Choosing a commercial cleaner is mostly about reducing risk. Will they turn up when agreed, do what is in the scope, look after your keys and run their business lawfully? Price matters, but only once you know the quotes are for the same job.

This is a practical buyer’s guide for offices, shops and other business premises in Melbourne. It is general information, not legal advice.

Start with your own brief

Before you talk to anyone, write down what you need: the areas, the tasks, how often, the hours the cleaner can work, how they will get in, and who supplies consumables. Give exactly the same brief to every company. Our office cleaning checklist is a starting point, and our guide to office cleaning costs explains what shapes the price.

Questions to ask every company

About the work

  • Will someone look at the site before pricing it?
  • What exactly is included in the price, and what is charged as an extra?
  • Which days and times will you clean, and what happens on public holidays?
  • What do you not do? A good provider names its exclusions, such as work at heights or biohazard cleaning.

About the people and access

  • Who will do the cleaning — your own staff, subcontractors or a mix?
  • Will the same people usually attend, and who covers when they cannot?
  • How are keys, fobs and alarm codes stored, and who can see them?

About quality and communication

  • Who is my one contact for problems and changes?
  • How are missed items reported and put right?
  • Do you offer periodic walk-throughs or check-ins?

About the paperwork

  • Can you provide a current certificate of currency for your public liability insurance?
  • Can you supply safety data sheets for the products you will use on site?
  • How are invoices set out — per visit, per site, with extras itemised?
  • Is there a minimum term, and what notice does either side need to give?

What to check yourself

Answers are only as good as what you can confirm.

  • The business. ABN Lookup on the Australian Business Register is free and shows whether an ABN is active or cancelled, the business type, its GST status and historical trading names where available. Check that the name on the quote matches.
  • The labour hire licence. In Victoria, the Labour Hire Authority says companies that supply workers to clean commercial premises — including offices, shops and schools — are labour hire providers and must hold a licence, and that businesses must only engage licensed providers. Penalties can apply to the business using an unlicensed provider, not just the provider. Some sole traders and small companies whose director personally does the cleaning may not need a licence. Search the authority’s public Labour Hire Licence Register, and if the company subcontracts, ask who to: subcontractors must be licensed too. The definition of labour hire was amended from 1 October 2026, so if you are unsure whether a provider needs a licence, check the authority’s commercial cleaning page or ask it directly.
  • The insurance certificate. Check the policy dates, and that the business named on the policy is the company you are signing with.
  • References. Ask for two or three contacts at similar premises, and actually call them. Ask whether the cleaner turns up on time and how problems were handled.

Red flags

  • A price far below the others for the same brief. It may mean fewer hours on site than the job needs, or wages below the legal minimum. Fair Work’s Cleaning Services Award (MA000022) covers employers in the contract cleaning services industry and their employees, so a quote that only works below award rates is not a saving worth having.
  • No written scope, or a quote that just says “general clean”.
  • Reluctance to show an ABN, licence details or an insurance certificate.
  • Cash only, or no proper invoices.
  • Pressure to sign a long term before you have seen the work, or an unclear notice period.
  • Claims you cannot check, such as unnamed certifications or vague promises about results. Ask for the evidence.
  • Casual handling of access, such as asking for alarm codes in a group chat.

Comparing the shortlist

  1. Put the written proposals side by side against your brief.
  2. Note what each includes, excludes and charges as extra.
  3. Complete the checks above for each company.
  4. Call the references.
  5. Agree a review after the first month, and read the terms — our guide to what a commercial cleaning contract should include covers the clauses that matter.

What our proposals contain

Ask us the same questions as anyone else. Our commercial cleaning is quoted per site after we understand the size, how often you need cleaning and when we can get in — we do not price commercial work from bedroom counts. Our proposals set out the agreed scope, the visit schedule, one contact for changes and extra work, and itemised invoices for each site, with the notice period agreed in the proposal. We do not take on hazardous waste or biohazard cleaning, or work at heights or work needing specialist licences. Send your brief through the commercial quote request and we reply with questions or a written proposal.

Talk to us about your site

See exactly what our commercial cleaning includes, or go straight to the next step.

Request a commercial quote What our commercial cleaning includes →

Or call 0466 699 276 · WhatsApp us

Sources

Rules change. Check the official source for your situation; this guide is general information, not legal advice.