Winning a commercial cleaning contract can be a major opportunity for a janitorial business.
A single recurring contract can bring predictable monthly revenue, improve cash flow, and help you build a stronger client portfolio. But getting the contract isn’t simply about offering the lowest price.
Your bid needs to show the potential client that you understand their facility, can deliver consistent service, have a reliable team, and can provide good value for their budget.
So, how do you bid on commercial cleaning contracts successfully?
In this guide, we’ll walk through the process step by step—from finding the right opportunities and inspecting the facility to calculating your costs, preparing a professional proposal, submitting your bid, and following up.
What Is a Commercial Cleaning Bid?
A commercial cleaning bid is a formal offer from a cleaning company to provide cleaning services to a business or organization for a specific price.
A typical bid may include:
- Cleaning services
- Cleaning frequency
- Scope of work
- Labor requirements
- Supplies and equipment
- Service schedule
- Pricing
- Contract terms
- Insurance information
- Company information
- Additional services
The client compares your proposal with other cleaning companies before deciding which provider to hire.
However, the cheapest bid doesn’t always win.
Businesses often look at price, reliability, experience, communication, quality, flexibility, and professionalism.
Step 1: Find Commercial Cleaning Opportunities
Before you can submit a bid, you need to find businesses that are actually looking for cleaning services.
Potential opportunities can come from:
- Local businesses
- Property management companies
- Office buildings
- Medical facilities
- Schools
- Warehouses
- Retail stores
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Manufacturing facilities
- Government facilities
- Construction companies
- Online RFP opportunities
- Business networking
- Referrals
- Cold calling
- Email outreach
You can also build your own prospect list instead of relying entirely on purchased leads.
For example, if you specialize in office cleaning, you could create a list of office buildings in your target cities and contact facility managers or office managers.
The more targeted your prospecting is, the more relevant your opportunities will be.
Step 2: Read the Request Carefully
If a company sends you an RFP (Request for Proposal) or cleaning bid request, don’t immediately start calculating a price.
Read the entire document first.
Look for:
- Facility size
- Number of buildings
- Cleaning frequency
- Required services
- Operating hours
- Number of restrooms
- Flooring types
- Special requirements
- Supply responsibilities
- Equipment requirements
- Contract length
- Start date
- Insurance requirements
- Proposal deadline
- Site inspection requirements
Missing one requirement can make your bid less competitive—or even disqualify your company.
Create a Bid Checklist
Before preparing your proposal, write down every requirement.
For example:
| Requirement | Completed |
|---|---|
| Facility inspection | ✓ |
| Scope of work reviewed | ✓ |
| Labor calculated | ✓ |
| Supplies calculated | ✓ |
| Equipment calculated | ✓ |
| Insurance checked | ✓ |
| Pricing calculated | ✓ |
| Proposal prepared | ✓ |
| Deadline confirmed | ✓ |
This simple process can prevent expensive mistakes.
Step 3: Inspect the Facility
Whenever possible, perform an on-site walkthrough before submitting your commercial cleaning bid.
A site visit allows you to understand what you’re actually bidding on.
Look at:
- Total square footage
- Number of floors
- Restrooms
- Break rooms
- Kitchens
- Hallways
- Offices
- Common areas
- Windows
- Floor types
- Trash volume
- High-traffic areas
- Staircases
- Elevators
- Entryways
- Special cleaning areas
You should also look at how difficult the facility will be to service.
A 20,000-square-foot facility isn’t necessarily the same workload as every other 20,000-square-foot facility.
One building might have mostly open office space.
Another might have multiple restrooms, kitchens, carpeted areas, conference rooms, and high-traffic entrances.
The square footage is important—but the actual workload is more important.
Step 4: Ask Questions Before You Bid
Never be afraid to ask the potential client questions.
In fact, asking good questions can make you appear more professional.
Consider asking:
About the Current Cleaning Service
- Do you currently use a cleaning company?
- What would you like to improve?
- What problems have you experienced?
- When does your current contract end?
About Cleaning Requirements
- How often should the facility be cleaned?
- Are there areas requiring special attention?
- Are cleaning supplies provided by the client?
- Are consumables included?
