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Janitorial Contract

Updated October 31, 2023

A janitorial contract is a legal instrument used to memorialize the terms of an agreement between a client and a provider of janitorial services. These contracts are essential documents for the janitor or janitorial team because they help ensure that they are paid for their work. Clients using janitorial services also benefit from employing a contract because it enables them to ensure that they are performing the duties they agreed to.

Commonly used for

  • Commercial
    • Office buildings
    • Retail outlets/malls
  • Public facilities
    • Schools
    • Courthouses
    • Government buildings

Table of Contents

What Should be Included?

Scope of Work

The scope of work for a janitorial contract will outline what work is expected of the janitor or janitorial team. Common services provided by janitors include:

  • Sweeping
  • Mopping
  • Window cleaning (internal)
  • Dusting
  • Waste removal

If a client has specific expectations for how janitorial work is to be carried out, it’s common to document these in an exhibit attached to the contract.

Schedule

The frequency of janitorial services depends on the expectations of the client. Places experiencing frequent use, like a shopping center, are more likely to need daily janitorial services, while those experiencing less intense traffic, like an art gallery, may need them less frequently.

The schedule section should explain precisely how frequently the janitorial service is expected. If the schedule is expressed as a pattern, such as once a week, it should note exceptions when service is unnecessary, such as holidays when there is little need for cleaning.

Just as important, the schedule section should identify the time of day that the janitorial services are to take place. If the contract does not specify the exact time the job is to be performed, it should specify whether or not the work will take place outside the business’s operating hours.

Payment

Payment for janitorial services is typically made on a periodic, recurring basis, such as once a month. If services are needed less frequently, then it is possible to structure the contract to require payment following each visit to the site by the janitor or janitorial team.

Service Changes

Clients will typically make a decision about the type of janitorial work desired and how frequently it will be performed before the contract is signed. But even if the work is performed to expectations, it’s common to want to make adjustments once the agreement has been in effect for a while and the client has had a chance to see the effects.

The services changes section can prevent the parties from creating an entirely new contract to modify the service. It can set, for example, a fixed amount that can be added to the contract’s price to add or remove a day of service. Or it can set prices to add or remove a particular service from the existing schedule. A services changes section can help the parties understand these issues more quickly.

Insurance and Indemnification

Janitorial contractors typically carry liability insurance, which can cover property damage and injuries caused by their work, and worker’s compensation insurance, which can cover on-the-job injuries or illnesses to workers themselves. Here, contractors can state that their business complies with local requirements for these types of coverage.

If the location being cleaned has special or sensitive instruments or technology, then additional provisions may be necessary. A janitorial firm may want to state that it is not responsible for “special damages” associated with these items, including earnings that the company misses out on due to any malfunction.

Clients with highly specialized machinery may want to consider hiring a specialized firm to clean and maintain this rather than relying on a standard janitorial contractor.

Premises Authorization

This section should state that the janitor or janitorial team is authorized to enter the premises. This is particularly important for contracts that specify that cleaning occurs after hours of operation.

This section of the contract can limit access to particular persons. But if the contract is with a business using multiple janitors, is more common for the contract to state that the provider of the services may designate authorized persons.

Rates

Janitorial rates will vary by region. There are also multiple methods of setting payment:

Sample

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