To compare commercial cleaning quotes fairly, line each one up against the same written scope and check the same list of items: what is included, how often, who supplies what, how quality is checked, what insurance is held and what the contract allows. Only after those match does the price comparison mean anything.
Step 1: Put every quote on the same scope
Send every contractor the same scope document and ask them to price exactly that. If quotes arrive on their own formats, rebuild each one into a table with your tasks down the side and each contractor across the top. Mark every task as included, excluded or not mentioned. Not mentioned usually means excluded.
Step 2: Check frequency, hours and supplies
Compare visits per week, hours on site per visit and the time of day. Then check who supplies consumables such as paper products and who supplies equipment. A lower price that makes you buy the supplies is not lower.
Step 3: Ask how the hours were built
Ask each contractor how many labour hours per week sit behind the price. A quote with far fewer hours than the others either has less in it or assumes cleaners will work faster than the benchmarks. Ask how that works in practice.
Step 4: Test the pay assumption
Wages are the largest cost, and the Cleaning Services Award sets minimums. A quote far below the rest may rely on underpayment or on contractors who are not covering insurance and entitlements. That can become your problem as the engaging business, so ask each contractor to confirm in writing how their cleaners are engaged and paid.
Step 5: Compare how quality is proven
Ask how work is checked, who checks it and what you receive. Look for a documented inspection routine and a regular report against your scope, not a promise to "keep an eye on it".
Step 6: Check insurance and terms
Ask for current certificates of currency and compare the contract terms: length, notice to exit, how scope changes are priced and what happens when something is missed.
A simple comparison table
| Item | Contractor A | Contractor B | Contractor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| All scope tasks priced | |||
| Visits per week and hours per visit | |||
| Supplies and equipment included | |||
| Weekly labour hours | |||
| Quality checks and reporting | |||
| Insurance evidence | |||
| Exit and variation terms |
What to do next
Start from a good scope: how to write a cleaning scope of work. If numbers still look odd, what affects a cleaning quote explains the usual causes. If you would like a quote you can lay straight against your scope, book a walkthrough.