Ask These Before You Ever Touch a Number
The bids that lose money almost always skipped a conversation. Here is the discovery checklist to run before you quote, organized so you walk into every walkthrough prepared.
The Discovery Checklist, by Category
Work through these in order during your first call or walkthrough. Skipping a category is how contractors end up bidding blind on square footage they never actually confirmed.
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Building Specifications
What is the exact cleanable square footage (not gross square footage)? How many floors, and is there an elevator? How many restrooms, and are they single-occupant or multi-stall? Is there a break room or kitchen that needs daily service? What is the flooring mix — carpet, VCT, hardwood, tile — and roughly what percentage of each?
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Current Cleaning Situation
Who cleans the building now, and why are they leaving or being replaced? What specifically is the current vendor doing wrong — missed spots, no-shows, communication? How many cleaners and hours does the current contract use? Are there any recurring complaints from tenants or staff you should know about?
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Contract Expectations & Decision Process
What is the target start date? Who else is being asked to bid, and how many quotes are they collecting? Is there a budget range they can share, even loosely? What length of contract are they offering — month-to-month, one year, multi-year? Who signs off on the final decision — is it the person you're talking to, or someone above them?
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Access, Security & Special Requirements
What are the building's operating hours, and can cleaning happen during the day or only after close? Is a key, fob, or badge required, and who issues it? Are there restricted areas — server rooms, executive suites, medical or lab space? Is there a certificate of insurance requirement, and what coverage minimums? Are there any hazardous materials, biohazard protocols, or compliance requirements specific to this tenant?
Why This Conversation Is Worth More Than a Second Walkthrough
Most underpriced cleaning contracts aren't underpriced because the rate was wrong — they're underpriced because the scope was wrong. A contractor who quotes off square footage alone will miss the three restrooms that need twice-daily service, the biohazard protocol on the third floor, or the fact that the current vendor is being fired for no-shows, not price.
The questions above exist to surface the details that change your labor hours, not just your rate per square foot. Once you have real answers, run the numbers against our pricing guide — the rate ranges there assume a building that matches what you actually confirmed, not what the listing implied.
Facilities managers respect contractors who ask good questions. It signals you've done this before, and it usually means you get treated as a professional in the negotiation instead of just another number on a spreadsheet.
Common Questions About the Discovery Call
How long should this conversation take?
Fifteen to twenty minutes on the phone before a walkthrough is enough to cover most of the checklist. Save the physical details — flooring condition, actual restroom count, visible problem areas — for the in-person walkthrough itself.
What if the facilities manager won't answer budget questions?
Most won't give you a hard number, and that's normal. Ask indirectly instead: what did the outgoing vendor charge, or what's changing that made them look for a new one. Either answer tells you more than a budget range would.
Should I bring this list to the walkthrough itself?
Bring it, but don't read from it like a script. Use it as a memory check afterward — if you can't answer most of these categories from notes you took, you're not ready to price the job yet.
Does this replace measuring the space myself?
No. This checklist tells you what to ask; it doesn't replace confirming square footage and floor types with your own eyes. Treat the answers as a starting point to verify, not a substitute for the walkthrough.
Turn These Answers Into a Number
Once you know the real scope, use the pricing guide to set your rate and a bid template to put it in front of them professionally.