CORE™ decision support
The short answer: a good commercial cleaning RFP asks every bidder the same specific questions about scope, staffing, supervision, and frequency — not just for a price. Vague RFPs get vague, incomparable proposals back. This checklist is built to be copied into your own RFP or used as a scorecard against quotes you've already received.
Specify exact cleanable area, not gross building size, and note any areas excluded from scope (mechanical rooms, storage, etc.) so every bidder prices the same footprint.
Give bidders your required visits per week rather than asking them to recommend one — this is the single biggest lever on price, and letting each bidder choose their own frequency makes proposals impossible to compare.
Restrooms, kitchens/break rooms, flooring types (carpet vs. hard), floor count, and any specialty areas (medical suites, server rooms). Each of these changes labor requirements.
Trash, restrooms, floors, glass, disinfection, and periodic work (strip/wax, carpet extraction) should each be listed as included or excluded, not bundled into a vague "full service" line.
How many labor hours per visit, is staff dedicated or shared across sites, who supervises and how often they inspect. This explains most of the price difference between two proposals for the same building.
General liability, workers' comp, and any bonding should be provided with the proposal, not requested later after you've already selected a vendor.
What's the response time for a missed task or complaint, and is there a dedicated point of contact versus a general call center.
Weight price, scope completeness, staffing/supervision, insurance, and references the same way for every bidder so the comparison isn't just "which number is lowest."
Want a defensible reference point before you send it out? Benchmark your building independently before you bid it out, or read the full commercial cleaning cost guide.
Precise cleanable square footage, a fixed required frequency, an itemized scope of work by space type, staffing and supervision details, and insurance/bonding requirements — asked identically of every bidder.
Because bidders are often responding to different assumptions about scope, frequency, and staffing. A tightly specified RFP removes most of that variance and makes the remaining price difference meaningful.
No — specify it yourself. Frequency is usually the largest cost driver, and letting each bidder choose their own makes proposals impossible to compare on price alone.
Three to five is typically enough to see a real price and approach range without making evaluation unmanageable.
Score each proposal against your rubric, then benchmark your building independently so you have a defensible reference point that isn't just the bidders' own numbers.
Already have proposals in hand? Check them against these contract red flags first.