RC01Recurring service plans (weekly/monthly)(Rolling out)
- CT03Service agreements / contracts sold and renewed(Rolling out)
Apex Flow Scheduler is in early access. See how we label status.
Where this question comes from: owners type it, or a close variant, into search boxes. It was returned by public search suggestions (Google, Bing or DuckDuckGo) when we collected them on 2026-10-06. We do not have search volumes.