Guide for General Contractors
Commercial Post-Construction Cleaning Bid Checklist
Give final-cleaning bidders the project information needed to understand the commercial space, pricing assumptions, schedule, access, and closeout result before proposals are compared.
Checklist section 1
Start with the commercial project and bid dates
The bidder first needs to understand which project is being priced, where it is located, and which deadlines control the review.
Project identity and facility type
Provide the project name, complete service location, general contractor, authorized contact, and whether the space is retail, restaurant, office, medical office interior, warehouse, fitness, institutional, or another commercial environment.
Bid due date and submission instructions
State the exact bid deadline, time zone, submission method, required proposal format, addenda process, and the person authorized to answer scope questions before bids are due.
Anticipated cleaning and turnover window
Share the current cleaning window, turnover milestone, owner presentation, opening, or inspection sequence. Identify dates as anticipated when construction progress or other trades may still change them.
Checklist section 2
Share the documents that define final-cleaning scope
A secure link to the relevant documents is more useful than a short message asking for a price without quantities or requirements.
Plans, specifications, and cleaning notes
Include current drawings, finish schedules, cleaning specifications, relevant divisions, addenda, and any owner standards that affect final detail, glass, floors, casework, fixtures, or specialty surfaces.
Applicable areas and exclusions
Identify the rooms, levels, suites, common areas, exterior entries, back-of-house zones, and other spaces included. Call out areas that remain occupied, unfinished, inaccessible, or assigned to another trade.
Quantity information
Provide square footage when available, floor-material quantities, interior-glass information, restroom counts, ceiling or elevation constraints, and any alternates that should be priced separately.
Checklist section 3
Define site condition, access, and trade responsibilities
Final-cleaning cost and production depend heavily on how the space will be released and what the cleaning subcontractor is expected to handle.
Construction completion assumptions
Describe whether painting, flooring, millwork, MEP trim, punch work, protection removal, and other trades are expected to be complete before cleaning begins. Note anticipated overlap instead of assuming an empty site.
Debris and material removal responsibilities
Clarify who removes bulk construction debris, pallets, scrap, protective materials, trade equipment, dumpsters, adhesive, labels, and other residue. Avoid an open-ended statement that transfers every site condition to the cleaning scope.
Access, utilities, security, and parking
Identify authorized work hours, keys or escorts, loading access, elevator use, parking, alarms, water, power, HVAC status, restroom access, waste disposal, and any site orientation or sign-in process.
Checklist section 4
Separate mobilizations, floor work, glass, and touch-up
These items commonly create bid differences when the invitation does not say whether they are included, optional, or dependent on later authorization.
Cleaning sequence and mobilizations
State whether one final mobilization is anticipated or whether the schedule may require phased areas, agreed touch-up, or separate owner-presentation work. Do not assume every project follows a fixed rough-final-touch-up sequence.
Commercial floor requirements
List floor materials and distinguish routine final cleaning from machine scrubbing, carpet cleaning, strip and wax, scrub and recoat, tile and grout work, or other methods that require condition review.
Accessible interior glass and final review
Define accessible interior glass, stickers, frames, partitions, and elevation limits. Explain how the authorized project contact will review the agreed cleaning scope and communicate any accepted touch-up request.
Scope-control note
What a comparable final-cleaning proposal should make visible
Look for defined scope, assumptions, exclusions, mobilizations, floor and glass treatment, access requirements, schedule dependencies, pricing structure, and the process for authorized changes. The lowest number is not comparable if it is based on a different release condition or incomplete scope.