Most Edmonton businesses sign a cleaning contract once and never look at it again — until the washrooms start slipping, the bill creeps up, or they discover they're locked in for another year. A good contract is boring in the best way: clear scope, clear price, clear way out. Here's how to tell the difference before you sign.
1. The Scope Should Read Like a Checklist, Not a Promise
"General office cleaning" means almost nothing. A proper contract lists exactly what's done on every visit — washrooms, kitchen, bins, floors, glass — and what happens weekly or monthly on top of that. If it's not written down, it will eventually not get done. Compare the scope against how your space is actually used: a medical office, a dealership showroom, and a warehouse office in Nisku all need very different lists. Our office cleaning checklist is a good yardstick for what a real scope looks like.
2. Frequency and Timing, In Writing
How many visits per week, on which days, and during what window? Most Edmonton offices are cleaned after hours, which raises practical questions the contract should answer: who holds keys or codes, how alarms are handled, and who gets notified if a cleaner can't access the building. Vague timing is how Friday-night cleans quietly become Monday-morning surprises.
3. Who Supplies What
Professional cleaners should bring their own equipment and cleaning products — that's standard. Consumables are the grey area: toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels, and bin liners. Some contracts include restocking, some leave purchasing to you, and some bill it back at a markup. None of these is wrong, but you should know which one you signed.
4. The Term — and the Exit
This is the clause that matters most. Reasonable contracts run month-to-month after an initial term, or for a fixed term with a clear notice period — 30 days is common — and an exit if service repeatedly falls short. Be cautious with long auto-renewing terms, steep early-exit penalties, or contracts that let the provider raise prices without notice. A company confident in its work doesn't need to lock you in to keep you.
5. What Happens When Something's Missed
Even good cleaners miss things occasionally. The contract should say how you report it and how fast it's fixed — a re-clean within 24 hours is a fair standard to ask about. Ask who inspects the work, too. Regular quality checks by the company itself, not just complaints from your staff, are what keep month twelve looking like month one.
6. Price Increases and Extras
Deep cleans, carpet extraction, and seasonal work like post-winter salt recovery are usually extra — that's normal. What's not normal is discovering it on an invoice. A good contract lists what's included in the recurring price, names the common extras, and caps or schedules any annual increase so budgeting isn't a guessing game.
The Bottom Line for Edmonton Businesses
Before signing anything, get the scope in writing, walk your space with the provider, and make sure the exit clause is one you could actually live with. We keep our commercial cleaning agreements straightforward for exactly this reason — clear checklists, after-hours scheduling, and honest quoting per site. Request a free quote and we'll assess your space properly; most quotes are back within 2 hours during opening hours.