What questions should you ask a commercial cleaning company before you sign?

Ask what is cleaned each visit and what is periodic, who will be in your office and how they are vetted, how keys and alarms are handled, how you will know each visit happened, what happens when something is missed, what insurance they carry, how the price is built and how you can leave. Ask for the answers in writing.

By JCIL Services Inc. · Published October 12, 2026

Questions about scope

1. Can I see the written scope, area by area? Listen for: a document that names your rooms, not a generic brochure.
2. What is done every visit, and what is weekly or monthly? Listen for: specific frequencies per task.
3. What is not included? Listen for: a clear exclusions list. "Everything" is not an answer.
4. Who supplies cleaning products, and who supplies paper and soap? These are often different answers.

Questions about people

5. Who will be in my office at night? Listen for: whether the company identifies who is assigned and how substitutions work.
6. Are workers background-checked before they are assigned? Ask whether checks are repeated over time.
7. Can I ask for a person to be taken off my account? The answer should be yes.

Questions about access

8. How are keys, fobs and alarm codes stored and returned? Listen for: a written process and a return deadline when the contract ends.
9. What happens if the alarm goes off? Listen for: who calls whom, agreed before the first night.

Questions about quality

10. How will I know each visit was done? Listen for: a completed checklist and some record of time on site.
11. If something is missed, how do I report it and what happens next? Listen for: a deadline to report and a specific remedy, not "just call us."
12. What happens if a visit is missed entirely? Listen for: a make-up and a credit, written in the contract.

Questions about insurance

13. Can you send a certificate of insurance? A certificate shows coverage at a point in time. The ACORD 25 form itself states it is issued for information only and confers no rights on the certificate holder.
14. Can you name us as additional insured if our lease requires it? On the ACORD form, additional insured status depends on the policy's provisions or an endorsement, not on the certificate alone. Your insurance agent can tell you what your lease requires.

Questions about money and exit

15. How is the price calculated? Listen for: square footage, scope and frequency, not a number given before anyone sees the space.
16. When and how do I pay? Get the invoice timing, due date and accepted payment methods.
17. Can the price change, and with how much notice?
18. How long is the commitment, and how do I end it? Get the notice period and method in writing.

Ask every company the same questions in the same order, and write the answers down in one place. Differences that sound small in a sales conversation become obvious side by side.

What are the red flags?

• A firm price over the phone with no visit.
• No written scope, or a scope with no frequencies.
• Vague answers about who enters your office.
• No certificate of insurance on request.
• A long commitment with automatic renewal and no stated way out.

How does JCIL answer these?

We start with a free walkthrough and give you the scope in writing before any work starts; you keep it even if you don't hire us. Every new client starts with a visit, and nothing is added or changed without your written approval. JCIL is insured, and a certificate of insurance is available on request. The full terms are in our agreement, and we will walk you through it before you sign.

FAQ

Sources

• ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance (form, via NY DFS)