Win the walk-through, then win on paper
A cleaning quote is usually written after a walk-through, when you know the space better than the client’s description of it. Put what you saw into the quote: square footage, floor types, restroom count, the condition of the kitchen. A detailed scope shows the client you were paying attention, and it is your protection when “just one more room” turns up later.
The sample above is set up for a cleaning service quote. In the US the editor titles it “Estimate”. Change the lines to your pricing and save your standard services as items.
Example: commercial cleaning quote
4,500 sq ft office, service Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. All prices are editable examples.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janitorial service, 3 nights/week (avg. 13 visits at $120) | 1 | month | $1,560.00 | $1,560.00 |
| Restroom consumables, supplied and stocked | 1 | month | $95.00 | $95.00 |
| Interior glass and partitions | 1 | month | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Carpet extraction, one-time initial clean | 2,000 | sq ft | $0.30 | $600.00 |
| First month total | $2,405.00 |
The recurring monthly price from the second month is $1,805.00. Write that in the notes so the client’s budget approval covers both numbers.
The scope checklist
Spell out what each visit includes. A short list in the notes is enough:
- Every visit: empty trash and recycling, vacuum carpets, mop hard floors, clean and disinfect restrooms, wipe kitchen counters and sinks, spot-clean glass doors.
- Weekly: dust reachable surfaces, wipe chairs and door handles, clean appliance fronts.
- Monthly or on request: baseboards, vents, inside microwave and fridge, high dusting.
- Excluded: exterior windows, biohazard clean-up, moving furniture, unless quoted.
For homes, the same idea works with room names: kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas. Deep cleans and move-outs list inside the oven, inside cabinets and the refrigerator as included or as priced add-ons.
Terms worth putting in writing
- Frequency and service days, and what happens on holidays.
- Access: keys, alarm codes, after-hours entry, who is responsible for locking up.
- Cancellation and lockouts: notice period and any fee if the crew cannot get in.
- Insurance and bonding, if you carry them; commercial clients often ask for a certificate.
- Price review: for example, once a year or if the scope changes.
- Valid-until date and the client’s signature. Add yours with the signature generator.
Sales tax on cleaning services varies by state, and a few states treat commercial janitorial work differently from house cleaning. Check your state’s rule before you set a rate.
From quote to recurring invoice
Download the PDF and send it. When the client accepts, use “Accepted? Turn it into an invoice” on the quote; the client and lines copy into a new invoice with its own number. Each following month, use Duplicate and drop the one-time lines. My documents tracks what is outstanding, and when a client pays you can create a receipt.
For the billing side, see the cleaning invoice template, or the hourly invoice template for clients billed by the hour. Seasonal outdoor work follows a similar pattern on the landscaping invoice template. Unsure about payment terms for facility managers? Read Net 30 explained. For quotes in any other trade, start from the general quote template.