Free Cleaning Proposal Template (Commercial and Residential)

A one-off house clean needs a quote: what you will do and what it costs. An office that wants cleaning five nights a week for a year wants more than that before they say yes. They want to see that you understood the building, that the scope is clear, and that the terms are fair. That is the job of a proposal.

This page gives you a full cleaning proposal template, a short cover letter, a way to write the scope by area, and how to set the price section from your own costs.

Proposal vs quote vs bid

The three words get mixed up. Here is the plain difference:

• Quote. The price for a scope. “Standard clean, 3 bed / 2 bath, one price.” Short, and enough for most house jobs.
• Bid. A quote you submit when the client is comparing several companies, often for commercial work. Same idea, sometimes on the client's own form.
• Proposal. The quote wrapped in scope detail and terms. It explains what you saw, what you will do in each area, how often, on what schedule, and for how long.

If the job is recurring, involves several areas, or the person reading it has to show it to someone else before approving, send a proposal. If it is a single visit, a clear cleaning quote is usually enough.

What to gather before you write it

A proposal is only as good as the walkthrough behind it. Before you open the template, you want notes on every room, the floor types, the restroom count, who supplies paper goods, the hours you can get in, and how the client wants holidays handled. The walkthrough checklist in the bidding guide lists what to look at and ask.

Also confirm three things with your contact:

1. Who approves the proposal, and whether they will see the site themselves.
2. When they want the service to start.
3. Whether they want one monthly number or a per visit price.

Free cleaning proposal template

Copy this into any document. Replace everything in [brackets]. Delete any section the job does not need.

CLEANING PROPOSAL

Prepared for: [Client business name]
Attention: [Contact name, title]
Site address: [Address]
Prepared by: [Your business name] · [Phone] · [Email]
Date: [Date]          Valid until: [Date]

1. Cover note
   [Two or three sentences. Thank them for the walkthrough and say
   what this proposal covers.]

2. Our understanding of the site
   Building type: [Office / clinic / retail / other]
   Size and layout: [Floors, rooms, restrooms, break areas]
   Hours we can access the site: [Days and times]
   Notes from the walkthrough: [Floor types, high traffic areas,
   alarm, parking, anything that changes the work]

3. Scope of work by area
   [Area]         [Tasks]                         [Frequency]
   [Area]         [Tasks]                         [Frequency]
   [Area]         [Tasks]                         [Frequency]

4. Schedule
   Visits: [Number] per [week / month]
   Days and times: [Days, start time]
   Holidays: [How holidays are handled]

5. Supplies and consumables
   Cleaning products and equipment: [Provided by us / by client]
   Paper goods, soap, liners: [Provided by us / by client]

6. Not included
   [List what is outside this scope, for example window exteriors,
   carpet extraction, floor refinishing.] Extra work is quoted
   separately and done only after you approve it.

7. Price
   [Price] per month, based on [Number] visits per month.
   [Optional: per visit figure.]
   What changes the price: [Added areas, added visits, schedule
   change.]

8. Term
   Start date: [Date]
   Term: [Month to month / number of months]
   Ending the service: [Notice period either side gives]

9. Next step
   [How to accept: reply, sign, or call.] After acceptance we will
   [send the service agreement / confirm the start date].

[Your name]
[Your business name]

Short cover letter template

If you email the proposal, the email body can be the cover letter. If you print it, put this on top. Keep it short: the proposal does the explaining.

[Date]

[Contact name]
[Client business name]
[Address]

Hi [Contact first name],

Thank you for walking me through [site name] on [date]. Attached
is our proposal for [frequency] cleaning of [what is covered].

It lists each area, the tasks and how often we do them, the
schedule, what is and is not included, and one monthly price.

If anything in the scope does not match what you need, tell me
and I will update it. The proposal is valid until [date].

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Your business name] · [Phone] · [Email]

How to write the scope by area

The scope section is where most proposals are won or lost on clarity. Break the site into areas, list the tasks in each, and say how often each task happens. Generic office examples, no prices:

A few rules that keep the scope clean:

• Use the client's names for rooms. If they call it the training room, so does the proposal.
• One task, one frequency. “Vacuum weekly, spot vacuum every visit” is clearer than “vacuum as needed.”
• Say what “clean” means. Disinfect high touch points, wipe, dust, mop. Specific verbs avoid arguments later.
• Mention chemical safety where it matters. If you leave products on site, keep the labels intact and the safety data sheets available. OSHA's Hazard Communication page explains labels and safety data sheets for chemicals at work.

The price section

Write one number per month for recurring work, and state the visits per month it is based on. One clear number is easier to approve than a page of line items.

Build that number from your own costs, in this order:

1. Hours per visit, from the walkthrough and the scope table.
2. Hours times your loaded labor cost: wage plus payroll taxes, workers comp, and other costs per hour worked.
3. Plus supplies and consumables per visit, if you supply them.
4. Plus a share of your overhead per visit.
5. That is break-even per visit. Times visits per month gives monthly break-even.
6. Then add the margin you choose. That is your call, based on your goals and the job.

The commercial cleaning calculator guide walks through this arithmetic with a labeled example. Also write what changes the price: added areas, added visits, or a schedule change. Then nobody is surprised when the scope grows.

Common proposal mistakes

• A vague scope. “General office cleaning” tells the client nothing and protects you from nothing.
• No exclusions. If carpet extraction or exterior windows are not included, say so in writing.
• Pricing from square footage alone. Two buildings the same size can take very different time. Price from hours.
• No valid until date. Your costs move. Give the price an end date.
• No next step. Tell them exactly how to say yes.
• Copy and paste leftovers. Another client's name in the scope table is the fastest way to lose trust. Read it once before you send it.

Follow up

Send the proposal while the walkthrough is fresh, ideally within a day or two. Then follow up once a few days later with a short note: did they have questions about the scope, and is the start date still right. If they ask for changes, update the scope and the price together, and send a new version with a new date so there is only one current copy.

When they accept, put the terms into a signed service agreement. The cleaning contract template lists the clauses to include.

Get the number first

The proposal is the wrapper. The number inside it has to come from your costs. Binderlane organizes that math: answer a few questions, see your break-even and your price, and text the client a branded quote with your logo. It does not write proposals or contracts. First 3 quotes are free to send, no card.