Committees regularly receive cleaning quotes that are impossible to compare: one is a monthly figure, one is per visit, one is per hour; one includes bins, another doesn’t; one includes GST. Picking the cheapest headline number is tempting, but often leads to disappointment. Here’s how to compare properly.
Step 1: Put every quote on the same basis
Convert each quote to:
- price per visit, excluding GST
- price per year, excluding GST (per visit × visits per year)
- visits per year
- what’s included on every visit (areas and tasks)
If a quote doesn’t list exactly what’s included, ask. You’re buying a clean building, not minutes on a clock — so compare what gets done, not how long it takes.
Step 2: Check the scope matches
Line up each quote against your scope of works. For each area and task, tick whether it’s included and at what frequency. Look carefully at:
- bins out and back
- bin room washing
- gym, BBQ and facility cleaning
- periodic work (soft washing, carpet cleaning, glass)
- consumables (toilet paper, soap, bin liners)
Our scope of works guide helps if you don’t have one yet.
Step 3: Compare what you get beyond cleaning
| Item | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site visit before quoting | |||
| Written scope | |||
| Tasks listed for every visit | |||
| Signed-off checklist each visit | |||
| Photo reporting | |||
| Committee portal access | |||
| Issue/maintenance reporting | |||
| Emergency response | |||
| Supervisor inspections | |||
| Public liability certificate | |||
| Workers’ compensation | |||
| Award wages confirmed | |||
| Notice period | |||
| Price review terms |
Step 4: Sense-check the price
Ask: can this price realistically cover the full scope at Award wages, plus superannuation, workers’ compensation, insurance, supervision, equipment and chemicals? If one quote is far below the others, it usually means tasks left out, underpaid workers or missing items. See the Cleaning Accountability Framework explained.
Step 5: Look at contract terms
- How long is the term?
- What’s the notice period?
- How and when can the price increase?
- How are extra jobs approved and charged?
- What happens if service is unsatisfactory?
Step 6: Talk to referees
Ask each provider for references from similar buildings, and call them. Ask about consistency, communication and how problems are handled.
Step 7: Present it to the committee
Summarise the comparison on one page: annual cost ex GST, scope differences, reporting and risks. That makes for a clear, defensible decision in the minutes.
GST
Make sure all figures are compared on the same basis. Our website prices show ex GST with the inc GST figure alongside — for example, small schemes from $145 + GST ($159.50 inc GST) per visit.
A worked example
Imagine three quotes for a 40-lot mid-rise building:
- Quote A: $1,300 a month, inc GST, “weekly cleaning of common areas”.
- Quote B: $340 + GST per visit, twice weekly, with a full task list for every area, bins included.
- Quote C: $55 per hour + GST, “as required”.
At first glance, A looks cheapest. Converted to the same basis, A is about $1,182 ex GST a month for roughly 4.3 visits — about $275 a visit — but it doesn’t say what’s cleaned on each visit. B is $340 × 104 visits ÷ 12 ≈ $2,947 ex GST a month, with every area and task listed. C charges by the hour “as required”, so its monthly cost — and what you get for it — is unknown.
Only B can be compared against the scope with confidence. The committee should go back to A and C and ask for a task list, frequency and the standard they’ll work to. Once everyone’s quoting the same work, the comparison becomes meaningful.
Questions to ask about price changes
Cleaning prices often change during a contract, usually because Award wages increase each year. That’s fair, but the mechanism should be clear. Ask:
- Is there an annual price review, and when?
- Is the increase linked to the Award increase, CPI or something else?
- How much notice will you give?
- Can the committee review the scope at the same time?
Don’t forget the hidden costs
A cheap quote that leads to complaints, re-tendering, extra committee time and periodic catch-up cleans can cost more over a year than a well-priced, reliable service. Factor in the value of reporting, emergency response and quality checks when making the final decision.
Our quotations
Every Strata Cleaning Co. quotation follows a site visit and includes a written scope, per-visit pricing ex and inc GST, reporting and insurance details. Every quotation starts with a free site visit. Book your free site visit and add us to your comparison.
By Strata Cleaning Co. · 20 October 2026