- Are there specific cleaning standards?
About Scheduling
- What hours can cleaning take place?
- Is cleaning required after business hours?
- Are there security restrictions?
- Are weekends available?
About the Contract
- What is the expected contract length?
- When would the new service begin?
- How will the winning provider be selected?
The answers can help you create a much more accurate bid.
Step 5: Determine the Scope of Work
One of the most important parts of your commercial cleaning bid is the scope of work.
The scope should clearly explain what your company will actually do.
For example:
Daily Cleaning
- Empty trash
- Vacuum carpets
- Sweep floors
- Mop hard floors
- Clean restrooms
- Clean high-touch surfaces
- Clean common areas
- Clean break rooms
Weekly Cleaning
- Detailed dusting
- Deep restroom cleaning
- Floor maintenance
- Additional surface cleaning
Monthly or Periodic Services
- High dusting
- Interior glass cleaning
- Detailed floor care
- Deep cleaning
- Other specialty services
The scope protects both sides.
The client knows what they’re paying for, and your company knows exactly what is expected.
Step 6: Calculate Your Labor Costs
Labor will usually be one of the largest costs in a commercial cleaning contract.
Start by estimating how many labor hours are required.
For example, suppose your team needs:
20 labor hours per week
If your fully loaded labor cost is $18 per hour:
20 × $18 = $360 per week
Monthly labor cost would then be approximately:
$360 × 4.33 = $1,559 per month
Remember that your real labor cost may include more than employee wages.
Consider:
- Payroll taxes
- Workers’ compensation
- Benefits
- Training
- Paid time
- Supervision
- Hiring costs
- Employee turnover
Using only the employee’s hourly wage can cause you to underbid.
Step 7: Calculate Supplies and Equipment
Your bid should account for the materials and equipment required to deliver the service.
Potential expenses include:
- Cleaning chemicals
- Trash bags
- Paper products
- Microfiber cloths
- Gloves
- Mops
- Buckets
- Vacuum cleaners
- Floor machines
- Safety equipment
- Replacement equipment
- Transportation
Determine whether the client expects your company to provide consumable supplies.
For example, some clients may provide restroom paper products while others expect the cleaning contractor to supply everything.
Make sure you clarify this before finalizing your price.
Step 8: Calculate Overhead
Your cleaning contract has costs beyond direct labor and supplies.
You should also consider overhead such as:
- Insurance
- Vehicle expenses
- Fuel
- Office expenses
- Software
- Management
- Payroll processing
- Equipment maintenance
- Training
- Sales and marketing
- Administrative costs
If you ignore overhead, your contract may look profitable on paper while actually losing money.
Step 9: Add Your Desired Profit Margin
After calculating your costs, determine how much profit you need.
For example, suppose your estimated monthly costs are:
Labor: $4,000
Supplies: $400
Transportation: $250
Overhead allocation: $350
Total cost:
$5,000/month
If you want a 20% margin on the selling price, you can’t simply add 20% to the cost and assume that’s a 20% margin.
A simple margin calculation would be:
Selling Price = Cost ÷ (1 − Desired Margin)
For a 20% margin:
$5,000 ÷ 0.80 = $6,250
So your target selling price would be approximately $6,250 per month.
Your actual pricing should depend on your market, competition, risk, scope, and business goals.
Step 10: Don’t Automatically Choose the Lowest Price
One of the biggest mistakes cleaning companies make is trying to win every contract by being the cheapest.
Price matters.
But extremely low pricing can create problems.
If your bid is too low, you may struggle to:
- Pay employees properly
- Maintain quality
- Replace equipment
- Handle unexpected costs
- Supervise the account
- Make a reasonable profit
Eventually, the contract may become more of a burden than an opportunity.
Instead, focus on value.
Explain why your company is worth the price you’re charging.
Step 11: Create a Professional Cleaning Proposal
Your commercial cleaning bid should look professional.
A strong proposal can include:
1. Cover Page
Include:
- Company name
- Client name
- Proposal title
- Date
- Contact information
2. Company Introduction
Briefly explain who you are and what your company does.
3. Understanding of the Client’s Needs
Show that you understand the facility and its cleaning requirements.
