Knowing how to bid on cleaning contracts can transform your business when you use the right strategies and approach.
When you know how to bid on cleaning contracts, you can level up your cleaning business and scale in the long term. Whether you're targeting residential or commercial jobs, submitting a professional, profitable, and competitive bid can make the difference between winning new business or losing out to the competition.
Our guide breaks down exactly how to bid cleaning contracts the right way—from preparation to pricing and proposal.
In this guide, we’ll show you:
Before you can answer how to bid on cleaning contracts, you should first understand the scope of work.
For instance, what type of property is it?
Additionally, you’ll need to know things like:
Always conduct a walk-through before sending a cleaning contract. Whenever possible, schedule an on-site visit. You’ll get a better feel for how long the job will take and what tools or supplies you’ll need—so you don’t underbid.ctively.
Create a comprehensive list of services you’ll provide within the contract:
Consider offering flexible scheduling and customizable service packages to meet diverse client needs (easily do all of this—and so much more— in Service Autopilot).
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Manage your clients and employees all in one system
Ensure your cleaning business is properly licensed and insured. This typically includes:
Having these in place demonstrates professionalism and protects your business.
Invest in creating a professional image for your business:
Polished branding sets you apart from competitors and instills confidence in potential clients.
Like your clients, commercial cleaning contracts vary widely. Here are a few things to look out for before you start bidding on contracts.
Some clients will want a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation to Bid (ITB). Some of these documents can feel a little long-winded, but they are a very important part of the process.
Before you dive into this process, be sure to:
Like quoting any prospect, you’ll want to take a look on-site before submitting your bid for a commercial cleaning contract.
While you should make your own checklist in advance, here are a few things to keep top of mind on your visit:
There are a couple of different ways you can position your bid. As you put together your bid/proposal, think about the following:
You don’t want to just be competitive on price. While your price is fair (and accurate enough to maintain a good profit margin), you also want to highlight what makes your cleaning business unique.
Think about things like:
Pricing does matter, and you want to make sure that you break down pricing in a way that makes sense. Remember to check the RFP/ITB for specifics, but you should include things such as:
There are lots of places to find contracts. The government system (see below) is pretty formalized, but you can always tap into your network to bid on cleaning contracts.
Get to know your community! Chances are, there are successful businesses that need your help.
Here are some tips to find new clients:
By now, you’ve got a pretty good idea of how to bid on cleaning contracts, and you should know a few things about submitting your bid.
The bidding process is typically outlined in advance, and there is usually a deadline for when you need to submit everything.
Here are a few tips to make sure you’re on the right track:
It is a great idea to follow up with a call or email to make sure they got your bid. This can actually be pretty simple, where you can:
If you’re looking for some additional opportunities, be sure to check out government contracts. These contracts are different from regular business contracts and require a little extra work. That said, they can be very profitable and a consistent income for your business.
If you want to go down this path, be sure to:
Like bidding in the private sector, be sure to read through all the requirements and submit everything on time.
Note, government bidding websites aren’t always very user-friendly. That said, there are lots of services that can monitor government bidding websites for you regarding certain keywords (e.g., janitorial services, cleaning services, etc.). The cost of these services varies, but they can save you a ton of time and help you find some additional business opportunities.
Be sure to check out BidNet or FindRFP and similar services to help you on your search.
Once you win a contract, be sure to deliver the best service every step of the way. Like residential clients, your reputation matters here.
You want to make sure that you stay proactive in identifying any issues before they become big problems. One of the easiest ways to do that is to regularly check in with your client. This can be a formalized process with surveys, or you can keep it simple with occasional calls or emails to make sure everything is going well and their expectations are being met.
Remember, satisfied clients are more likely to renew contracts and provide valuable referrals to new bidding opportunities.
Remember, learning how to bid on cleaning contracts can be challenging at first. You won’t win every contract, but that’s okay. This is a great chance to get some feedback and see how you can improve.
That said, things will get easier after you’ve done it a few times, and these contracts can be a powerful source of profits for your company.
Stay focused on providing excellent service, building strong relationships, and you'll be well-positioned to win and retain valuable cleaning contracts.
Related: Cleaning Industry Trends for a Better Future
Originally published Nov 20, 2018 6:00 AM, updated Jun 23, 2025 10:30 AM CT
Tags: Business Operation, Featured Post
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