How to Get Cleaning Contracts (And Manage Them Professionally)

You need a steady flow of cleaning contracts for your small business to ensure a full schedule, more revenue, and long-term success.

But where can you get those cleaning contracts? More importantly, how can you ensure you win cleaning jobs for the bids you’ve placed?

Getting clients with cleaning contracts for small business doesn’t have to be complicated.

To help you, we’ve created an actionable guide with practical tips to bag more cleaning contracts and grow your company.

Let’s get to it! 

TL;DR

Find cleaning contracts through your network, chambers of commerce, and government and private bidding sites. Win them with right-sized pricing, a detailed quote, and a strong proposal, then follow up consistently. Commercial accounts (offices, schools, banks) take a different approach than residential. Once you win the work, recurring bookings, one shared inbox, and automated payment collection keep clients on the books.

Key Takeaway

• Your network, local chambers, and bidding platforms are the fastest sources for new cleaning contracts.
• A professional quote and proposal process directly affects how many bids you win.
• Commercial contracts (offices, schools, banks) need a different outreach approach than residential.
• Following up consistently after you submit a bid matters as much as the bid itself.
• Once you land contracts, software can automate recurring bookings, follow-ups, and payment collection so clients stay on the books.

Where Can You Find Cleaning Contracts

The global cleaning market will hit USD 633.18 billion by 2030, expanding at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.83% during that period.

These stats mean there will always be cleaning contracts you can pursue. You only need to know where to look.

Here are some places you can find cleaning contracts.

Your network is one of the easiest places to get a cleaning contract.

The local businesses you already frequent, commercial real estate offices, property management companies, apartment complexes, and schools will likely need cleaning services.

Connect and interact with the decision-makers and property owners to position your company as their go-to cleaning service.

Many governments publish tenders or requests for proposals (RFPs) for cleaning services on their websites.

Search for “[your country] government contracts” or “[your country] cleaning RFPs” to find relevant opportunities.

If you’re in the U.S., GovernmentBids and BidSync are excellent websites for finding cleaning contracts.

Popular websites where you can look for residential and home cleaning contracts include Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, Handy, and Housekeeper.

Most are paid sites, but you can use free trials before committing to a paid subscription.

Many chambers of commerce offer listings of businesses looking for cleaning services. You can also network with other chamber members to generate leads for cleaning contracts.

General job boards like Indeed and Glassdoor sometimes list cleaning contracts. You can set alerts to be notified when a new contract is posted.

Here’s an example of a cleaning contract opportunity on Glassdoor. 

There are several industry associations for cleaning companies, such as the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) and the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI).

These associations often provide resources for finding cleaning contracts, as well as educational and networking opportunities.

Search engines can be a powerful tool to find cleaning clients for a small business. Targeted searches work best.

You want to avoid generic searches for “cleaning contracts”  and try something like “residential cleaning contracts [your city].” That way, you have a better chance of finding relevant opportunities in your local area.

Alternatively, you can use industry keywords like “janitorial services,” “building maintenance,” and “facility cleaning RFPs.” This refines your search and helps you find contracts in your specialty area. If you are chasing commercial work specifically, commercial-intent strings like “janitorial contracts [your city]” or “office cleaning RFP [your city]” surface the right opportunities faster.

Ways to Market Your Cleaning Company

A typical B2B buying group involves 6 to 10 decision makers, who must agree on your bid and get buy-in from other organization leaders.

Even if you’re not targeting big residential clients with cleaning contracts, you must know how to position your business in a way that increases the likelihood of winning the bid.

Here are some tips to market your cleaning services to clients looking for contract cleaners.

Narrowing down your target market and services is crucial to helping you get cleaning contracts. A targeted approach ensures you can direct your marketing efforts to businesses and homeowners most likely needing your services. 

Plus, specializing in a specific niche lets you learn about the industry’s requirements, regulations, and best practices. That way, you can position yourself as an expert, helping build trust and confidence with potential cleaning clients.

