How to Choose a Janitorial Company: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
By the Fresh Start Cleaners team ·
Why the interview matters more than the bid
Most businesses that switch cleaning companies aren't leaving over price — they're leaving over the things nobody asked about before signing: crews that rotate constantly, scopes that quietly shrink, calls that don't get returned. The twelve questions below surface those problems before they're your problems. Ask every company you're considering, including us.
Insurance and people
- 1. Are you insured for both general liability and workers' compensation — and will you send a certificate of insurance? Workers' comp is the one corner-cutters skip; without it, an injury in your building can become your claim.
- 2. Are your technicians employees or subcontractors, and are they background-checked? These people will hold your keys and alarm codes. You're entitled to know who vetted them and how.
- 3. Will we have a consistent crew? Quality lives in familiarity — a crew that knows your building outperforms a rotating cast with the same checklist.
Scope and accountability
- 4. Will the quote include a written scope of work by task and frequency? "Full-service cleaning" is not a scope. Insist on a document that says what happens nightly, weekly and monthly — see our scope of work guide for what it should contain.
- 5. How do we know the work actually happened? After-hours service means you're trusting a report. Ask what proof you get — logs, inspections, photo verification.
- 6. Who do we call when something's wrong, and what happens next? The honest answers name a person, not a portal, and include a make-it-right policy at no cost to you.
- 7. How do you handle supplies and consumables? Restocking paper and soap should be a defined line item, not a recurring surprise.
Contracts and pricing
- 8. Is there a long-term contract, and how do we cancel? Multi-year terms with 60–90-day exit windows protect the vendor, not you. Month-to-month arrangements keep the pressure on the company to earn the account.
- 9. What exactly does the price include — and what triggers extra charges? Get add-on pricing (floor projects, extra visits, disinfection) in writing up front.
- 10. Will you walk the building before quoting? A company that prices your facility over the phone is guessing — and a guess cuts corners later. A walkthrough-based quote is the baseline of seriousness.
Fit
- 11. Do you have experience with our type of facility? A medical suite, a warehouse office and a law firm have different standards; ask what the company actually cleans today.
- 12. Who runs the company, and how close are they to the work? Owner-managed operations have shorter distances between a problem and someone empowered to fix it.
What good answers sound like
You're listening for specifics: named insurance coverage, a written scope, a real QC mechanism, month-to-month terms, and a walkthrough before any number. Companies that clear all twelve exist — and the interview costs you nothing but an hour.
If you'd like to hear our answers in person, book a free 20-minute walkthrough — the quote arrives within 24 hours, and there's no long-term contract to sign. You can also read how we run janitorial programs in Montgomery County.
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