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Janitorial RFP Requirements: What to Include and Ask For

November 7, 2026
Janitorial RFP Requirements: What to Include and Ask For

A janitorial RFP has to do two jobs. It must give every bidder the same facility facts and cleaning scope, so the prices you get back can be compared. It must also set the minimum qualifications, insurance, screening, pricing format and scoring rules before anyone submits. Get those right and you can compare bids on equal terms. Get them wrong and you will compare a cheap bid and an expensive bid that cover different work.

This guide walks through each requirement, using language from recently published U.S. city, county, state and nonprofit solicitations as models. It is written for property managers, facility directors and building owners who hold the authority to hire a cleaning vendor.

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TL;DR

  • Give bidders the data: square footage by floor type, restroom counts, occupancy, hours, and a task list by frequency. Vague scope produces bids that can't be compared.
  • Set minimums up front: years in business, references, licensing, insurance limits, background screening and safety training.
  • Ask for pricing in a fixed format: a monthly rate per building, hourly rates for extras, and per-square-foot rates for periodic work.
  • Publish your scoring weights, so bidders know whether price, experience or the service plan counts most.
  • Name who writes, who answers questions and who can sign, and require a walk-through before bids are due.

Table of Contents

The sections a janitorial RFP needs

Most solicitations follow the same skeleton. If you are building yours from scratch, this is the order that works, and each part is covered below.

SectionWhat it settles
Background and instructionsWho you are, timeline, how to submit, who to contact
Facility informationBuildings, square footage, surfaces, occupancy, hours
Scope of workTasks by frequency, standards, supplies, equipment
Vendor qualificationsExperience, references, licenses, financial strength
Insurance and screeningCoverage limits, background checks, training
Pricing formThe format every bidder must use
Contract termsLength, renewals, price protection, termination, deductions
Evaluation criteriaWeights and the process for selecting a vendor

Facility details bidders need

A bidder prices labor hours, and labor hours come from your facility data. The more precise you are, the tighter the bids will be. Guides on writing a janitorial RFP commonly list total and cleanable square footage, floor plans, restroom counts and sizes, number of occupants, and days and hours of access. Treat that list as the minimum.

Put it in an attachment bidders can fill pricing against. The City of Cedar Park, Texas does this: its janitorial RFP attaches a facilities list, a janitorial requirements document, a price sheet and a service deficiency deduction schedule, and those attachments become part of the resulting contract. It asks the contractor to supply all labor, supervision, equipment and materials for offices, restrooms, lobbies, hallways and meeting rooms.

For each building, include:

  • Cleanable square footage, split by floor type: carpet, VCT, LVT, ceramic tile, hard surface.
  • Restroom count and fixture count.
  • Occupancy and peak-use areas such as lobbies, break rooms and conference rooms.
  • Access hours, security procedures and alarm protocols.
  • Special spaces: healthcare areas, labs, cleanrooms, kitchens, gyms, loading docks.
  • Who supplies paper and soap, and who supplies chemicals and equipment.

If you run several sites, say which tasks differ by site. Different frequencies per site are normal. One city's multi-site solicitation covers administrative offices, an airport, an amphitheater and a police department, each with its own cleaning frequency.

Walk-throughs

Require a site walk-through. Some owners make it mandatory, and some limit attendance to a couple of people per company, as the City of Evanston, Illinois does in its janitorial RFP. A walk-through is where bidders find the stairwells, the second kitchen and the locked server room that never made the floor plan. Schedule it early enough that bidders can still ask questions in writing, and share every answer with all bidders.

Scope of work and service standards

Write scope as a task list with a frequency next to each line. Cedar Park's approach is a good model: routine monthly services are priced as a base, and as-needed work is priced separately against estimated quantities.

A workable scope has three layers:

  1. Daily tasks: trash removal, restroom cleaning and restocking, vacuuming, spot cleaning, high-touch disinfecting, entrance glass.
  2. Periodic tasks: high and low dusting, window cleaning, damp mopping details, partition and vent cleaning, weekly or monthly as you set it.
  3. Project work: carpet extraction, strip and wax, machine scrubbing, post-event cleaning, which you price per square foot or per hour.

Define the standard of clean, not only the task. Some solicitations reference industry cleaning levels. Without a stated standard, "clean" means whatever each bidder assumes. State how you will inspect: frequency, scorecard, and who signs off.

Hours and staffing

Say when crews can work. Many commercial buildings are cleaned overnight on weekdays, while others need day porter coverage for restrooms and lobbies during business hours. Ask bidders to name on-site supervisors and describe how absences are covered. Cedar Park asks for a technical plan per facility with day-to-day staffing, supervision and named on-site managers.

