How to Write a Janitorial RFP in Dallas (Checklist and Template)

How to write a janitorial RFP: start with the facility profile

Every useful RFP opens with the facts a bidder needs to price your building. Without them, each company guesses, and the bids won't line up.

Give the address, total cleanable square footage, number of floors, restrooms, break rooms and entrances, and the main floor types (carpet, VCT, sealed concrete, tile). Note headcount and daily visitors, since traffic drives restroom and trash frequency.

• Building type (office, medical, school, church, gym, warehouse, dealership)
• Square footage and floor count
• Restrooms, kitchens and break rooms
• Floor types by area
• Occupancy and visitor traffic
• Special areas: exam rooms, labs, server rooms, showrooms

Commercial cleaning scope of work: list tasks and frequencies

The scope of work is the heart of the RFP: what gets cleaned, and how often. Break it into daily, weekly, monthly and periodic tasks so every bidder prices the same work.

Put periodic work like floor stripping and refinishing, carpet extraction and window cleaning on its own line. Those tasks are often where quotes differ most. See what a typical office and janitorial cleaning program includes for a starting point.

Adjust frequencies to your traffic. A busy medical office or gym needs more than a small professional office.

Set the schedule and access rules

Tell bidders exactly when they can clean and how they get in. Daytime, evening, overnight and weekend service all change staffing and cost.

State your key, badge and alarm procedures, any areas that are off-limits, and who on your team signs off on access. If you need someone on site during business hours for restrooms, spills and lobby upkeep, request day porter services as a separate line item.

Questions to ask a commercial cleaning company about staffing

Ask who will actually be in your building, and how they are hired, screened and supervised. This matters more than the hourly rate.

A good answer names the employment model, the screening process and who supervises the crew. Red flags are vague answers, crews that change every week, or work handed off to unnamed subcontractors.

• Are cleaners employees (W-2) or subcontractors?
• Are crews background-checked and uniformed?
• How are crews trained for your facility type?
• Will the same crew clean the building each visit?
• Who is my single point of contact, and how fast do they respond?

Ask for insurance and bonding in writing

Require certificates of insurance and proof of bonding with every bid. Your RFP should list the coverage your property manager or landlord requires, so bidders can confirm they meet it.

A good answer is a current certificate you can verify. A red flag is a promise to send it later or coverage that doesn't name your required limits.

Require a quality-control and reporting plan

Ask how the company checks its own work, and how you will hear about problems. Without inspections, quality usually drifts within a few months.

Look for scheduled inspections, a simple way for your staff to report issues, and a defined response time. Ask to see a sample inspection form or report.

How to compare janitorial bids

Compare bids on the same scope, not on the bottom-line number alone. A low bid that skips weekly tasks or periodic floor care is not cheaper; it's less work.

Line the bids up against your scope of work and check each answer on staffing, insurance, quality control and communication. Then visit with your top two or three choices before you sign.

Include a site walkthrough in your RFP timeline

Schedule a walkthrough so every bidder sees the building before pricing it. Photos and floor plans help, but nothing replaces walking the space.

Set the walkthrough date, the question deadline, the bid due date and your decision date in the RFP. Answer every bidder's questions in writing and share the answers with all of them, so the playing field stays level.

Quick janitorial RFP checklist

Use this as your janitorial RFP template outline before you send it out.

• Facility profile: size, floors, restrooms, floor types, traffic
• Scope of work with daily, weekly, monthly and periodic tasks
• Schedule: days, hours, after-hours or weekend needs
• Security: keys, badges, alarms, restricted areas
• Staffing: employment model, screening, uniforms, training
• Insurance and bonding certificates required
• Quality-control inspections and issue reporting
• Single point of contact and response times
• Supplies: who provides paper, soap and liners
• Walkthrough date, question deadline, bid due date
• Pricing format: monthly price plus periodic services priced separately

How Dallas Commercial Cleaners answers an RFP

We start with a free walkthrough and answer each item in your RFP directly. Our cleaning partners are fully insured and bonded, and partner crews are background-checked, uniformed, trained W-2 employees; work is never subcontracted.

Every clean is followed by a quality-control inspection, you get one point of contact for your facility, and scheduling is available day, evening, overnight and weekends, 7 days a week. We serve facilities across Dallas–Fort Worth, including Irving and Plano.