A good commercial cleaning walkthrough checklist does two jobs. It makes sure you price the building correctly, and it gives you what you need to follow up well. This is the checklist I'd hand to anyone doing walkthroughs. Print it, bring it, and fill it in on site.
Use the Print this checklist button to print the page or save it as a PDF.
Before you arrive
- Confirm who will walk the building with you, and whether they make the decision
- Ask for the current scope of work or cleaning schedule if they have one
- Ask when the current contract ends
- Look up the building type and approximate size
Janitorial walkthrough checklist: the people
- Who makes the final decision?
- Who else has a say (tenants, owner, property manager, office manager)?
- How will they decide, and by when?
- What's the budget range, if they'll share it?
- Why are they looking now?
The last question is the most important one on the page. The answer tells you what to lead with in your bid.
The building (your cleaning site survey)
- Total square footage, and the square footage you'll actually clean
- Floor types by area: carpet, VCT, tile, sealed concrete, wood
- Number of restrooms and fixtures
- Break rooms and kitchens
- Entrances, lobbies and high-traffic areas
- Special areas: medical rooms, labs, server rooms, secure areas
- Access: keys, alarm codes, badge access, hours you're allowed in
- Where supplies and equipment can be stored
- Trash and recycling: where it goes and how often it's picked up
Scope and frequency
- Nightly tasks
- Weekly tasks
- Monthly and periodic tasks (floor care, carpet extraction, high dusting, windows)
- Who supplies consumables like paper, soap and liners?
- Any green cleaning or product requirements?
What to look for in a cleaning walkthrough
Walk the building like the person who complains about it:
- Restrooms in the afternoon: supplies, smell, trash
- Corners, baseboards and under desks
- Carpet traffic lanes and stains
- Hard floor finish: dull, scuffed or recently stripped?
- Dust on vents, blinds and high surfaces
- Break room sinks and appliances
Add-on opportunities to note
- Floor stripping and waxing
- Carpet cleaning
- Window cleaning
- Day porter service
- Post-construction or move-in cleaning
Don't pitch these on the walkthrough unless they ask. Note them now and bring them up after you've earned the account. My guide to growing existing accounts covers when and how.
Before you leave
- Repeat back the scope and their biggest frustration
- Tell them when the proposal will arrive
- Agree on a time to review it together
- Take photos if they allow it
After the walkthrough
- Send a recap email the same day
- Enter the walkthrough and next step in your tracker
- Send the proposal by the date you promised
The follow-up is where most bids are won or lost. The bid follow-up guide has the exact emails.
If you want someone to review your whole walkthrough-to-contract process, not just the checklist, see the Revenue Systems Assessment for cleaning companies.
Want the leaks found for you?
The Revenue Systems Assessment is a fixed-price $2,000 review of how your cleaning company turns quote requests into signed contracts and renewals. Leaks ranked by cost, plus a build plan you keep.
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