CONTRACTOR BUSINESS OPERATIONS / BUSINESS GUIDE

Before quoting your first small commercial account

Confirm who can approve the work, what the site needs, whether you can deliver it and how the buyer accepts suppliers and pays invoices. Arrange a walkthrough before committing to a scope you have not assessed. A friendly introduction is useful, but it is not an approved contract or a complete job brief.

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Key takeaways

  • Separate the site contact, decision-maker and billing contact.
  • Define tasks, frequency, access and one-off work before calculating a price.
  • Check capacity and onboarding requirements before promising a start.
  • Agree the next decision checkpoint; interest alone is not authorization to begin.

Find the person who can move the decision forward.

Ask the person who made the enquiry who approves the service, who manages access and who handles invoices. In a small business these may be the same person; do not assume that they are.

Confirm whether the buyer wants an informal proposal, a specified bid format or a response to an existing scope. Ask what they need to decide and when they expect to review it. Send your questions through the contact they identify rather than bypassing their process.

Turn the walkthrough into a defined scope.

ISSA’s bidding guidance emphasizes understanding the customer’s needs, assessing the site and defining services and frequency. For a first small account, use the walkthrough to create a clear record rather than pricing from building size alone.

  • Which areas and tasks are included, and which are excluded?
  • What frequency and working hours does the buyer want?
  • Who provides access and what site restrictions must your team follow?
  • Is there an initial, post-construction or catch-up job separate from recurring work?
  • How will the customer check completed work and raise changes?

Illustrative example: a residential cleaning owner is asked about a newly renovated gym. Separate the initial construction-related cleanup from ongoing visits. Confirm the actual areas and tasks before pricing either. Do not assume ordinary residential equipment, staffing or methods will suit every commercial request.

Check delivery and supplier readiness.

Compare the requested hours, skills, equipment and supervision with what your business can provide alongside existing commitments. Mark gaps before promising a start. Refer or decline work you are not equipped to perform.

Ask the buyer for its actual supplier-onboarding requirements and submission channel. These may include business documents or insurance information, but requirements vary. Confirm what is needed instead of copying another contractor’s checklist as a universal rule. Share sensitive documents only through a verified, appropriate channel.

Use relevant project evidence and references you are permitted to share. Do not present residential work as an identical commercial assignment or claim a credential you do not hold.

Cost the work and confirm the payment process.

Jobber’s commercial-cleaning pricing guide ties estimating to scope and labor needs. Build your own price from assessed work, actual staffing, equipment, supplies, travel, overhead and the service you will provide. Historical forum rates and generic margin targets are not a quote for this site.

Before accepting, confirm who receives invoices, what references or purchase orders the buyer requires, when payment is due and who resolves a billing question. Check whether your business can carry the expected costs until payment arrives. Do not silently assume your residential payment process applies.

Put the agreed scope, exclusions and payment process in the appropriate written proposal and agreement. Obtain qualified advice for terms you do not understand; this checklist is not a contract template.

Leave with one clear next step.

Record the decision owner, missing information, proposal due date and agreed follow-up point. If requirements remain uncertain, ask for clarification before submitting a firm promise. A pending bid stays pending until the authorized customer accepts it.

Once accepted, use the office-to-field handoff to pass the current scope and commitments to the people doing the work. Keep approved changes connected to the job record. For an unanswered proposal, use a proportionate follow-up process rather than repeated unsolicited messages.

This guide addresses the contractor’s own commercial opportunity. It does not announce a commercial lead-generation service from LMC or change the terms of any homeowner lead campaign.

Common questions

Can I quote a commercial account from square footage alone?

Square footage can be one input, but it does not establish tasks, condition, access, frequency or labor needs. Assess the actual scope and clarify unknowns before making a firm commitment.

Does a site manager’s interest mean we can start work?

Not necessarily. Confirm who has approval authority, the required agreement and onboarding steps, and the agreed start before sending a crew.

Sources and context

Two independent owner questions informed this guide: a July 30, 2023 pressure-washing discussion and a Jobber Community cleaning question displayed as one year old when checked October 28, 2026. They show a recurring owner decision, not a proven rising trend. ISSA and Jobber provide current bidding context. The checklist and example are editorial guidance, not legal terms, quoted market rates or LMC commercial-lead results.

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