A strong branding strategy is more important than you think when it comes to helping you get cleaning contracts.

On the outside, your brand may only look like it consists of elements such as colors, logos, and taglines. But your brand is the entire identity of your cleaning business. It gives your company its identity.

With prospective clients exposed to new brands daily, you need to go the extra mile to ensure you stand out in the crowd.

With the right branding, you can control how clients with cleaning contracts see your business.

To develop a solid branding stranding strategy:

• Keep your messaging consistent across all platforms.
• Develop a mission statement and values. Feature what you stand for on your website, social media, slogan, etc.
• Let your audience know what makes you different and why they should choose your cleaning services.

In today’s digital society, you must have a solid online presence to grow your cleaning business.

Besides increasing your brand visibility, having a digital footprint allows a potential client to verify your authenticity quickly. It also makes it easy to sell your services online.

Some ways you can use to establish your online presence include:

• Create a professional website.
• Create social media accounts for your business.
• Implement search engine optimization (SEO).
• Utilize Google My Business.
• Offer online booking and appointment scheduling.
• Maintain a presence on social media platforms.
• Engage in content marketing through blogging.
• List on online directories and review sites.
• Implement email marketing campaigns.
• Invest in paid advertising.

How do you get commercial cleaning clients?

Thinking of going after some offices 🤔

— Stetson Stallworth (@YDMStetson) June 25, 2023

How do you convince a prospective customer with a cleaning service contract that your company is the one they should work with or switch to?

Social proof can be more convincing than tooting your own horn. As many as 99% of customers read reviews before purchasing online. The stat points toward the power of social proof to influence purchase patterns and consumer behavior.

As a small business, therefore, you’ll want to up your social proof game to get cleaning contracts.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Showcase customer testimonials
• Share case studies
• Show before and after photos
• Get customer reviews

Speaking of reviews, only 5 to 10% of customers write them. Thus, you must know when and how to ask for customer reviews. 

Ask too soon, and the client may need more time to assess their experience with your company. Ask too late, and the customer may struggle to write a good review.

Tools like MioCommerce’s Citations & Reviews feature make it easy to request and manage reviews across platforms, so you can build that social proof without chasing every client by hand.

Hiring qualified cleaning personnel shows potential clients that your company takes quality control seriously and can deliver consistent, professional service.

In addition, training your team makes it easy for them to spread the word about your cleaning services to prospects.

How to Develop a Bidding Strategy to Win Cleaning Contract Bids

The average RFP win rate is 44%. You, therefore, need to work harder, not smarter, to increase your chances of winning the bid.

Winning a contract for a cleaning company starts by doing your due diligence. 

Here are some tips to help you be competitive:

You want to make money when bidding for cleaning contracts. However, that doesn’t mean selling yourself short by underquoting.

Use the tips below to ensure you find a sweet spot between being competitive and making a profit.

• Research the prospect and, if possible, schedule an onsite visit for a detailed, first-hand audit.
• Access the opportunity to know the resources required to get the job done successfully. These may include special equipment, cleaning products, and special requests from the client.  
• Determine the total cleanable square footage to help you calculate the custodial price. The average rate for commercial cleaning services ranges from $0.8 to $0.20 per square foot. Residential cleaning services, on the other hand, cost between $117 – $235 per visit.
• Calculate the employee wage based on the time it’ll take to complete the job and the number of people you’ll need.

Commercial contracts are usually priced on total square footage at scale, which works differently from the per-visit pricing common in residential work. So when you go after commercial cleaning contracts, build your number around square footage, frequency, and the size of the team the site needs.

Once you have all the data, set a price that ensures you remain profitable while increasing your chances of winning the bid.

Remember to include overhead costs like insurance, transportation, taxes, etc., in your final estimate.

A winning cleaning quote is straightforward and professional. 

