1. Give each provider the same brief
State the property type, approximate size if known, occupied status, rooms, bathrooms, stairs, pets, and current condition. Include safe photographs where helpful. List desired tasks and exclusions in the same way for every enquiry. A move-out clean with empty cupboard and appliance interiors is different from an occupied-home recurring visit. Explain unusual buildup, recent renovation work, or difficult access at the beginning. The provider needs a realistic starting point to assess work, rather than a label that can mean different things to different businesses.
2. Understand the pricing basis
Ask whether the proposal is fixed for a defined scope, estimated after information review, hourly, or capped at an agreed amount. Clarify applicable tax and any separately charged materials, parking, travel, or add-ons. These questions do not imply that every provider charges each item. They make the arrangement visible. If a visit is time-based, ask whether the quoted hours mean elapsed appointment time or total labour time. For example, two people working for two hours is four labour-hours, although only two hours pass on the clock. That arithmetic is an illustration, not a suggested duration for your home.
3. Read the boundaries below the total
Check inside appliances, empty cupboard interiors, windows, blinds, carpet extraction, upholstery, high areas, heavy furniture, and waste handling individually. Ask who provides products and equipment, what the provider accepts if you supply them, and which tasks need another specialist. Condition and material compatibility can affect the result. An old etched counter or worn floor cannot be promised a new appearance simply because more time is allocated. Alberta’s consumer resources provide a useful starting point for reviewing service arrangements and finding current guidance if a concern arises.
4. Make time limits operational
Choose an order of priority before a capped visit: perhaps bathrooms first, then kitchen, accessible floors, and a selected detail task if time remains. Ask how the provider will communicate when the scope appears larger than expected. Agree who can authorize extra time or cost and how that approval is recorded. A statement such as ‘do what you can’ gives little guidance when the household values one room far more than another. Keep priorities and quality expectations aligned; rushing every surface to create the appearance of completeness may not meet the intended goal.
5. Compare a concrete example
Imagine one proposal for a vacant condo that includes oven and fridge interiors, empty shelves, bathroom detail, and floors. Another offers a shorter time-limited visit focused on bathroom, kitchen surfaces, and accessible floors. The totals cannot be compared fairly until those differences are acknowledged. Put rooms, interiors, condition assumptions, access, exclusions, supplied materials, timing, and review arrangements into a small table. Ask questions rather than infer a bargain or poor quality from a number alone. No general market price or universal hours-per-room rule can replace a provider’s assessment of the actual scope.
6. Confirm practical terms and handover
Before acceptance, clarify date availability, arrival window, cancellation or rescheduling terms, payment arrangements, property access, and how concerns about the agreed work are raised. Ask about insurance and any relevant capability directly rather than assuming it from marketing language. Keep the accepted proposal and changes together. A request through cleaninghouses.ca can organize the home and priorities for discussion, but it does not establish a confirmed price, appointment, or coverage. A convincing quote leaves you able to explain what will be done, what remains outside the visit, and what happens if conditions differ.
Your practical checklist
- Use the same property and condition brief.
- List rooms, interiors, and exclusions explicitly.
- Clarify fixed, estimated, hourly, or capped terms.
- Distinguish elapsed time from total labour time.
- Check tax and any separately charged items.
- Set the task order within a time budget.
- Record how changes or extra work are approved.
- Confirm access, payment, cancellation, and review terms.
A few helpful answers.
Can I compare only the hourly rate?
The rate alone does not establish the complete cost or outcome. Compare the time basis, number of workers if relevant, tasks, materials, access, and condition assumptions. Ask how the provider expects to complete your specific priorities.
What if the provider finds more buildup than expected?
Agree on the decision process beforehand. The provider should explain the difference and obtain the appropriate approval for changed scope or cost, or follow the pre-agreed priority list within the existing limit.
Care references
General planning guidance, reviewed October 15, 2026. Follow the instructions for your particular finish and product.