Commercial Cleaning Quotes in Athens, GA: How to Compare Scope, Price, and What's Included
Because a $4 quote and a $9 quote are probably not selling the same sandwich
Two cleaning companies quote your office. One number is lower. Congratulations: you now know almost nothing about which proposal is the better value.
This is because the cheaper quote may not be a better deal. It may be a different deal entirely, the way a $4 sandwich and a $9 sandwich are not really competing if the $4 sandwich is a slice of bread that has been told about a sandwich. Most commercial cleaning quotes in Athens, GA are like this. They look comparable until you read them, and then they look like two people describing the same elephant, one of whom is standing behind it.
The fix is a written scope. In the next 1,400 words or so, I'll show you how to compare work, frequency, responsibilities, and price, so you can pick a janitorial company based on what you're actually getting. I am not an expert in this. I once tried to clean my own oven and it is now a historic site. But I've read the paperwork, and I'm here for you.
Why Commercial Cleaning Quotes Vary So Much
If you've ever wondered why one bid is the price of a used Buick and another is the price of a nice lunch, here's the secret: nobody is lying. They're pricing different buildings, because each of them imagined a different one.
Real commercial cleaning cost factors include:
- How much cleanable space you have, and how it's laid out
- How many people work there, and how many visitors tramp through
- How many restrooms you have, and how heavily they're used (really, restrooms are the main event)
- Your flooring: carpet, tile, vinyl, hardwood, or what one office manager described to me as "the gray stuff"
- Routine floor care versus periodic floor care
- How often service happens, and at what hours
- The starting condition of the place
- Who supplies the products and paper goods
- Access requirements, such as alarm codes, keys, and the one door that only opens if you say a prayer
This is why nobody can hand you a universal Athens price. Anyone who does is guessing or selling something. A proper office cleaning quote starts with a walkthrough that records your floor types, restroom count, traffic, and access needs. If a bidder quotes you from the parking lot, they have not seen your building. They have seen your car.
What Should a Commercial Cleaning Scope of Work Include?
A commercial cleaning scope of work is a document that answers four questions: where the cleaning happens, what gets done, how often, and who is responsible. That's it. It is the only thing standing between you and a conversation that begins with "Well, we never said we'd do that."
(If you want the full task list, we've got you covered in our guide to daily, weekly, and periodic office cleaning tasks. This article is about the paperwork, which is a thrilling subject.)
Areas and tasks
Which spaces are covered? Offices, reception, conference rooms, restrooms, break rooms? Then: what specifically happens in them? "Clean" is not a task. "Empty trash, vacuum, wipe surfaces, sanitize touchpoints" is a task. Also ask about boundaries. Most cleaners will not touch the papers on your desk, nor should they. That pile is either critical or a fire hazard, and either way it's yours.
Frequency and schedule
Some tasks happen every visit. Some are weekly. Some are monthly. Some happen "periodically," a word that in contract language means "ask us later." Nail down the service days, how the crew gets in, and what happens on holidays.
Supplies and special services
Who provides chemicals and equipment? Who buys the paper towels, soap, and liners? Are periodic services included or priced separately? A quote that includes restroom supplies and a quote that doesn't can differ by exactly the amount you'll later spend on toilet paper, at which point you'll become a person who knows the price of toilet paper. Nobody wants that.
How to Compare Commercial Cleaning Quotes Side by Side
Here is the part of the article where I'd like you to take a pen and a deep breath, in that order.
To compare commercial cleaning quotes properly, do this:
- Match the areas, tasks, and frequency. Make sure both bidders are cleaning the same rooms the same number of times a week. (Sub-clause: this is shockingly rare.)
- Identify what's missing. One quote will mention something the other forgot. Usually it's the thing you care about.
- Separate recurring, one-time, and optional charges. A low monthly number with a big "initial cleaning" fee is not low. It's a fee wearing a trench coat.
- Only then compare prices. Price comes last. Price is the dessert of this meal.
Here's a buyer's tool, a janitorial contract checklist you can copy into a spreadsheet and fill in for each proposal. It is not C&C's standard contract. It is a general guide for any quote you're weighing, including ours:
If you can't fill in a box, that's your homework. If a bidder can't fill in a box, that's their homework. If nobody can fill in any box, you have an elephant.
Common Exclusions and Extra Charges to Clarify
Here's something nobody tells you: an exclusion is not automatically a red flag. Plenty of perfectly good janitorial services leave certain work out of the base price. The problem is not the exclusion. The problem is discovering the exclusion after service begins, usually while you are standing in front of a carpet stain with a look on your face.
Ask directly about:
- Carpet extraction
- Specialized floor maintenance
- Interior versus exterior windows
- The insides of appliances (yes, that refrigerator)
- Special-event cleanup
- Emergency service
- Furniture moving
- Restricted areas
And separate periodic work from routine cleaning. If you want to understand the difference, our post on routine cleaning versus office deep cleaning covers it. The short version: the break room refrigerator will not clean itself, and one day, it will tell you so.
What to Prepare Before an Office Cleaning Walkthrough
A bid is only as good as the information behind it. Before the walkthrough, gather:
- Approximate square footage and number of rooms
- Employee and visitor counts
- Your current cleaning schedule
- Areas you've complained about (be honest; they've heard worse)
- Flooring types and known problem spots
- Access restrictions
- Preferred service hours and start date
- Upcoming events
Then show every bidder the same areas and describe the same requirements. Don't tell Company A about the lobby and forget to mention it to Company B. They're not mind readers, and the ones who say they are are lying. This is also the single best way to get an accurate commercial cleaning estimate in Athens, GA: the same facts, in the same order, to everybody.
Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Janitorial Proposal
The following is a Q&A. I've provided the questions. The answers are up to your bidders.
Q. Can you put inclusions and exclusions in writing?
A. This is the whole ballgame. Move on.
Q. Who is my contact for missed work or concerns?
A. The correct answer is a name. The incorrect answer is "the system."
Q. How will cleaning quality be checked?
A. Listen for a process. If you hear "we just kind of keep an eye out," you've found the process.
Q. How are changes in occupancy, frequency, or requested work handled?
A. Your office will change. Offices do. Ask how the contract changes with it.
Q. What insurance documentation and service terms can we review?
A. All of them. Review all of them. Yes, even the boring ones.
If you'd like a broader look at choosing a commercial cleaning company and building a plan around your needs, see our piece on building a customized commercial cleaning plan. And if you're still on the fence about whether professional service is worth it, there's the costs of postponing professional cleaning.
Here's the sincere part. A clear, written scope is not about being difficult. It protects both sides. A good cleaning company wants you to know exactly what you're getting, because the alternative is a year of awkward emails. Clear quotes make for good relationships, and good relationships make for clean buildings.
Get a Commercial Cleaning Quote for Your Athens-Area Business
At C&C Janitorial, we provide janitorial services in Athens, GA and the surrounding communities, including commercial cleaning and floor care. If you'd like to talk through your facility, your schedule, and what you actually need cleaned, we're happy to.
Ready to compare cleaning proposals with a clearer picture of what your business needs? Request a commercial cleaning quote in Athens. Contact C&C Janitorial to request a free quote and discuss cleaning services for your Athens-area facility. Call 706-742-7055.
Bring the checklist. We'll bring the sandwich.
Check out some of our other blog posts...
The Office Cleaning Checklist for Athens, GA Businesses (Or: Why the Yogurt Is Plotting Against You)
