If you've never scheduled a janitorial walkthrough before, the process can feel unclear. What will they look at? How long will it take? What should you prepare? Understanding what happens during a professional facility assessment helps you get more value from the process and makes it easier to compare proposals from different providers.
What happens during a janitorial facility walkthrough?
A janitorial walkthrough is an in-person tour where a cleaning company representative walks your entire facility with you, assessing square footage, floor types, restroom count and condition, breakroom areas, lobbies, and any specialized spaces. A thorough walkthrough takes 30 to 60 minutes and involves detailed note-taking, questions about traffic patterns, and identification of areas requiring special attention or restricted access.
A janitorial walkthrough is an in-person visit where a representative from the cleaning company tours your entire facility with you. They're assessing square footage, floor types, the number and condition of restrooms, kitchen and breakroom areas, entrance and lobby spaces, and any specialized areas like server rooms, labs, or medical suites.
A thorough walkthrough typically takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the size of your facility. The representative should be taking notes, asking questions, and paying attention to details like the condition of your floors, the volume of foot traffic, and any areas that require special attention or restricted access. If someone wants to quote your building based on square footage alone without walking it, that's a sign their proposal won't be tailored to your actual needs.
What questions should you ask a janitorial company during a walkthrough?
Ask how they will staff your building and whether you will have the same crew each visit. Ask what happens when a crew member calls in sick, how they handle complaints, whether they conduct quality inspections you can review, what products and equipment they use, and what their onboarding process looks like. A provider who gives specific, confident responses is drawing from established systems. Vague answers suggest they are figuring things out as they go.
The walkthrough is a two-way evaluation. While the provider is assessing your facility, you should be assessing them. Useful questions to ask include: How will you staff my building, and will I have the same crew each visit? What happens when a crew member calls in sick? How do you handle complaints or service issues? Do you conduct quality inspections, and can I see those reports? What products and equipment will you use? What does your onboarding process look like for new accounts?
Pay attention to how they answer. A provider who gives specific, confident responses is likely drawing from established systems. Vague or evasive answers suggest they're figuring things out as they go.
How do you compare janitorial proposals from different cleaning companies?
Compare the details, not just the monthly cost. Check how many labor hours are included per visit, whether supplies and equipment are included or billed separately, whether a detailed task list shows exactly what will be cleaned and how often, and what the contract terms and satisfaction guarantee look like. A well-structured proposal will be specific enough to hold the provider accountable. Vague language about "maintaining cleanliness" gives you no baseline for measuring performance.
After the walkthrough, you'll receive a proposal outlining the scope of work, frequency, and pricing. When comparing proposals from multiple providers, resist the urge to look only at the monthly cost. Instead, compare the details. How many labor hours are included per visit? Are supplies and equipment included or billed separately? Is there a detailed task list showing exactly what will be cleaned and how often? What are the contract terms, and is there a satisfaction guarantee?
A well-structured proposal will be specific enough that you can hold the provider accountable to it. If a proposal is vague, with general language about "maintaining cleanliness" rather than specific tasks and frequencies, you have no baseline for measuring performance.
How Delta conducts walkthroughs
At Delta Janitorial Systems, every client relationship begins with a comprehensive facility walkthrough conducted by an experienced member of our team. We walk every room, hallway, and common area. We ask about your current pain points, your expectations, and any areas that have been problematic with previous providers.
From that walkthrough, we build a customized cleaning proposal using our Zero-Deviation Cleaning System. The proposal includes a detailed task list with specific frequencies for every area of your building, the products and equipment we'll use, and clear pricing with no hidden fees. We present month-to-month terms and a 100% satisfaction guarantee because we believe the proposal should speak for itself. With over 50 years of experience in the DFW market, we've refined this process to give facilities managers exactly the information they need to make a confident decision. Scheduling a walkthrough is free and comes with no obligation.