A good quote must include the following details:

• Your company’s and client’s information –full name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Pricing, with applicable taxes or additional fees.
• Payment terms stating deposit requirements, accepted payment methods, and due dates.
• Cancellation policy with any penalties or fees for cancellations made within a specific timeframe.
• Guarantee/warranty
• Terms and conditions, liability, insurance coverage, and expectations for the client and the cleaning company.
• Expiration date

Here’s an example of a cleaning quote template.

Writing a comprehensive cleaning quote can be time-consuming, especially when you have tons of information to piece together. But it doesn’t have to be. 

With MioCommerce Live Interactive Quotation, you can create detailed and accurate cleaning quotes in minutes.

Pricing, check. Quote, check. It’s time to write a cleaning proposal that seals the deal. You want to write a comprehensive proposal with all the nitty-gritty. 

Here’s what you should include in your document:

• A brief introduction about your cleaning company.
• Cleaners to take on the project and their experience.
• Service details.
• Scope of work.
• Frequency, e.g., one-time, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
• Duration, e.g., number of hours, days, etc.

Pro Tip: Read the client RFP to ensure you don’t miss any relevant details in your proposal.

With everything in order, the next step is to submit your bid.

As a rule of thumb, send your cleaning contract bid a day or two before the deadline. That way, you can set a good precedent from the get-go.

Note: You’re competing against other bids, so be patient while the customer reviews your document. Wait for at least 3 days before following up. You may also follow up again after 5 and 7 days.

When following up with the client, be professional. You don’t want to annoy the client with too many messages, but you don’t want them to forget about your bid.

MioCommerce’s multi-channel inbox to follow up with the prospect in their preferred communication channel, whether that is SMS, email, or chat, all from one place.

Strategies to Get Different Types of Cleaning Contracts

There isn’t a shortage of cleaning contracts a small business can bid. However, you know how and where to get them. Here’s a brief overview of some cleaning jobs you can pursue. Keep in mind that commercial accounts (offices, schools, and banks) usually follow a different procurement path than residential work, so the approach shifts from one type to the next.

If you’re a commercial cleaner, it’s always a good idea to diversify, and one of the areas you may want to look into is residential cleaning.

Here’s how to get a residential cleaning contract quickly:

• Check your client portfolio to see who’d benefit from your housekeeping services. It’s easier to win a current than to convince a new one. 
• Upsell residential cleaning as a complementary service. Consider giving a discount to increase the chances of signing up the customer.
• Go for short-term residential cleaning contracts. That way, you can review the terms and conditions of the agreement. 

Where you can get cleaning contracts for schools differs depending on whether the institution is private or public.

For public schools, the best places to look include:

• Government procurement websites
• State-level procurement portals
• Local government websites
• School district procurement offices

You can also subscribe to a notification service or platform like BidSync to receive alerts for relevant contract opportunities in the education sector.

For private schools, you can use the following strategies:

• Contact individual private schools directly to inquire about potential contract opportunities
• Build relationships with individuals with connections to private schools, such as parents, alumni, or board members.
• Check online directories and listings. 

Pro Tip: Create a page on your website dedicated to cleaning for schools to make it easy to showcase your service. 

You can get office cleaning contracts by targeting businesses and commercial entities that may regularly require your services.  

Here are some avenues to explore to get office cleaning service jobs.

• Networking with businesses.
• Check online marketplaces like Thumbtack, Angie’s List, or Yelp.
• Cold calling and direct client outreach.
• Talking to property management companies that oversee commercial office buildings. 

When you go after offices, write your proposal for the people who actually sign off: office managers and property management companies. They buy on reliability, so lead with consistent scheduling, insured and bonded crews, and a single point of contact they can reach if something needs to change. Property managers who run several buildings are especially valuable, since one good relationship can turn into multiple sites under the same agreement.

The best way to start looking for a bank cleaning contract is your locality.

We suggest pitching smaller banks with a solid offer to make them consider working with you. You can contact the branch manager directly or talk to someone in procurement. 

Note: Chances are, the small bank you’re targeting receives offers from other cleaners regularly. You must, therefore, focus on your unique selling proposition to secure a contract.   