Green and specialty requirements

If your building pursues LEED, or has healthcare or cleanroom areas, put that in the scope. Ask for product lists with safety data sheets and a description of dilution and storage controls. Specialty environments need staff training described in the proposal, not assumed.

Qualifications to require from bidders

Qualification requirements filter out vendors who can't carry your building. Public solicitations show the common ranges.

  • Time in business. The Colonial Behavioral Health janitorial RFP requires at least five years of continuous operation under the same legal name. The City of Humble, Texas and others set experience minimums too.
  • References. The City of Humble's citywide RFP asks for five written references of similar size and service frequency. Loudoun County, Virginia's RFQ 637796 asks for three comparable recent references at facilities of 50,000 square feet or larger. Require references that match your building type and size, and call them.
  • Financial strength. Colonial Behavioral Health asks for financial statements or a Dun & Bradstreet report. The State of Delaware's janitorial RFP asks for balance sheets and income statements for the past three years.
  • Process documents. Colonial also asks for a staffing plan, a quality assurance process and a transition plan covering the first 30 to 60 days.
  • Local licensing. Requirements vary by state and city. Check your jurisdiction and write the specific license into the RFP.

Do not copy another owner's thresholds blindly. A five-year rule suits a hospital system. For a small office portfolio, you might accept three years with strong references.

Insurance, screening and safety

This section protects you from losses and liability, so write it precisely.

Insurance

The Town of Winterville, North Carolina RFP sets $1,000,000 in general liability per occurrence and $1,000,000 in auto liability, combined single limit. The City of Humble also requires general liability at a $1 million minimum plus workers' compensation. Those figures are typical of public buyers, but your own limits should come from your lease obligations, your lender and your broker. Our guide to commercial cleaning insurance requirements explains the four policies facility managers usually ask about.

Ask bidders to submit certificates of insurance with the proposal, name your organization as additional insured where appropriate, and confirm the carrier will notify you of cancellation. Add bonding if your risk calls for it. Fidelity or janitorial service bonds are used where employees work unsupervised among valuables.

Background checks and work eligibility

Winterville requires an E-Verify compliance affidavit and fingerprint background checks for every employee assigned to a building. The City of Humble asks bidders to acknowledge CJIS clearance requirements for staff entering police department space. If your buildings hold sensitive records, medical areas or cash, say which screening applies to which areas. Ask the vendor to describe how it handles turnover, because new hires also need screening before they get keys.

Safety training

Winterville also requires contractors to train employees in OSHA regulations and applicable local, state and federal safety rules. Ask bidders to list training by topic: chemical handling and hazard communication, bloodborne pathogens for healthcare work, slip and fall prevention, and equipment use. Equipment condition is part of that picture, and a guide to OSHA equipment inspection requirements can help you decide what inspection records to request from a vendor.

How to structure pricing

Pricing is where bids fall apart if you leave the format open. Require one pricing form and reject bids that change it.

The City of Humble requires a monthly rate per facility, per-hour rates for extra or special event cleaning, and per-square-foot rates for specialty items such as VCT strip and wax, carpet extraction, window washing and machine scrubbing. It also states that pricing must be all-inclusive, covering labor, management, insurance, standard cleaning solutions and equipment. That last line prevents bidders from adding supply fees later.

A solid pricing form has:

  1. A monthly lump sum per building for routine service.
  2. Hourly rates for extra work, by role if needed.
  3. Unit rates for periodic project work.
  4. A statement of what is included and what is excluded.
  5. A holiday and emergency-call rate, if you want them.

To compare totals fairly, calculate a total evaluated cost the way Cedar Park does: routine monthly services plus your estimated quantities for as-needed work. Without shared quantities, a bidder with a low monthly rate and high unit rates can look cheaper than it is.

Decide on price protection. Tarrant County, Texas has used a 24-month term with two 12-month renewals, firm prices for the entire contract, and no cost-plus or escalator clauses. The City of Thornton, Colorado requires firm and fixed prices for the initial term and may request best and final offers. Both are options, and your tolerance for labor-cost pass-throughs should drive the choice. For a deeper look at the paperwork after award, see what to put in writing in a janitorial contract.

Contract term and performance terms

State the length, renewal options and exit rights in the RFP so bidders can price the risk. Public examples range widely: Tarrant County's 24 months plus two one-year options, and multi-year terms with annual renewals in other cities. Longer terms usually let a vendor spread startup costs, and shorter terms give you more leverage. Pick the one that matches your plans for the building.

