Start with a written scope, not a verbal promise
Most disputes between a building and a cleaning vendor don’t start with a bad clean. They start with a mismatch between what someone remembers being promised and what was actually agreed to. A written scope of work fixes that before it becomes a problem — it spells out which areas are cleaned, how often, and what a ‘standard visit’ actually includes.
Ask for this before you sign anything, not after the first missed task. If a vendor can’t produce one, that’s the answer to your first question.
Ask what "after-hours" actually means
After-hours is the standard for a reason: an office that’s mid-workday doesn’t get properly cleaned, and a crew working around desks doesn’t get through the scope. But ‘after-hours’ can mean anything from a 6pm start to a 2am one — ask for the actual window, how access and alarm codes are handled, and who to call if the crew can’t get in.
Confirm insurance before anyone touches the building
A certificate of insurance should be something a vendor can produce on request, before the first visit — not something you have to chase down after a crew is already on site. If a company hesitates to provide one, that’s worth noticing.
If you manage more than one location
A portfolio of offices has a different problem than a single one: consistency. Ask whether a multi-location program means one named contact managing all your sites against one standard, or whether you’ll be re-negotiating the relationship building by building. The answer tells you whether the vendor is set up to scale with you.
How often should an office actually be cleaned?
There isn’t one correct frequency. Headcount, foot traffic, and the type of business all change the right answer — a 200-person open-plan floor and a 12-person professional office don’t need the same schedule, even at the same square footage. Treat a vendor’s frequency recommendation as a judgment call they should be able to explain, not a fixed menu item.