10 min read · updated 2026-08-05
The facility services RFP checklist
What to put in a facility services solicitation so the bids come back comparable, and the specific omissions that produce three quotes you cannot evaluate against each other.
Written for whoever is actually drafting the solicitation. Copy the sections you need.
What makes facility services bids impossible to compare?
Bids come back incomparable when the solicitation describes the building instead of specifying the work, which leaves each vendor free to assume a different scope.
A solicitation that says 'nightly cleaning of a 60,000 square foot office building' will produce quotes that differ by 60% and every one of them is defensible, because none of them are answering the same question.
The fix is not a longer document. It is specifying frequency, task list and labour assumption for each area type, then requiring every bidder to price against that instead of against their own template.
What has to be in the scope of work?
A usable scope specifies area types, task frequency and labour assumption, and it names what is excluded as clearly as what is included.
- Area breakdown
Cleanable square footage by type: office, restroom, lobby, corridor, break room, warehouse, exterior. Not total building square footage.
- Task frequency matrix
Each task against each area type with a frequency. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual.
- Fixture and restroom count
The single biggest driver of janitorial labour and the one most often omitted.
- Floor type inventory
Square footage by surface, since periodic cycles differ by an order of magnitude between carpet and hard surface.
- Hours of access
When crews can be in the building, and any area with restricted access or escort requirements.
- Consumables responsibility
State who supplies paper, soap and liners, or every bid will assume differently.
- Explicit exclusions
Name what is not in scope so it does not become a change order in month three.
What should you require in the vendor response?
Require a labour hour breakdown, named supervision, insurance certificates and references that can actually be called, and reject responses that substitute a capability brochure for any of them.
- Labour hours per visit
By area or by shift. This is the number that makes bids comparable and the number most vendors would rather not give you.
- Supervision structure
Who inspects, how often, and what the inspection produces. A named person, not a department.
- Certificate of insurance
Actual certificate with your required limits and additional insured language, not a statement that they carry insurance.
- References with contact details
Three comparable buildings, with a name and a phone number you are permitted to call.
- Transition plan
How they take over from the incumbent, with a date-by-date sequence and who covers the gap.
- Staffing and screening
Whether staff are employees or subcontracted, and what screening is performed.
- Escalation path
What happens at 2am, and how long before someone with authority answers.
What evaluation criteria should be weighted?
Weight the criteria before you open the bids, publish the weighting in the solicitation, and score against it rather than against your impression of the presentation.
| Criterion | Typical weight | What you are actually testing |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 30-40% | Total cost against a like-for-like scope, not headline rate |
| Scope compliance | 20% | Did they price what you asked for, or what they usually sell |
| Experience in your building type | 15% | Comparable buildings, not comparable square footage |
| Staffing and supervision | 10% | Named supervision and a real inspection process |
| Transition plan | 10% | How the first thirty days actually go |
| References | 5-10% | Whether the last three clients would rehire |
| Insurance and compliance | Pass/fail | Qualifying condition, not a scoring line |
What are the most common mistakes in a facility services RFP?
The three that cost the most are omitting restroom count, omitting labour hour disclosure, and awarding on price against scopes that were never made equivalent.
A fourth worth naming: writing the solicitation from the incumbent's contract. It reproduces every gap the incumbent negotiated in and it tells every bidder exactly who has the building.
A fifth: no site walk, or a site walk that is optional. Bids from vendors who have not seen the building are guesses, and the ones who guess low are the ones you will hear from in month two.
Questions we actually get asked
How long should a facility services RFP process take?
Four to eight weeks from issue to award is typical: two to three weeks for bidders to respond, plus a mandatory site walk, plus evaluation and clarification. Compressing below that produces bids nobody had time to scope properly.
Should the site walk be mandatory?
Yes. A bid from a vendor who has not walked the building is an estimate against assumptions, and the assumptions are always favourable to the bidder.
How many vendors should be invited to bid?
Three to five qualified bidders. Fewer gives you no comparison; more produces a pile of responses nobody has time to evaluate properly, which pushes the decision back to price.
Related
Also worth reading before you sign anything
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