How to compare two cleaning quotes
If you have asked two cleaners for a price, you now have two documents that are formatted differently, describe the work differently, and arrive at numbers you cannot directly compare. Here is the order we would go in.
Line up the scopes before you look at the money
Put the two task lists next to each other and mark anything that appears on one and not the other. This is tedious and it is the whole exercise. A quote that is missing interior glass, or bin liners, or the kitchen, is not cheaper. It is smaller.
Check the frequency, not just the monthly figure
A monthly number means nothing without the number of visits behind it. Three visits a week against five is a difference of roughly forty percent in labour, and it will not always be obvious from the front page. Work out the cost per visit for both and compare that instead.
Find what is quoted as periodic
Carpet extraction, hard floor maintenance and high-level dusting are often quoted separately or annually. If one quote folds them into the monthly rate and the other lists them as extras, the monthly figures are not describing the same thing. Ask for the periodic work to be priced explicitly, even if it is not happening yet.
Ask what is not included
It is a more revealing question than asking what is. Common answers: consumables, waste removal beyond the bins, anything above a certain height, anything requiring a lift, appliance interiors, and cleaning after events or building works.
Then compare the numbers
By this point the numbers usually mean something. If one is still noticeably lower, it is worth asking why, plainly. Sometimes the answer is good, such as a closer base or a simpler route. Sometimes it is that the hours do not add up, and hours that do not add up show up later as work that does not get done.
If you are already with a cleaner and you are comparing us against them, you do not need to do any of this. Send us the invoice and we will match the rate and take ten percent off it, or give you a five hundred dollar credit instead.