Switching commercial cleaning companies is one of the more logistically straightforward vendor changes a facility manager can make — no equipment migration, no data transfer, no downtime risk in the technical sense. And yet it is frequently mishandled, either because the outgoing contractor is given too much notice, or because the transition to the new contractor is too compressed to allow a proper scope review.
Here is a sequence that works consistently in the Saint Paul commercial market.
Step 1: Get the New Scope in Writing Before You Give Notice
The most common mistake in a cleaning contractor transition is giving the outgoing contractor notice before the incoming contractor has completed a walkthrough and produced a written scope. If the new contractor's onboarding takes longer than expected — or if the walkthrough reveals something that changes the timeline — you may find yourself in a gap.
Complete the walkthrough and receive a written scope and start date from your new contractor before you send any notice to your current one. The start date should be the transition date, not the date you'd like to start.
Step 2: Review Your Current Contract's Notice Provisions
Most commercial cleaning contracts in the Saint Paul market require 30 days written notice for termination. Some require 60 days. Review your contract before starting the transition process — the notice period determines your timeline, and starting the process too late means either a coverage gap or a double-payment period.
If your current contract is month-to-month (as all our contracts are), the notice period is typically stated in the agreement or in the accompanying terms. 30 days from the end of the current billing period is standard.
Step 3: Send Written Notice to Your Current Contractor
Send termination notice in writing, using whatever method your contract specifies. Email is acceptable for most contracts but check — some require certified mail or a specific method. State the termination date clearly; don't leave it open-ended.
Keep this communication professional and without explanation. You don't owe your outgoing contractor a reason, and providing one can complicate the remaining service period.
Step 4: Coordinate the Handoff of Access Materials
Commercial facility access involves multiple items that need to transfer between contractors: building key codes, key fobs or physical keys, alarm codes, freight elevator access cards, parking passes for crew vehicles, and any building management contact information. Create a list of these items before the transition and track each one.
Your outgoing contractor should return all access materials on or before the last service date. Your new contractor should receive their access materials — reissued, not transferred — at least three days before the first service date. Do not reuse codes or fobs: reissue them so you have a clean audit trail.
Step 5: Confirm the First Service Date in Writing
Get the first service date, access time, and crew name in writing from your new contractor at least one week before the date. This gives you time to resolve any access issues before the first visit, rather than discovering them at 7pm when the crew is at your door and the building is locked.
Step 6: Walk the Building After the First Service
Walk your facility the morning after the first service from your new contractor. Note anything not covered according to the written scope. Contact the contractor that day — not the next week. Early correction sets the standard for the rest of the contract.