Choosing a commercial cleaner is a vendor decision, not a household one — it affects how your space presents to customers, employees, and clients every day. Here's what to check before signing a contract.
Insurance and bonding
Ask for proof of general liability insurance and, if applicable, bonding — especially if the cleaning happens after hours when staff aren't present to supervise. This is non-negotiable for a business relationship, more so than for a residential one.
A written scope tied to your space type
A retail floor, a medical office, a restaurant kitchen, and a general office all need different cleaning protocols. A commercial cleaner worth hiring will ask about your specific space — foot traffic, health-code requirements if applicable, sensitive equipment — before quoting, not after.
Scheduling that fits your operating hours
Confirm whether cleaning happens during business hours, after close, or overnight, and how that's staffed. For a business that can't have cleaning crews on-site during customer hours, after-hours reliability (a team that shows up when they say they will, unsupervised) matters more than almost anything else on this list.
References from similar businesses
A cleaning company that primarily serves offices may not be the right fit for a restaurant kitchen or a medical facility. Ask for references from businesses similar to yours, not just any references.
How quality gets checked
Ask how the company handles quality control — do they do walkthroughs, get feedback from your staff, have a point of contact for issues? A vendor with no answer here is one you'll have to manage closely yourself.
Contract terms and flexibility
Look at cancellation terms, price-change notice periods, and whether the contract locks you into a fixed scope or allows adjustments as your needs change (a new location, seasonal changes in traffic, an added service like floor care). Flexibility here saves friction later.
Specialty services worth asking about upfront
If your business might need floor stripping and waxing, restaurant degreasing, or post-construction cleanup at any point, ask whether your prospective vendor handles those directly or would need to subcontract them. One vendor covering more of your needs is usually simpler than juggling several.