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Comparison & due diligence · updated August 2026

31 Questions to Ask a New York Cleaning Company — and the Answers You Should Hear

Most published lists give you the same six generic questions — insured? bonded? references? — and none of them are New York questions. Below are 31, grouped, each with the answer you want and the answer that should worry you. The New York specific ones are marked, and they are the ones that actually separate vendors here.

Price and Scope

  1. What is the price per visit, and how many visits per month are you assuming? Good: a number and 21.7 for five nights. Red flag: only a monthly figure, or 20 visits.
  2. How many cleaner-hours per visit is this priced at? Good: a specific figure — roughly 1.2–1.8 hours for 5,000 sq ft. Red flag: they do not know.
  3. What is not included? Show me the list. Red flag: “everything is included.” Nothing is.
  4. Are consumables included, at cost, cost-plus or a fixed adder — and what is the markup?
  5. What is the escalation mechanism, and is it capped? Good: CPI capped at 3–5%.
  6. Is there an auto-renewal, and what is the non-renewal notice window? Red flag: 120 days.
  7. Is there an early termination penalty, and what is it capped at? Red flag: a percentage of remaining contract value.
  8. [NY] Are building freight, elevator operator or security charges inside your price or passed through to me?

People

  1. Are the cleaners your W-2 employees? Follow up: who signs their paycheques?
  2. Is any part of this work subcontracted?
  3. What is your annual turnover rate on an account like mine?
  4. Will it be the same crew every night, and will I get their names?
  5. Is there a named backup crew, and are they already badged into my building?
  6. What is your supervisor-to-cleaner ratio?
  7. What does your background screening cover, and how often do you re-screen? Red flag: “we reject anyone with a record” — that programme is unlawful in New York City.

Insurance and Compliance — the New York Block

  1. [NY] What are your general liability limits, and can you name my landlord and managing agent as additional insureds?
  2. [NY] Are the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 endorsements actually attached, and is there a waiver of subrogation?
  3. [NY] Do you carry a care, custody and control endorsement? Most do not, and this is the sharpest single question a buyer can ask. Why.
  4. [NY] Are you a 32BJ signatory? My building requires it. Follow up: if you take over, does the successor clause apply?
  5. [NY] Do you hold a BIC trade waste licence, or does your scope end at the compactor?
  6. [NY] Which zone carter does my building use, and where does your scope stop?
  7. Are you on the Green Seal certified directory? What is your listing URL? Verifiable while they are still on the phone.
  8. Can I see your workers' compensation certificate, form C-105.2?

Service and Accountability

  1. Who is my account manager, what is their mobile number, and what is the contractual response time?
  2. How many accounts does that account manager carry?
  3. What happens if a night is missed — what credit and what make-up window?
  4. Show me an actual inspection report from a comparable account, redacted. Red flag: they describe a process instead of producing a document.
  5. What is the inspection score floor in the contract, and what happens below it?
  6. [NY] What happens the night after a snowstorm or an MTA shutdown? A real answer involves crew geography and a callout plan.
  7. What is your protocol for the server room and any restricted area?
  8. Can I speak to two clients in buildings like mine, in this borough?
Insurance benchmarks to have in front of you

General liability $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate as the floor; umbrella or excess $2,000,000–$5,000,000+ for Class A buildings; workers' compensation statutory plus $1,000,000 employer's liability; automobile $1,000,000 including hired and non-owned; janitorial or fidelity bond for employee theft. Full COI checklist.

Last reviewed August 2026. Figures for prevailing wage and regulatory schedules change on 1 January and 1 July — we re-verify this page each cycle.

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