A cleaning quote starts with a clear scope. Before you estimate the time, make sure you and the customer mean the same thing by “clean.” Use these ten questions during a walkthrough or a photo-based discussion.
Disclosure: CedarSignal Studio publishes these free guides and sells the optional $19 Cleaning Profit Kit. You can use the questions below without buying anything.
10 questions before you quote
1. Which rooms and areas are included? List the rooms, bathrooms, stairs and other areas the customer expects you to clean. Record any rooms they want excluded. A room count alone does not describe its condition or contents.
2. Is this an initial clean or ongoing maintenance? Ask when the areas were last cleaned and what has changed since then. Estimate an initial visit separately when its scope differs from later visits.
3. Which tasks does “cleaning” include? Name the surfaces and tasks in plain language. Discuss floors, counters, bathroom fixtures and dusting rather than relying only on labels such as standard or deep clean.
4. Are any extras requested? Discuss inside ovens, refrigerators, cabinets, windows and other tasks separately. Specify whether emptying or moving contents is included. Do not assume an extra is covered by the base quote.
5. How ready will the space be? Ask whether dishes, laundry, toys and loose items will be put away. If tidying is requested, record it as work that needs its own time allowance.
6. Are there surfaces or products needing special instructions? Ask the customer to identify delicate finishes and any manufacturer care instructions. Agree on suitable supplies before the visit; do not promise a method you have not checked.
7. How will access work? Confirm parking, entry arrangements, stairs or elevators, and any waiting time you can reasonably anticipate. Exchange keys or access codes privately, not in a public comment or review.
8. Will people or pets be present? Agree on access to each room and how pets will be kept clear of the work area. Identify interruptions that could change the order or duration of the work.
9. What is outside your service? State exclusions such as heavy lifting, high-access work, hazardous materials or specialist restoration where those are outside your capabilities. If the job is outside your service, pause before quoting it as routine cleaning.
10. What happens when the scope changes? Agree that additional tasks or a materially different condition will be discussed before extra work begins. Write down who can approve the change and how the revised scope and price will be confirmed.
Turn the answers into a short scope note
Copy this outline into your own notes:
Included rooms and tasks:
Excluded rooms and tasks:
Initial-visit work versus repeat-visit work:
Extras requested:
Customer preparation and access:
Estimated labor-hours and number of cleaners:
Assumptions to confirm before work starts:
How changes will be approved:
Keep the estimate and actual result separate. For example, two cleaners working three hours each means six labor-hours, before any separate travel or administrative time. After the visit, compare the work performed and time used with your original assumptions.
Next: check the costs behind the scope
Use our free Cleaning Quote Cost Check checklist (https://payhip.com/b/peA67) as a second pass before you send a quote. Then read how to check a quote using labor-hours and costs (https://payhip.com/CedarSignalStudio/blog/news/how-to-check-a-cleaning-quote-using-labor-hours-and-costs).
If you want an offline tool for those checks, the Cleaning Profit Kit is $19 (https://payhip.com/b/8FxTA). It does not supply local market rates or guarantee earnings; your results depend on the scope, inputs and actual work.