Add these performance terms:

  • Inspection and deficiencies. Cedar Park includes a service deficiency deduction schedule, meaning missed tasks reduce the invoice by a stated amount. Bidders see it up front.
  • Response times. Say how fast the vendor must answer a complaint or emergency.
  • Termination. Specify notice periods for convenience and cause.
  • Transition. Ask for a plan covering handover from the outgoing vendor, with roles and responsibilities.
  • Right to reject. Tarrant County reserves the right to accept or reject bids in whole or in part. Say the same if it applies to you.

What proposals should contain

Tell bidders exactly what to include so that you can score them against each other. A complete proposal usually has:

  • A company history and accreditation status.
  • At least three references, with contact details.
  • Financial information, such as the last three years of statements.
  • Staff experience and the methodology for the work, as the Delaware RFP asks.
  • An organizational chart, a staff training description and a transition plan, as Cedar Park asks.
  • The completed pricing form and insurance certificates.

Set a submission method and a single point of contact. Delaware takes proposals through an online portal. Whatever channel you use, forbid contact with other staff during the bid period so every bidder gets the same answers.

Evaluation criteria and scoring

Publish your weights. They tell bidders what you value, and they protect you if a losing bidder challenges the award. Examples from recent solicitations show how much the balance varies:

BuyerPriceExperience and qualificationsPlan or other criteria
Cedar Park, TX35 points25 points40 points for service delivery plan and ability to perform
Delaware30 of 155 points40 for documented qualifications, 15 for references30 for equipment and products, 40 for training and performance evaluation

In both cases price is under half of the score. Cedar Park states that the lowest price does not necessarily win. Delaware's committee reserves the right to choose a proposal other than the lowest cost, to negotiate with more than one vendor, and to reject all proposals. Evanston lists qualifications and expertise, price, completeness of the proposal, and willingness to sign the city's agreement as criteria, and it may ask a bidder to present before recommending an award.

If your organization is private, you do not need a point system, but a simple weighted scorecard still keeps the decision defensible. Score the written proposal first, then interview the top two or three, then check references.

Evaluation criteria and scoring

Who writes and approves the RFP

In practice the facility or property manager drafts the scope, procurement or finance owns the process and terms, and an executive signs. The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission shows the pattern in its custodial services bid: it names a contract administrator and project managers, and says only the Executive Director can legally commit its funds. Only the contracting officer can change the contract terms in writing.

Copy that clarity. Name one contact for bidder questions, one person who scores technical content, and one person with signing authority. Then nobody on site can verbally promise a vendor extra scope.

Our perspective on janitorial RFPs

We read a lot of janitorial RFPs, and the best ones share one trait: the buyer has walked the building before writing a word. When square footage, floor types, access hours and task frequencies are on the page, we can price accurately and so can everyone else.

We would rather bid against a clear scope than win on a vague one. A site visit before the quote is how we work for that reason, and it fits the four-step process we use: quote, site visit, scheduled cleaning, customer approval.

Our advice to property managers is to put the standards in writing, require insurance and screening up front, and score the service plan alongside price. We are fully licensed and insured, run non-franchised local crews, and aim to respond within 24 hours, because buildings do not wait for a procurement calendar.

Sales

Need a bidder who can handle the full scope?

If you manage offices, retail centers, multifamily, industrial or healthcare space, we can respond to your RFP with a site visit and a written quote. Our services include routine janitorial, day porter and facility services, tenant turn and move-out cleaning, deep cleans, disinfecting, environmental services for healthcare and cleanrooms, eco-friendly options for LEED properties, and post-construction cleaning.

Sparkleprocommercialcleaning

Send us your solicitation or building details through Sparkle Pro Commercial Cleaning and we will tell you what a site visit needs to cover. If your RFP also covers new construction handover, our guide to post-build janitorial cleaning explains that scope.

FAQ

What requirements should a janitorial RFP include?

Include facility data, a task list by frequency, qualification minimums, insurance and screening rules, a fixed pricing form, contract term and renewals, a submission process and published evaluation weights. Add a walk-through requirement and a single contact for questions.

How much insurance should I require from a janitorial contractor?

Public buyers commonly require $1,000,000 in general liability per occurrence plus auto liability and workers' compensation, as Winterville and Humble do. Your lease, lender and broker should set the final figures for your building.

How should I compare janitorial bids?

Use one pricing form and a total evaluated cost that combines the monthly rate with your estimated quantities for extra work. Then score qualifications and the service plan alongside price, and check references before award.

Who usually writes a janitorial RFP?

The facility or property manager usually drafts the scope, while procurement or finance handles the terms and an authorized executive signs. Name one contact for bidder questions so scope promises are not made informally.

Sources