A useful janitorial RFP scope tells every bidder what must be cleaned, how often, and how the result will be checked. For a Detroit facility, the starting point is a verified room inventory—not a single building square-footage figure. CJT Janitorial recommends separating recurring work from periodic floor care and event-driven extras so proposals can be compared on the same basis.
1. Inventory the areas bidders may clean
List each building, floor, room type, and accessible cleaning area. Record carpet, resilient flooring, tile, finished wood, and other surfaces separately. Include restroom fixtures, break areas, entry doors, interior glass, and waste collection points. Distinguish gross building size from the area actually included. Mark locked rooms, tenant-controlled spaces, production equipment, and other exclusions on a plan.
Use a walkthrough to validate the list. If drawings are incomplete, state what remains to be measured and issue the same clarification to all bidders. Do not ask one vendor to estimate unknown quantities while another uses measured areas.
2. Turn the inventory into a task-and-frequency table
Write an observable task for each area, then specify a frequency and service window. “Clean offices” is too broad. “Vacuum accessible carpet in occupied offices on the agreed service nights” establishes a clearer boundary. Describe clear-desk rules, waste collection, restroom replenishment, and who supplies consumables.
| Area | Task to define | Frequency decision | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Remove grit; clean compatible flooring | Set by traffic and weather | No visible loose grit; floor dry before reopening |
| Restroom | Clean listed fixtures and touch points | Set by occupancy and use | Listed surfaces checked; supplies at agreed levels |
| Office carpet | Vacuum accessible areas | Specify service nights | Visible debris removed; obstructions reported |
Warehouse and industrial site constraints
For a Detroit warehouse or industrial facility, map pedestrian aisles, loading entries, staff areas, and front offices separately from production zones. Identify forklift routes, shift changes, loading windows, permit requirements, and areas that must remain operational. State whether the cleaning contractor may enter each zone and who releases it for work.
Equipment interiors, energized machinery, process residues, hazardous dust, and elevated structures need separate assessment and authorization. List the agreed sweeping or scrubbing areas, available water and recovery points, waste boundaries, and any shutdown window. These details let vendors quote the same safe access assumptions.
3. Separate periodic and seasonal work
Price extraction, scrub-and-recoat work, stripping and refinishing, high dusting, and interior glass projects separately. Identify the floor system before requesting a restoration method: not every surface should be stripped or waxed. For Metro Detroit winter entries, describe mat responsibilities, additional checks, and how extra visits are authorized after snow or slush events.
4. Write access, safety, and exclusions
Document permitted hours, alarm procedures, key custody, parking, storage, water access, and electrical availability. For clinics, schools, or secured buildings, attach the facility’s applicable procedures and training requirements. Explicitly address sharps, regulated waste, hazardous materials, equipment interiors, heavy moving, and work at height rather than leaving them inside a broad “all cleaning” clause.
5. Define inspection and correction
Identify who inspects, what evidence is recorded, and how a missed task is reported. Agree on a correction process and escalation contact without promising a response time the contractor has not accepted. Require bidders to state assumptions and deviations in one place. A low price that excludes a room or periodic service is not directly comparable to a complete offer.
6. Review and issue one controlled version
Check the scope against the walkthrough, share written answers through the procurement contact, and acknowledge addenda before evaluating prices. Keep a dated final version with the resulting contract. This makes future changes traceable when occupancy, service nights, or room use changes.
Build a reviewable scope with CJT Janitorial
Use this guide to prepare your room list and open questions, then see our vendor and procurement information or request a walkthrough. For bid evaluation and mobilization, read the Detroit janitorial RFP guide for facilities.