Without a written scope, "clean" means whatever each side assumed. The cleaner assumed the windows weren't included. You assumed they were. Nobody is lying. There was just never a document. A scope of works is that document, and every commercial cleaning arrangement should sit on one.
What a complete scope lists
A usable scope covers five things. The areas: every room and zone, by name. The tasks: what happens in each area. The frequencies: how often each task happens. The inclusions and exclusions, stated, not implied. And the practical arrangements: equipment, consumables, access and storage. If any of the five is missing, that's where your first dispute will come from.
Room-by-room or task-based
Room-by-room scopes work for varied sites, like a childcare centre where every room is different. Task-based scopes suit uniform sites, like an open-plan office where the same tasks repeat across the floor. Many sites use both. Room-by-room for the exceptions, task-based for the rest.
List periodic works separately
Windows, carpet extraction, floor strip and seal, and high dusting are not weekly tasks. Folding them into the general scope is how they get forgotten. List them separately with their own cycle: quarterly, six-monthly, annually. And their own line in the schedule.
Use the scope when something is missed
The scope is your reference point for every conversation. When a task is missed, point to the line, not to your memory of a phone call. When your needs change, the scope changes in writing. The document always matches the service.
Checklist. Your scope should cover:
- Every area of the site, by name
- Tasks per area
- Frequency per task
- Inclusions and exclusions, stated
- Equipment and consumables arrangements
- Access, alarms and storage details
- Periodic works with their own cycles
- The variation process for changes
- Who to contact when something is missed
A Tradevero quote starts with a walkthrough and a written scope. Request one for your site.