The Legal Side of Commercial Cleaning Contracts

Published by:
Abigail Moses

Reviewed by:
Alistair Vigier
Last Modified: 2024-05-24
Commercial cleaning contracts accomplish multiple things at once. They protect the customer’s interests and help avoid misunderstandings that could turn into legal problems between the service provider and clients.
Professional cleaning companies should use clear, legally sound, and complete contracts for all their projects, even small, one-time jobs.
Years ago, some providers relied on verbal contracts, but today’s service company owners opt for the reassurance written contracts provide.
Legal Implications of Breaching Cleaning Agreements
When everything is in writing and signed by both parties, there is little room for a “we-said-they-said” dispute to develop.
For starters, anyone who owns or intends to own a cleaning service should review the basics of contracts.
They should know how to help everyone involved, realize what typical contracts cover, and understand how to write a contract that meets the key legal requirements of the industry.

What Cleaning Contracts Are and Aren’t
Each year, business owners worldwide spend more than USD$300 billion on commercial cleaning services.
While contracts can be verbal or written, nearly all serious, professional providers use legally precise, thorough written documents today.
These agreements are simply a list of services that the cleaner will provide to the customer, along with the job’s date, time, and prices.
One thing people often forget about the cleaning business is that service providers are given exclusive access to customers’ personal property and private spaces.
Few other business services have intimate access to a client’s space and property. Contractors can recognize this unique relationship by clearly stating who will pay for accidental damage to the client’s property.
Why Contracts Help All Parties
What is true for most service industries is also true for cleaning services. Written contracts that have been reviewed or created by lawyers protect all parties and ensure smooth business relations.
Contracts serve dozens of purposes because they specify specific data about pricing, dates, exact duties to be performed, who the cleaning team will be and how long the job will take.
It also covers what happens in the event of either party’s cancellation, the conditions for refunds or re-doing services, and much more.
What a Typical Cleaning Contract Covers
Corporate managers and owners hire professional cleaners for safety, hygiene, and an attractive workplace. The need for expert cleaning teams has become more apparent in the age of global pandemics.
Companies that provide such services need to use contracts on every project.
In most cases, the typical cleaning contract covers the following five things. These are easy to remember using the acronym “CRISP,” the letters of which stand for the following key items covered by a standard commercial cleaning contract.
The Importance of Liability Clauses in Cleaning Contracts
C is for “Cost” Be specific about what you’re charging for the job or a series of jobs.
R stands for “Responsibilities.” Delineate the responsibilities of both parties, such as the cleaning crews’ arrival time, what they’ll do, whether the customer needs to be on or off-premises, etc. I stands for “Insurance.” The document should state what kind of insurance you have and what it covers in explicit detail.
S is for “Services” The heart of the document is the list of cleaning services you will provide.
P stands for “Payment.” Finally, every contract should spell out how and when the customer will be required to pay and how much they’ll pay.
10 Steps For Creating Your Cleaning Contract
You can and should write your commercial cleaning contracts even if you are not a lawyer. However, before finalizing the document, have a legal professional review it to ensure that it contains all the necessary components.
When you do create your contract for use on cleaning jobs, consider the following ten steps:
1—Basic company data should be listed first, such as the company’s address, hours, name, etc.
2—Payment specifics, such as the amount, due date, and form of payment (credit, cash, annual billing, etc.).
3- A clear, precise statement about who is obligated to provide supplies and equipment
4- Statements about how to conclude or end the contract and how much notice each party must give to the other
5—Details about the work schedule if it is not a one-time job. Namely, will it be done on certain days each week, once per month, etc.?
6- Contact data (phone, email, etc.) for the customer
7- The precise time of day and the calendar date when the job will begin
8- The exact physical place/location where the work will take place
9- Have it reviewed by a competent lawyer
10- Get the document signed by the customer and the cleaning professional

Avoid These Contract Problems
Because keeping commercial spaces clean, hygienic, and safe is such a huge job and encompasses a wide scope of work, there are long lists of what to do and what not to do for service providers. When it comes to contracts, specifically, avoid the following:
- Wording that is hard for customers to understand
- Clauses that coerce clients into committing to multiple visits
- Phrasing that does not allow for cancellation by either party
- Promises you can’t fulfill
- Unclear wording about when and how payment is to be made
The Law Behind Commercial Cleaning Contracts
The worldwide commercial cleaning industry has grown rapidly. In the U.S. alone, the $117 billion sector is experiencing a demand increase of historic proportions.
For entrepreneurs who clean professionally, it’s essential to hire a lawyer to ensure sound contracts.
Also, standard contracts must be amended when situations change. Expert cleaning company owners should aim to slightly overdeliver on services rendered even though the contract does not require them to do so.
Giving excellent service on every job and going the extra mile is just clever marketing.
Setting Clear Service Expectations: The Legal Perspective
Written contracts are vital for protecting providers and clients on every job, even very small ones.
Cleaners who understand how contracts work and use written ones on every job with every customer will prevent many headaches and hassles.
Contracts make customers happy, protect everyone involved in the transaction, and are the sign of a genuinely professional entrepreneur.
Speak to a business lawyer for help with commercial cleaning contracts.
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