4. Scope of Work
Clearly list the services you’ll provide.
5. Cleaning Schedule
Explain how often each service will be performed.
6. Staffing Plan
Explain how your team will handle the account.
7. Quality Control
Explain how you will monitor cleaning quality.
8. Pricing
Clearly present your proposed price.
9. Insurance and Credentials
Include relevant documentation.
10. Terms and Conditions
Explain important contract terms.
11. Contact Information
Make it easy for the client to reach you.
Step 12: Make Your Proposal Easy to Read
Don’t turn your proposal into a wall of text.
Use:
- Headings
- Tables
- Bullet points
- Short paragraphs
- Clear pricing
- Professional formatting
A facility manager may review several proposals.
Make yours easy to understand.
For example:
| Service | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Vacuuming | Daily |
| Restroom cleaning | Daily |
| Trash removal | Daily |
| Mopping | Daily |
| Dusting | 3x weekly |
| Glass cleaning | Monthly |
| Deep cleaning | Quarterly |
The client should be able to understand your offer within a few minutes.
Step 13: Explain What Makes Your Company Different
A bid should answer one important question:
Why should this client choose you?
Possible differentiators include:
- Experienced cleaning staff
- Reliable scheduling
- Dedicated account manager
- Quality inspections
- Fast communication
- Flexible service
- Eco-friendly cleaning options
- Specialized industry experience
- Backup staffing
- Consistent reporting
Don’t simply say:
“We provide excellent service.”
Explain how you provide excellent service.
For example:
“Each facility receives scheduled quality inspections, and our management team maintains regular communication with the client to address issues quickly.”
Specific details are more convincing than generic claims.
Step 14: Submit Your Bid Before the Deadline
If the proposal deadline is Friday at 5 PM, don’t wait until 4:59 PM.
Submit early when possible.
Late submissions can make your company look disorganized.
Before sending the proposal, double-check:
- Pricing
- Scope
- Company name
- Client name
- Dates
- Contract terms
- Insurance requirements
- Attachments
- Contact information
- Submission instructions
A professional bid is about more than cleaning.
It demonstrates how professionally your company operates.
Step 15: Follow Up After Submitting Your Bid
Submitting a proposal doesn’t mean the sales process is finished.
Follow up.
You can send a simple message such as:
“Hi [Name], I wanted to follow up regarding the commercial cleaning proposal we submitted. I wanted to make sure you received everything and see if you had any questions about our scope or pricing.”
This gives the prospect an opportunity to ask questions.
It also keeps your company visible while they compare proposals.
Step 16: Be Prepared to Discuss Your Price
Sometimes the client will ask:
“Can you lower your price?”
Don’t immediately agree.
First, understand why.
You can ask:
“Is there a specific part of the proposal you’d like us to adjust?”
Maybe the client doesn’t need a particular service.
Maybe the cleaning frequency can change.
Maybe supplies can be handled differently.
Instead of simply cutting your price, consider adjusting the scope.
This protects your margins while giving the client more flexibility.
Step 17: Negotiate Without Destroying Your Profit
Negotiation is normal in commercial cleaning.
But don’t reduce your price without understanding the impact.
Suppose your original bid is:
$7,000/month
The client asks for:
$6,000/month
Before agreeing, calculate what the change means for your profit.
You may need to reduce the scope, adjust frequency, or find operational efficiencies.
Never assume that winning the contract is automatically a success.
A contract that consistently loses money is not a good contract.
Common Commercial Cleaning Bid Mistakes
Mistake #1: Bidding Without Seeing the Facility
Whenever possible, inspect the facility before pricing the job.
Mistake #2: Underestimating Labor
Labor hours can quickly become your biggest expense.
Mistake #3: Forgetting Overhead
Insurance, management, transportation, and administrative expenses matter.
Mistake #4: Competing Only on Price
The lowest bid doesn’t always win.
Mistake #5: Using a Generic Proposal
Customize the proposal to the client’s facility.
Mistake #6: Not Asking Questions
Missing important requirements can result in an inaccurate bid.
Mistake #7: Forgetting Follow-Up
A proposal sitting in someone’s inbox doesn’t automatically become a contract.
