Rule one: the same scope, frequency and hours
Before you compare anything, check that every proposal covers the same areas, the same tasks, the same number of visits a week and the same hours. If they do not, you are not comparing providers; you are comparing different jobs. Send the same written scope to each provider, and ask each to quote on it.
What to compare, side by side
| Item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Scope | Are the areas and tasks the ones you listed? What is excluded? |
| Frequency and hours | How many visits, on which days, at what times? |
| Supervision | Who is responsible for the work on site, and who do you call? |
| Inspection | How is quality checked, how often, and is there a score? |
| Reporting | What do you receive after each visit or each month? |
| Supplies | Who provides paper, soap and liners, and how is it handled? |
| Extras | What is charged separately, and who approves it? |
| Notice and renewal | How is the agreement ended, and does it renew by itself? |
| Building paperwork | What does the provider supply for your building, and when? |
Questions to ask every provider
- May I see a sample report and a sample inspection?
- How do you check that the work was done, and how do I see the result?
- Who will be in charge of my account, and how do I reach them?
- What happens if a visit is missed, and what happens when a problem comes back?
- How do you handle building access, keys and alarm codes?
Red flags
- A proposal that will not say what is in the scope, only a total.
- No site walkthrough before the proposal is written.
- No description of how the work is checked.
- A very short notice period combined with automatic renewal.
- Pressure to sign before you have compared anything.
A proposal from this site contains the scope, the schedule, how the work is inspected and reported, the terms for ending the agreement and what is excluded, and pricing appears only in the written proposal after a walkthrough. Whoever you choose, ask for the same.