Contracts transform unpredictable income into steady revenue. Learning how to get contracts for cleaning business success means understanding what clients want and how to deliver it consistently. This guide shows you how to land and keep contracts that provide reliable monthly income.
Why Contracts Matter
Before diving into how to get contracts for cleaning business operations, understand their value. Contracts provide predictable income so you know what you’ll earn each month. They reduce marketing costs because you keep clients instead of constantly finding new ones. Long-term clients deliver higher lifetime value than one-time jobs. Better planning becomes possible when you can schedule confidently and hire strategically. And contracts create business valuation because they represent sellable asset value.
One good contract often equals five or more one-time clients in terms of business value.
Types of Cleaning Contracts
Different contracts serve different purposes.
| Contract Type | Typical Value | Relationship Style | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential recurring | $100-300/month | Personal | Steady individual income |
| Commercial office | $500-5,000+/month | Professional, formal | Predictable larger revenue |
| Property management | Variable | B2B | Multiple properties, one relationship |
| Government | Large, varies | Formal bidding | Significant contracts |
| Specialty (medical, industrial) | Premium rates | Often requires certification | Higher margins |
Residential recurring contracts involve weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly service for individual homeowners. They typically pay $100-300 per month per client and require personal relationships.
Commercial office contracts cover daily, multiple times weekly, or weekly service for business clients. They range from $500-5,000 or more monthly per client and involve professional relationships with formal agreements.
Property management contracts provide turn-over cleaning as needed for multiple properties under one relationship. Income varies but the source stays consistent through a B2B relationship.
Government contracts cover public buildings, schools, and facilities through a formal bidding process. They offer large potential value but have compliance requirements.
Specialty contracts for medical facilities, industrial sites, and construction clean-up often require certifications but command premium rates.
Landing Residential Contracts
Convert one-time clients to recurring contracts through strategic timing.
During initial contact, mention recurring service options early, explain benefits of regular cleaning, and price recurring service attractively compared to one-time rates.
After the first cleaning, if quality was good, propose recurring service. Offer a slight discount for commitment and make scheduling easy and consistent.
For converting existing one-time clients, reach out after a few months, remind them of your quality work, and offer “welcome back” pricing for contracts.
Contract elements for residential include frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), scope of service, pricing and payment terms, cancellation policy (30-day notice is typical), and access arrangements.
Landing Commercial Contracts
Commercial contracts require a different approach.
Start by identifying prospects. Walk through business districts and look for dirty facilities or neglected common areas. Note businesses that seem understaffed for cleaning and research growing companies in your area.
When making contact, visit in person when possible. Ask for the office manager or facilities contact, be professional and brief, and request a walkthrough rather than an immediate decision.
During the walkthrough, inspect every area thoroughly and ask about pain points with current cleaning. Note special requirements and estimate time needed accurately.
When creating proposals, detail specific services included, price transparently, include insurance certificates, provide references, and offer a trial period to reduce risk.
Following up is critical. Send your proposal within 24 hours of the walkthrough, follow up within 2-3 days, continue weekly for a month, and don’t give up too early since decisions take time.
Creating Professional Contracts
Formal agreements protect everyone. Essential contract elements include:
- Parties: full legal names of both parties
- Services: detailed scope of work
- Schedule: days, times, frequency
- Pricing: rates, payment terms, due dates
- Duration: contract length, renewal terms
- Termination: notice period, early termination terms
- Insurance: your coverage details
- Liability: responsibility for damages
- Access: keys, codes, security procedures
Important clauses to include are price adjustment provisions for annual increases, scope change procedures, emergency service terms, and performance standards.
Have an attorney review your contract template. This investment protects you long-term.
Pricing Contracts Competitively
Contract pricing requires careful calculation.
Calculate your costs including labor (your time or employees), supplies per visit, transportation, equipment depreciation, insurance allocation, and administrative time.
Determine profit margin by adding 20-30% above costs, factoring in reliability premium, and considering relationship value.
Research market rates by mystery shopping competitors, reviewing industry benchmarks, and adjusting for your market.
More frequent service justifies lower per-visit rates. Daily service commands the lowest per-visit rate, three times weekly gets a moderate rate, weekly service receives the standard rate, and bi-weekly service earns a premium rate since it requires more setup time proportionally.
Keeping Contracts Long-Term
Winning contracts is harder than keeping them. Retention requires consistent quality by maintaining standards every visit, not letting familiarity breed sloppiness, and using checklists to ensure consistency.
Communication matters too. Respond promptly to issues, proactively report problems, and check in regularly on satisfaction.
Add value by occasionally exceeding expectations, notifying clients of special attention, and remembering preferences and details.
Schedule annual reviews to discuss any concerns and address pricing adjustments professionally.
For problem resolution, take complaints seriously, fix issues immediately, and follow up to ensure satisfaction.
Building a Contract-Based Business
Structure your business around contracts by aiming for 70-80% recurring contract work, keeping some capacity for one-time jobs, and balancing residential and commercial.
For capacity planning, know how many clients you can serve, don’t overcommit, and build a waiting list when full.
Track contract renewals by noting all contract end dates, beginning renewal discussions 60 days out, and not letting contracts lapse unintentionally.
Your Contract-Based Business Starts Here
You now understand how to get contracts for cleaning business success—the types available, how to land them, and how to keep them.
Contracts create the stable foundation every cleaning business needs. They transform unpredictable self-employment into a real business with reliable income.
At the Cleaning Business Institute, our courses teach contract acquisition, negotiation, and retention strategies specifically for cleaning businesses. We cover everything from your first contract to building a fully contract-based operation.
Find training that fits your situation. Take our free Cleaning Business Quiz. We’ll analyze your responses and recommend the perfect course. Complete the quiz and unlock a limited-time offer saving you over 50%.
Start building your contract-based cleaning business today.