Key takeaways
- Before a walkthrough, verify the vendor's certificate of insurance directly with their agent, plus general liability and workers' compensation coverage.
- Ask who exactly will clean your building, how crews are trained, what the visit checklist looks like, and how work is verified.
- Walk away from vendors who can't produce a building-specific checklist or a named point of contact.
Yes — we're a cleaning company telling you how to vet cleaning companies. We're publishing this anyway, because the questions below are the ones a well-run vendor wants to be asked, and the ones a poorly run one hopes you skip. Use them on us. Use them on everyone.
Before the walkthrough: paperwork that actually matters
- Certificate of insurance naming your property as additional insured — request it directly from the vendor's insurance agent, not as a PDF from the vendor
- General liability coverage appropriate to your building's size and use
- Workers' compensation coverage — if a crew member is hurt in your building and the vendor isn't covered, the liability can land on you
- Proof the workers are employees or clearly disclosed subcontractors; ask which
The 12 walkthrough questions
- Who exactly will clean my building? The same crew nightly, or whoever's available? Consistency is the single biggest quality driver.
- How are crew members screened and trained? "We hire experienced people" is not a training program. Ask to see the curriculum or checklist they're trained against.
- What does a visit checklist look like? If they can't produce a building-specific checklist, quality depends entirely on memory.
- How do you verify the work was done? Initials, inspection scores, photos — anything documented beats "trust us."
- Who is my point of contact, and what's the response time? Get a name and a number, not a ticket portal alone.
- What happens when something is missed? The honest answer includes a re-clean policy with a timeframe.
- What products do you use, and can I see the SDS sheets? Green Seal or EPA Safer Choice certification matters in occupied buildings; safety data sheets should be available without hesitation.
- How do you prevent cross-contamination? Listen for color-coded cloths and separate restroom mops. Silence here is a red flag.
- What is and isn't in scope? Get the exclusions in writing — interior windows, dishes, high dusting frequency. Most disputes live in the gray area.
- How is pricing structured, and what triggers a change? Square footage, frequency, and supply costs should be itemized.
- What's your client retention rate? Renewal percentage tells you more than any reference call.
- Can I speak to a client of similar building type? A medical office reference means little if you run a warehouse.
Red flags worth walking away from
- A quote without a walkthrough. Nobody can price your building accurately from a phone call.
- A price dramatically below the others. Cleaning is labor. A too-low bid means understaffed visits, rushed work, or workers paid off the books.
- No written scope of work. If it's not written, it's not in scope — and you'll find out at the worst time.
- Reluctance on insurance verification. Legitimate vendors handle this request weekly. Hesitation means something.
- Long lock-in with no exit clause. A confident vendor offers a 30-day out after an initial period. Quality should keep you, not a contract.
One honest disclosure: A Bright Rose serves South Florida, and naturally we'd love your business if you're local. But everything above applies anywhere in the country — and a vendor who passes all twelve questions is worth keeping, whoever they are.