Mistake #8: Accepting Every Contract
Some contracts are simply not profitable or strategically useful.
Mistake #9: Not Defining the Scope
Unclear expectations can create disputes later.
Mistake #10: Failing to Track Your Bids
Track every proposal so you can understand your win rate.
Track Your Commercial Cleaning Bid Results
Your sales numbers can teach you a lot.
Create a simple spreadsheet with columns such as:
| Prospect | Bid Amount | Date Submitted | Result | Reason Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company A | $4,500 | Jan 5 | Won | — |
| Company B | $6,000 | Jan 10 | Lost | Price |
| Company C | $3,800 | Jan 15 | Lost | Existing provider |
| Company D | $7,200 | Jan 20 | Won | — |
After you have enough data, look for patterns.
Are you losing because you’re too expensive?
Are you underpricing?
Are you targeting the wrong businesses?
Are your proposals weak?
Are you failing to follow up?
Your numbers can help answer these questions.
How to Increase Your Chances of Winning Commercial Cleaning Contracts
Winning more bids isn’t only about improving your proposal.
You also need enough opportunities entering your pipeline.
If you submit two bids per month, even a strong proposal may not produce consistent growth.
But if you’re regularly:
- Finding new businesses
- Contacting decision-makers
- Building relationships
- Booking walkthroughs
- Following up
- Sending proposals
you create more opportunities to win.
This is where lead generation and appointment setting become important.
Your goal should be to create a pipeline where today’s prospecting creates tomorrow’s appointments and next month’s contracts.
How Many Commercial Cleaning Contracts Should You Bid On?
There is no universal number.
It depends on:
- Your service capacity
- Sales team size
- Target market
- Average contract value
- Close rate
- Available staff
- Geographic area
For example, if you can comfortably manage 10 new accounts but only have capacity for two right now, aggressively bidding on 30 contracts may create operational problems if several are won simultaneously.
Sales and operations need to grow together.
A Simple Commercial Cleaning Bid Formula
Here’s a simplified framework you can use:
Estimated Labor Cost
Supplies & Equipment
Transportation
Overhead
Management Cost
Risk/Contingency
Desired Profit
=
Commercial Cleaning Bid Price
This isn’t a universal pricing formula because every facility is different.
But it provides a starting framework for thinking about your costs.
Commercial Cleaning Bid Checklist
Before submitting your next proposal, use this checklist:
Prospect
- Is this a good-fit client?
- Did I identify the decision-maker?
- Did I understand their needs?
Facility
- Did I inspect the facility?
- Did I estimate the workload?
- Did I identify special requirements?
Costs
- Labor calculated
- Supplies calculated
- Equipment calculated
- Transportation calculated
- Overhead included
- Profit included
Proposal
- Company introduction
- Scope of work
- Cleaning schedule
- Staffing plan
- Quality-control plan
- Pricing
- Terms
- Insurance information
- Contact information
Sales
- Proposal submitted on time
- Follow-up scheduled
- Questions answered
- Negotiation strategy prepared
Final Thoughts
Learning how to bid on commercial cleaning contracts is an important skill for any janitorial business that wants to grow.
A successful bid isn’t simply a number on a page.
It’s a combination of:
Understanding the facility + calculating your costs + creating a clear scope + presenting your value + following up professionally.
Don’t focus only on being the cheapest cleaning company.
Focus on becoming the company that clients trust to deliver reliable, consistent service.
And remember: you can’t win contracts if you don’t have enough opportunities to bid on.
Build your prospecting system, consistently reach potential clients, create appointments, and turn those opportunities into proposals.
The more qualified opportunities you create, the more chances you have to win profitable recurring commercial cleaning contracts.
Need More Commercial Cleaning Opportunities?
If your cleaning company has a strong service but doesn’t have enough prospects entering the sales pipeline, professional cold calling and appointment setting can help.
A trained sales team can research potential businesses, contact decision-makers, qualify prospects, and schedule appointments so you can spend more time preparing proposals and closing contracts.
More qualified conversations can lead to more walkthroughs, more proposals, and ultimately more commercial cleaning contracts.