Free Cleaning Proposal Template (Word and PDF)

To finalize the proposal, include a section where both parties sign and date the document to accept the terms. State how long the offer stays valid, for example 30 days, so the price does not hold forever. A signed proposal records that the client accepted the scope and the price in writing.

You can collect the signatures on paper or electronically. A signature or contract cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is in electronic form under 15 U.S.C. 7001, and an e-signature tool like Signaturely lets the client sign from any device while you track the request. Our guide to e-signature legality explains what to check.

With these elements in place, the proposal shows your expertise, your price and your terms in one document that a client can accept quickly.

How to Price a Cleaning Proposal

Price a cleaning proposal from your own costs: labor, supplies and equipment, overhead and a profit margin, then show the result as a price per visit, per month or per project. Start with labor. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median hourly wage of $17.71 for janitors and building cleaners in May 2025 (BLS). That figure is a wage for the worker, so add payroll taxes, insurance, supplies and overhead on top before you set your rate.

Choose a pricing model

Most cleaning proposals use one of three models. An hourly rate bills the time on site and suits irregular or unclear jobs. A flat rate per visit or per month fixes the price for a defined scope and suits recurring office cleaning. A rate by area, such as per square foot, scales with the size of the building. Pick the model your client can compare easily and say which tasks the price covers.

Know your cost inputs

List what drives the price before you quote: the type and size of the facility, the layout and number of rooms, the tasks and how often they repeat, labor, equipment and supplies, overhead and your profit margin. Divide the monthly cost by the number of visits to check that each visit still earns a margin.

Write the scope of work and frequency

The scope of work lists the tasks for each area and how often you do them. For an office that can mean vacuuming and mopping floors, dusting surfaces, sanitizing restrooms and high-touch points and emptying trash. Give every task a frequency, such as daily, twice a week, weekly or monthly, and price deep cleaning, such as carpet or window cleaning, as a separate line. Enter the tasks in the Cleaning Services table of the template and use the Description column for the area and the frequency.

Terms, Insurance and Safety in a Cleaning Proposal

State the payment terms, the cancellation rules, any confidentiality duty, your insurance and the products you use, so the client does not have to ask. A short terms block under the Payment Terms table is enough for most jobs, and a signed service agreement can carry the details of a long contract.

Payment terms

Give the due date of each invoice, the payment methods you accept and the late fee, if you charge one. The Payment Terms table in the template splits the price into a down payment and a payment on completion, so fill in the percentage and the trigger for each. For recurring work, add a row for monthly invoices.

Cancellation and rescheduling

Say how much notice the client must give to cancel or move a visit and what you charge when the notice is short. A visit canceled at the door still costs you the labor, which is why a notice period belongs in the proposal.

Confidentiality and access

Cleaning crews work around documents and equipment, so a client may ask for a confidentiality clause and a list of who holds keys or alarm codes. Put both in writing before the first visit.

Insurance

Tell the client which insurance covers your crew and their property. The U.S. Small Business Administration says general liability insurance protects against financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses and lawsuits, and lists workers’ compensation, unemployment and disability insurance as required for businesses with employees, with further rules that vary by state (SBA). Check your state requirements and name your policies in the proposal.

Cleaning products and safety

Name the products and equipment in the Supply List table of the template. EPA’s List N lists disinfectants by EPA registration number and expects its products to kill SARS-CoV-2 when used according to the label directions, so choose a registered product and follow its label (EPA). If the client wants safer-ingredient products, EPA’s Safer Choice program keeps a searchable list of certified cleaning products (EPA Safer Choice).

If your crew faces contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials, for example in medical facilities, OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard requires the employer to keep the worksite clean and sanitary, to follow a written cleaning schedule and to decontaminate contaminated surfaces with an appropriate disinfectant (29 CFR 1910.1030). A medical cleaning proposal should state that schedule and the disinfectants you use.

Common Mistakes in a Cleaning Proposal

The common mistakes are sending a generic proposal, quoting a price without knowing your costs, leaving the scope vague, letting errors through and skipping the acceptance step.

• A generic proposal: change the opening, the task list and the frequencies for each client so the proposal reads as written for them.
• A price below your costs: a low price wins the job and then you carry the loss every month, so check the margin per visit first.
• A vague scope: if the proposal does not say which areas and tasks are included, extra requests turn into disputes.
• Errors and typos: a wrong total, a wrong client name or a spelling slip makes a cleaning company look careless.
• No acceptance step: ask the client to sign and date the proposal and say how long the price stays valid.