The right vendor makes your job easier. The wrong one adds to your list. Here is what to check before you sign.
For property and facility managers, vendors are part of the job. The companies that wash your buildings, clean your windows, sweep your lots and clear your snow shape how tenants, residents and customers experience the property every day. Choosing well saves time, protects the asset and keeps owners and boards confident in your decisions.
Choosing poorly tends to show up slowly: a missed visit here, an unanswered call there, a job that looked finished but was not. By the time it is obvious, you have spent hours chasing it. A clear set of criteria before you sign helps you avoid that.
What insurance should a commercial service vendor carry?
Always ask for current proof of insurance before any work begins, and keep it on file. At a minimum, look for general liability coverage. If the vendor has workers on site, workers' compensation coverage matters too, so an injury on your property does not become your problem. For vehicle-heavy work, like snow plowing or lot sweeping, commercial auto coverage is also worth confirming.
Many managers ask to be named as an additional insured on the vendor's policy, and some owners or associations require it. Check your management agreement or governing documents for specific requirements, and ask your own insurance advisor what limits make sense for your property. Then set a reminder to request updated certificates when policies renew, since coverage that was valid at signing can lapse.
How should a vendor communicate with property managers?
Communication is where most vendor relationships succeed or fail. Look for a vendor who confirms visits in advance, tells you when work is starting or finished, and responds promptly when something comes up.
Ask who your point of contact will be. A single, consistent contact who knows your property is far easier to work with than a general inbox or a rotating cast of people who each need the background explained again. Ask, too, how the vendor handles changes, such as weather delays, access issues or a tenant who needs the schedule moved.
It also helps to share your site rules up front: quiet hours, parking, access codes, where equipment can be staged and who to call in an emergency. A good vendor will ask for this information before the first visit rather than learning it by trial and error.
Why does proof of work matter?
Most property managers cannot be on site for every visit, and many oversee properties they rarely see in person. That makes documentation essential. Photos after every visit let you confirm the job was done, spot issues early and share progress with owners or boards without driving out to look.
Photo records also help settle questions later. If a resident says a stairwell was never cleaned or a tenant reports a missed area, you have something concrete to check. Ask any vendor you are considering what they send after a visit and how quickly it arrives.
How do you compare vendor quotes fairly?
The lowest number on the page is not always the lowest cost over a contract. Before comparing, make sure every vendor is quoting the same scope. A clear scope of work should describe exactly which areas are included, how often visits happen, what triggers extra charges and what is excluded.
For seasonal services like snow removal, look closely at how visits are triggered and billed, since terms vary widely. For recurring services like janitorial or grounds care, confirm what happens when a visit is missed. A slightly higher quote with a tight scope, reliable scheduling and clear documentation often costs less in time and frustration than a cheaper one with gaps.
If you are unsure about a new vendor, consider starting with a single property or a defined trial period before committing a whole portfolio. It gives you a real sense of their reliability, communication and quality with limited downside.
Is it better to use one vendor or several?
Every extra vendor means another contract, another schedule, another insurance certificate to track and another invoice to approve. For a single property, that adds up. For a portfolio, it can become a part-time job.
Consolidating services with one vendor who can cover multiple needs, such as pressure washing, windows, grounds and snow removal, simplifies your week. You get one point of contact, one invoice and one company accountable for results. The trade-off is that you need to be confident that vendor can deliver consistently across every service, which is why the other criteria on this list matter so much.
What questions should you ask before signing a vendor contract?
A short conversation before you sign can reveal most of what you need to know. Questions worth asking include:
- Can you provide a current certificate of insurance, and will you name us as additional insured if required?
- Who will be my main point of contact, and how quickly do you respond?
- How do you confirm visits and notify us when work is complete?
- Do you provide photos or reports after each visit?
- What exactly is included in the scope, and what costs extra?
- How do you handle weather delays, missed visits or complaints?
- What happens if the work is not done to standard?
Pay attention to how each answer is given, not just what it says. Vague answers to simple questions are often a sign of how the relationship will go.
A quick vendor checklist
- Current insurance on file, with renewal dates tracked
- A written scope of work that matches what you need
- Confirmed schedules and clear notice of changes
- One consistent point of contact
- Photos on completion
- Simple, consolidated billing
- A clear process for fixing anything that is not right
Thoro Clean was built around this list. We coordinate exterior, grounds, cleaning and seasonal services through vetted, insured local partner pros, so you have one point of contact and one invoice across your properties. You get photos after every visit, and our 7-Day Service Guarantee means that if something is not right, you tell us within seven days and we make it right.
