How to bid on commercial cleaning jobs

To bid a commercial cleaning job: walk the building and measure every area, build the price from labor hours and your true cost per hour, write a proposal with a clear scope and up to 3 price options, send it quickly, follow up, and make it easy for the client to sign.

Step 1: Qualify the lead

Before you drive out, ask the basics: building type, rough square feet, visits a week, service hours, why they are looking (new building, unhappy with current company, contract ending) and who decides. This saves wasted walkthroughs.

Step 2: Do the walkthrough

Measure each area, note floor types, count restrooms and fixtures, and ask about problem spots and expectations. Use the walkthrough checklist so nothing gets missed.

Step 3: Build the price from hours

Divide each area's square feet by a production rate to get hours a visit. Multiply by visits a week and by 4.345 weeks a month. Multiply the hours by your true cost per hour: wage, plus payroll burden, plus supplies and overhead. Then add margin. The pricing guide shows a full worked example, and the production rates chart gives starting rates.

Step 4: Write the proposal

Cover letter, facility details, scope by area, up to 3 price options, add-ons, terms and a signature section. Start from a template for the building type.

Step 5: Send it fast and follow up

Send within a day or two of the walkthrough. If the client has not answered, send a short reminder after a few days and a final one about a week later. Polite, short follow-ups win bids that would otherwise go cold.

Step 6: Make it easy to sign

A secure link the client opens on any device, picks a package and signs, beats a PDF they have to print and scan. Outscoped does this on every plan.

Public and government bids

Cities, counties, school districts and federal agencies post formal cleaning bids. Federal opportunities are listed on SAM.gov, and many states and cities run their own bid portals. Formal bids have required forms and deadlines, so follow their format exactly and still build your price from hours.

Common questions

How do I find commercial cleaning jobs to bid on?

Common sources are referrals, cold outreach to property and facility managers, local business networking, and public bids posted by cities, counties, school districts and federal agencies (federal opportunities are listed on SAM.gov).

How much should I charge for commercial cleaning?

Build the price from hours: square feet divided by production rate, times visits a month, times your true cost per hour, plus margin. Our calculator does the math and shows every step.

How do I win a commercial cleaning bid without being the cheapest?

Show a clear scope, offer Good / Better / Best options so the client compares your packages instead of your price against others, and make the proposal easy to accept.