What Should Be Included in a Commercial Cleaning Contract?

Choosing a commercial cleaning company involves more than comparing prices. You need to know exactly what will be cleaned, how often the work will happen and what support you can expect if standards fall short.

A clear commercial cleaning contract gives your business and your provider a shared understanding of the service. It also makes it easier to compare quotations and avoid unexpected costs.

Whether you manage an office, school, retail premises or shared building in Leicester, this commercial cleaning contract checklist will help you ask the right questions before signing.

1. A detailed cleaning specification

Your contract should include, or refer to, a written cleaning specification. This sets out the areas covered and the tasks your provider has agreed to complete.

Avoid relying on broad descriptions such as “general cleaning”. For an office, the specification could cover:

• Reception areas, meeting rooms and shared workspaces.
• Toilets, washrooms and staff kitchens.
• Vacuuming carpets and cleaning hard floors.
• Emptying bins and moving waste to agreed collection points.
• Cleaning accessible surfaces and frequently touched areas.
• Internal glass, doors and partitions.

It should also identify exclusions. Cleaning desks, for example, might cover clear surfaces but exclude paperwork, computer equipment and personal belongings.

Our office cleaning services in Leicester are tailored to individual premises and working schedules, making a site-specific specification an important starting point.

2. Cleaning frequency and agreed working times

A contract should explain how often each task takes place. Some areas may need attention at every visit, while others can be cleaned weekly or periodically.

Ask for a schedule that distinguishes between routine tasks and less frequent work. It should also confirm:

• The days and times cleaners will attend.
• Whether cleaning takes place during or outside business hours.
• Arrangements for bank holidays and planned closures.
• How changes to opening hours or occupancy will be handled.

Check whether the quotation is based on specified cleaning hours, agreed results or a combination of both. This helps you compare proposals fairly and understand what your provider is committing to deliver.

3. Periodic cleaning and additional services

Do not assume every cleaning task is included in the regular price.

Carpet cleaning, machine floor cleaning, window cleaning and detailed kitchen or washroom cleaning may be scheduled separately. Your agreement should make clear which services are included, how often they happen and which require an additional quotation.

For businesses that need occasional deep cleaning and sanitisation, agree whether this forms part of the ongoing programme or is booked as required.

Additional work should have a clear approval process so your business knows the cost before it goes ahead.

4. Transparent pricing and payment terms

A useful cleaning quotation explains what the price covers. The contract should then record the agreed charges and payment arrangements.

Check whether the price includes labour, cleaning products, equipment and supervision. Washroom consumables, such as soap, toilet tissue and paper towels, should be clearly included or listed separately.

You should also be able to identify:

• Whether VAT is included or added.
• Invoice frequency and payment deadlines.
• Charges for additional visits or specialist tasks.
• How price reviews work.
• What notice applies to proposed price changes.

A lower headline price may cover a smaller scope of work. Comparing the specification alongside the cost gives you a clearer picture of value.

5. Quality checks and a process for resolving problems

Your contract should explain how cleaning standards will be monitored.

Ask who checks the work, how frequently inspections take place and whether findings are shared with you. A checklist linked to the cleaning specification gives both parties a practical reference point.

The agreement should also explain what happens when a task is missed or an area does not meet the agreed standard. Look for a clear reporting route, an agreed response timeframe and a process for checking that the issue has been resolved.

For example, “washroom dispensers checked and replenished at each scheduled visit” is easier to assess than “washrooms maintained to a high standard”.

6. Communication and account management

You should know who to contact about day-to-day questions, urgent concerns and changes to the service.

Confirm whether you will have a named account contact, how issues should be reported and who handles matters when that person is unavailable.

Regular review meetings can help keep the cleaning programme aligned with your building. If staff numbers grow, opening hours change or an additional area comes into use, there should be a straightforward way to update the specification and agree any revised costs.

7. Staffing, training and absence cover

Ask how your cleaning provider will maintain the service during staff holidays, sickness or changes within the team.

The agreement should explain the cover arrangements and how replacement staff will be briefed on your premises. This is particularly important where cleaners need to understand access restrictions, alarm procedures or site-specific working methods.

Discuss the training and vetting appropriate to your setting. A school, healthcare premises and general office may have different requirements, so these should be established before the service starts.

8. Health, safety, insurance and security

Before work begins, establish how your business and the cleaning contractor will coordinate safe working arrangements.

Ask about relevant risk assessments, safe use and storage of cleaning chemicals, equipment and incident reporting. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on common cleaning risks is a useful reference, covering topics such as slips and trips, hazardous substances and manual handling.

Request evidence of appropriate insurance and check that the activities being carried out are covered.

Security arrangements should also be documented. These may include keyholding, alarm codes, locking up, restricted rooms and what cleaners should do if they discover damage or an unsecured building.

9. Contract length, renewal and cancellation terms

Make sure you understand how long the agreement lasts and how it can be changed or ended.

Check the start date, initial term, renewal arrangements and notice period. If renewal is automatic, establish when notice must be given and how it should be submitted.

The contract should also explain the process for addressing repeated service problems and any applicable early termination charges.

Ask how changes to the scope will be recorded. If you add another floor or reduce the number of weekly visits, both parties should have written confirmation of the revised service and price.

10. Handover arrangements when changing providers

If you already have a cleaning contractor, discuss the handover before agreeing a start date.

A practical transition plan should cover access, equipment, supplies, site induction and responsibility for the first scheduled clean.

Changing providers can also raise TUPE considerations. Whether these rules apply depends on the circumstances; the Acas guide to TUPE and service provider changes explains the framework. Establish whether TUPE applies early enough for the relevant employers to address their obligations.

Your commercial cleaning contract checklist

Before signing, check that you can answer these questions:

• Are the cleaning tasks, areas and exclusions clearly listed?
• Is the frequency of each task agreed?
• Are attendance times and access arrangements documented?
• Is periodic work included or priced separately?
• Are products, equipment and consumables accounted for?
• Are pricing, payment terms and price reviews clear?
• Is there a defined inspection and issue-resolution process?
• Do you know who manages your account?
• Are staff absence and replacement arrangements explained?
• Have safety, insurance and security arrangements been checked?
• Are renewal, cancellation and notice terms understood?
• Is there a handover plan if you are changing providers?

If an answer is unclear, ask for clarification in writing before committing.

Discuss your commercial cleaning requirements in Leicester with ServiceMaster Leicester Today

At ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Leicester, we build cleaning programmes around your premises, working hours and business requirements. Our service includes regular site visits, quality checks and holiday and sickness cover.

Whether you are reviewing an existing arrangement or outsourcing cleaning for the first time, a site survey can help establish the scope and schedule your premises need.

Arrange a free site survey and no-obligation cleaning quotation to discuss your requirements with our Leicester team.