Guide
Cleaning quote: what it should include
A usable quote names the property, the scope room by room, the hours or the price basis, what is excluded, and what happens if the job runs long. With all five written down, two quotes can be compared like for like.
The six things that should be on it
The property and the date. Address, number of rooms and bathrooms, and when the work is happening.
The scope, room by room. Not 'deep clean of the property'. A list, per room, of what will be done.
The basis of the price. Either an hourly rate with the number of cleaners and the expected hours, or a fixed price for the job. Both are fine. A single number with neither is not.
The exclusions. Carpets, exterior windows, oven racks taken away, and anything needing access equipment.
What happens if it runs over. On a fixed price, who absorbs it. On an hourly rate, what the cap is.
Payment terms, and the guarantee. When payment is due, and what the business does if something was missed.
Estimate, quote, and the difference that matters
A quote is an offer of a fixed price. Accepted, it forms a contract, and the price then stays fixed for all the work in scope.
An estimate is a considered guess and can move. That is legitimate on a property nobody has seen, and it is why an estimate should always carry a range and a reason it might change.
What matters is that the document matches its heading. A quote with a written scope holds its price, because both sides can see exactly what it covers.
Reading a price that looks low
Compare the hours, not the totals. Two quotes for an end of tenancy clean at £180 and £260 are not the same job at two prices if one is one cleaner for five hours and the other is two cleaners for six.
Then compare the exclusions, which is where most of the difference usually is. A quote that excludes carpets and exterior windows against one that includes both can easily be the more expensive of the two by the time the work is finished.
VAT, and why some quotes have none
A business has to register for VAT once its turnover passes the threshold, and many cleaning businesses are below it. So a smaller business quoting no VAT is not avoiding anything; it is simply not registered.
What matters is that the quote says which it is. Stating it on the quote means the invoice matches the price agreed, with no 20% added at invoice stage.
Common questions
Should a quote be in writing?
Yes, and email is enough. The value is not formality, it is that the scope exists somewhere both of you can read it afterwards.
How long should a quote stay open?
Most are held for 14 to 30 days. Ask, and if no expiry is stated, check the price still stands before booking.
Can they charge more than the quote?
Only for work outside the agreed scope, and they should tell you before doing it rather than after. That is exactly what the exclusions list is for.