In addition, make it easy for the bank to sign up for your service with instant access to pricing and seamless appointment scheduling.

Watch the video below for more insights on how to get cleaning contracts fast.

“I ended up posting on Craigslist. I did get someone who wanted me to clean their Airbnb.”

Raylen – Founder ‘The Hustle Network’

How to Manage Cleaning Contracts Once You Win Them  

Winning a contract is step one. Keeping it is where the money is. Recurring clients are the foundation of a stable cleaning business, because predictable work means a predictable schedule and predictable cash flow. The trouble is managing a growing roster by hand, rebooking every week, chasing reminders, and tracking who paid, quietly eats the hours you could spend winning more work.

A few systems make that load manageable as you scale:

• Set up recurring bookings. Instead of rebooking confirmed clients every week, set their jobs to recur so they are scheduled automatically. That keeps fewer gaps in your calendar and takes the weekly admin off your plate. MioCommerce handles the recurring booking cycle so appointments are generated and tracked without manual input.
  
• Give clients control over recurring services. Commercial clients often need to adjust cleaning schedules around holidays, office closures, or special events. A customer portal lets them view upcoming services, request changes, and manage recurring bookings without back-and-forth emails.
  
• Dispatch the right team member every time. As your contract list grows, assigning the right cleaners to the right buildings becomes more complex. A drag-and-drop dispatching system helps you assign service providers, avoid scheduling conflicts, and keep every recurring visit on track.
  
• Keep communication in one place. As more clients come on, scope changes and reschedules pile up across texts and emails. A multi-channel inbox keeps every client message in one view so nothing falls through the cracks.
  
• Put the terms in writing. A clear agreement that spells out scope, schedule, payment terms, and a cancellation policy protects you when a client wants to change the deal. You can start from a free cleaning contract template and adjust it to match how your business actually runs.Once it is signed, keep the agreement attached to the client’s recurring booking so your team and office can reference the scope and terms on any job.
  
• Store site-specific instructions. Every commercial property has unique requirements—access codes, cleaning checklists, restricted areas, parking instructions, or after-hours entry procedures. Keeping these details attached to each recurring job ensures your team arrives prepared and delivers consistent service every visit.
  
• Automate getting paid. Batch Invoicing and Automated payment collection means streamlined payments that gets you paid after every job without chasing invoices, which matters most when billing cycles vary across fifteen or twenty active clients.

Bonus Tips 

Before you place a bid or chase a contract, make sure you’ve implemented the following requirements, which are standard in the cleaning industry. 

Acquire Proper Licensing

You need a cleaning business license to operate your business, let alone look for cleaning contracts. 

Licensing requirements vary depending on your location. In the U.S., for instance, you need a business license, a trade license, and a sales tax permit. You’ll also require OSHA and ISSA certifications. 

Check with industry-specific regulatory bodies or professional associations for licensing and certification requirements. 

Get the Necessary Insurance for Your Cleaning Business

In most cases, you’ll need to accompany your cleaning quote with proof of insurance and bonding.

Some insurance covers for residential and commercial cleaning businesses include:

• General Liability Insurance: Caters to risks like property damage and customer injuries.
• Commercial Property Insurance: Repairs or replaces damaged, lost, or stolen business property.
• Business Owner’s Policy (BOP): Combines commercial property and general liability insurance. A BOP policy is cheaper than buying separate covers individually.
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance: Covers your employees for work-related injuries and lost wages.
• Commercial Auto Insurance: Caters to property damage, medical bills, and legal expenses if your business-owned vehicle is involved in an accident.
• Commercial Umbrella Insurance: Offers supplementary coverage for liability claims that exceed the limits of a policy, such as general liability, commercial auto, or employer’s liability insurance.
• Hired and Non-owned Auto Insurance: Covers your personal, leased, or rented vehicles for work-related use

In addition, large customers might ask for commercial janitorial bonds, so you’ll need to ensure your business is bonded to meet their requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions