Commercial cleaning walkthrough: what to check before you bid
The walkthrough is where a commercial cleaning bid is won or lost. Miss a restroom, or a floor that needs machine work, and you'll clean it for free for the life of the contract. Here's what to ask, what to count, what to photograph and which red flags to watch for, plus a free walkthrough form.
Before you go
- Ask for a floor plan or the square footage, and how many people work in the building.
- Book the walkthrough with the person who decides, or at least someone who knows the building well.
- If you can, visit at the time you'd clean. Otherwise, ask what the building looks like at the end of a normal day.
- Bring the walkthrough form, a tape or laser measure, and your phone for photos and notes.
Questions to ask the client
- Why are you looking for a new cleaner? What's being missed now? The answer tells you what to get right in the first month.
- What matters most to you? Which areas do visitors and customers see?
- When can we clean? Which days, what hours, and are there times the building is off-limits?
- How many people work here? Are there busy days, events or seasonal peaks?
- How will we get in? Who holds keys, cards and alarm codes, and are there sign-in rules?
- Who provides supplies? Chemicals, paper, soap and liners, and where are they stored?
- Is there a janitor's closet with a sink? Where can we fill buckets and store equipment?
- Where does trash and recycling go? Are there rules for sorting it?
- Are there areas we shouldn't enter, or that need special care, such as server rooms, secure files or labs?
- Would you like any extras priced? Windows, carpet cleaning, floor care.
- How would you like us to check quality and hear about problems?
- When do you want to start, who else is involved in the decision, and when will you decide?
It's fair to ask what they pay now. Many clients won't say, but some will, and it tells you a lot.
What to measure and count
| Item | What to write down | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Square footage by area | Offices, restrooms, kitchens, halls, conference rooms, storage | Time depends on the mix of spaces, not just the total |
| Restrooms and fixtures | Number of restrooms, toilets, urinals, sinks, mirrors and dispensers | Fixtures take time one by one |
| Floor types | Carpet, tile, vinyl, sealed concrete, wood, and where each one is | Different tools and times; some need machine work |
| Trash points | Desk bins, central bins, recycling, and where bags go | Every bin is a stop on every visit |
| Kitchens and break rooms | How many, and which appliances are in them | Often the most-used rooms in the building |
| Glass | Entry doors, partitions, interior windows | Smudged glass is the first thing people notice |
| Stairs and elevators | Flights of stairs, elevator cars | Easy to forget, slow to clean |
| Access and security | Keys, cards, alarm, sign-in rules (never write the alarm code on the form) | Sets how your crew gets in and out |
| Hours | When you can be there, and for how long | Sets how many cleaners you need at once |
| Supplies and storage | Who supplies what, closet, sink, storage space | Affects your price and your setup time |
| Parking and entry | Where the crew parks and which door they use | Adds minutes to every visit |
Photos to take
- Each area as it is today, from the doorway.
- Problem spots: stains, damaged floors, broken fixtures. A dated photo shows the damage was there before you started.
- The janitor's closet, supply storage and water source.
- Entry points and where the alarm panel is (never the code).
Ask before you take photos, and keep people, screens and documents out of the shot.
Red flags to watch for
- A price on the spot. A client who wants a number before you've seen the building will hold you to a guess.
- A vague scope. "Just keep it clean" turns into everything later. Pin it down area by area.
- Hours that don't fit the building. If the time window is too short for the work, you'll need a bigger crew or a different schedule.
- Lots of "occasional" extras. If they keep coming up now, they'll be expected in the monthly price.
- Heavy buildup. If the building hasn't been cleaned well in a while, the first visit is a deep clean. Price it separately.
- Frequent cleaner changes. "We've had three cleaners this year" is worth a follow-up question: what went wrong?
- No water or storage. Carrying everything in and out takes time on every visit.
- No clear decision-maker. If nobody can tell you who decides, your proposal may sit unread.
None of these mean walk away. They mean ask more questions, write down the answers, and price for what you found.
Turning the walkthrough into a price
Back at the office, estimate the time area by area from your counts, then add travel inside the building, setup and lockup. From there it's the same method every time: loaded labor cost, supplies, overhead and profit. Our guide on how to price commercial cleaning jobs walks through it, and the free pricing worksheet follows the same steps.
Example (made-up numbers)
A 5,000 sq ft office with four restrooms, carpet in the offices and tile in the halls, cleaned three evenings a week. If your area-by-area estimate comes to 2.5 hours a visit, the worked example in the pricing guide shows how that becomes a monthly price. These are example numbers, not market rates.
Turning it into a proposal
Write the scope straight from your walkthrough notes, area by area, list what's not included, and offer two or three options. Send it while the building is still fresh in your mind and the client's. Our guide to a commercial cleaning proposal covers each section, with a free template.
How JobTill helps
- Walkthroughs: walk the building room by room on your phone, with notes and photos per area, then turn it into a proposal.
- AI scope drafting: AI drafts your proposal's scope of work from your services and walkthrough notes. You review every word, and it never sets your prices.
- Real times on every visit: crews clock in and out on each job, so you can compare the time you priced with the time it really takes.
The price is always yours to set. Start a 14-day free trial. No credit card needed. See how to do a walkthrough in the help center.