CLEANING QUOTE COMPARISON CHECKLIST

Use this cleaning quote comparison checklist to turn several different responses into a decision you can explain. The aim is to compare the same property, tasks and appointment assumptions. Copy the worksheet headings into your own notes, complete one column per business and ask about gaps before making a booking.

COMPARE FREE CLEANING QUOTES

FREEZE ONE VERSION OF THE BRIEF

Write the address, property type, rooms and requested tasks at the top of the comparison. Include occupancy, furniture, access and the current condition. Give each business that same version. If you later add a room or an appliance, label the revision and ask whether it changes the proposal. Otherwise an apparently cheaper response may simply be based on less work.

Keep photographs associated with the relevant room rather than sending an unexplained collection. Mark unknown materials or concerns for assessment. An accurate uncertainty is more useful than choosing a method or result that the business has not accepted.

COMPARE INCLUSIONS IN PLAIN LANGUAGE

For each response, record the exact included areas. Break a kitchen into the components that matter, such as surfaces, appliance interiors and empty storage. Distinguish ordinary floor cleaning from carpet treatment. For windows, identify sides, tracks, frames and screens. Use yes, no or needs clarification rather than assuming silence means included.

Make exclusions equally visible. Heavy furniture handling, rubbish removal, difficult-access work, repair and specialist remediation should not disappear inside a general all-inclusive expectation. A provider's clearly stated limitation can help you organise the missing work before the appointment.

IDENTIFY HOW THE PRICE WORKS

Record whether the amount is a fixed quote, estimate, hourly allowance or recurring fee. Note GST treatment, minimum charges and separately priced extras. For an hourly proposal, ask what priorities guide the work and how unfinished tasks are handled. For a fixed scope, ask which changes in condition or access could trigger a variation.

Compare a first intensive visit separately from maintenance. If the service repeats, write down the actual number of visits and any periodic tasks. A monthly total without the schedule is not enough to understand what you are purchasing.

TEST APPOINTMENT FEASIBILITY

Check that the business has accepted the actual address and service window. Note who supplies keys, arranges lift or contractor access and remains available for questions. Ask what you must clear before attendance and which utilities or facilities are needed. A suitable price is of limited use if the property cannot be entered or the rooms are not ready.

Place deadlines in context. A final inspection, new occupants or furniture delivery may require time after the work itself. Ask the relevant provider for aftercare or room-use guidance rather than assuming every task ends with immediate unrestricted use.

CHECK THE ARRANGEMENT BEHIND THE OFFER

Write down the business that will undertake the work and the contact for booking decisions. Request relevant insurance or other business information directly where needed. If a team member changes, ask how instructions and access arrangements are carried forward. Avoid treating a comparison platform as the business responsible for the cleaning.

Review cancellation, rescheduling and any recurring notice terms. If follow-up is offered for an omitted task, record the conditions and how to request it. A broad satisfaction phrase is less useful than a practical contact process you understand.

MAKE THE FINAL COMPARISON

Highlight unresolved items before choosing. Ask short, specific questions that refer to the property brief: does this amount include the internal oven, which window sides are covered, or what happens if a room is inaccessible? Keep the response with the quote instead of relying on memory. There is no need to invent a score for a question that still lacks an answer.

Choose the proposal whose accepted scope, limitations and arrangements suit the job. The lowest headline figure may still be suitable, but only once its assumptions are clear. Confirm the final agreed version directly with the business and retain the comparison for the completion discussion.

USE THIS WORKING RECORD

Planning item	What to record or clarify
Property and scope	Address, room list, condition and brief version supplied
Included components	Tasks explicitly accepted for each room or area
Excluded work	Tasks requiring another quote, provider or assessment
Price basis	Fixed, estimated, hourly or recurring; GST and minimum terms
Variations	Who approves changes and how extra work is priced
Appointment	Accepted date, arrival window and readiness requirements
Access	Keys, contractor entry, contact and lock-up responsibility
Aftercare	Instructions about room use or material care
Follow-up	Contact route and any written return-visit conditions
Final decision	Accepted scope version and booking confirmation

WHAT IF THE CHEAPEST RESPONSE IS INCOMPLETE?

Ask for the missing scope before ranking the offers. A low figure can still be suitable, but an unanswered question about oven interiors, carpet or access is not an inclusion. Keep clarification in writing and compare the revised response against the original brief. The comparison should show the service you are deciding to buy.

CAN THIS BE USED FOR RECURRING WORK?

Yes: add task frequencies, expected visits and periodic charges to the record. Keep the first detailed service distinct from ongoing maintenance. When the workplace or household changes, update the brief and obtain a revised agreement rather than expecting the original fee to absorb a different workload.