Local service guide
Commercial Building Cleaning in Charlottetown
Arrange Commercial Building Cleaning in Charlottetown by walking bidders through your premises, giving them the same task schedule and comparing written quotes. Define rooms, visit frequency, access and supplies before choosing a contractor. Include waste handling in the scope: PEI businesses must hire a commercial hauler for sorted material or transport it themselves to a Waste Watch Drop-Off Centre and pay applicable fees. [1]
Give bidders a scope they can price
Walk through washrooms, kitchens, reception areas, workspaces and storage rooms. For each room, list the tasks and desired frequency. Specify desk wiping around equipment, interior glass, washroom replenishment and dishes where relevant. Ask bidders to mark exclusions beside the tasks rather than leaving you to interpret a broad promise of office cleaning.
Separate buildup removal from the maintenance schedule. For carpet extraction or floor treatment, identify the surface and ask the contractor to describe the method, furniture movement and time before staff can use the area. Give clinic bidders your site’s cleaning protocol and ask them to identify any work that needs a separate provider.
Request a total per visit or billing period, with supplies, consumables and additional work identified. IWMC publishes disposal fees. Ask cleaning contractors for quotes based on your premises and task schedule. Use the disposal chart to discuss cleanout charges, then ask the bidder to identify transport and cleaning charges separately. [1]
Check coverage and hazardous-product arrangements
WCB PEI advises requesting clearance when hiring contractors or subcontractors. Clearance confirms that the contractor’s WCB account is in good standing. WCB warns that a principal employer may be liable for assessments owed by a contractor or subcontractor whose account is in default. Obtain the legal business name and use the clearance service before hiring. [2]
Ask for evidence of liability insurance and discuss damaged surfaces, lost keys and accidental spills. Name the person who receives incident reports and agree on who approves corrective work. Ask whether the company will use subcontractors and who will supervise them.
WCB PEI identifies labels, safety data sheets, worker education and training as WHMIS components. Employers must have a WHMIS program when hazardous products are present in the workplace. Ask the bidder which hazardous products workers will use, where they will find safety information and how they will respond to an emergency. [4]
Use the right sorting instructions for each area
IWMC’s public waste guidelines cover areas such as public lobbies and dining areas where staff or vendors do not control sorting. In those areas, IWMC directs businesses to provide labelled containers for all sorting streams and place them in groups. If liners are necessary, use transparent clear plastic bags and empty their contents for compost. [1]
Those public waste guidelines do not apply to staff- or vendor-controlled areas; IWMC requires all material generated there to be sorted. Separately, IWMC bans non-transparent plastic bags at PEI disposal facilities. Show the cleaner which bins serve each type of area and agree on how workers will keep the streams separate when collecting them. [1]
IWMC does not accept hazardous waste from industrial, commercial or institutional customers at its disposal sites. Businesses must arrange disposal through a hazardous waste carrier. Before a cleanout, identify unwanted chemicals and keep their disposal outside the ordinary bin-emptying instructions. [1]
Set access rules and inspect the first visits
Choose a cleaning window around staff, customers and deliveries. Record alarm procedures, key or access-code arrangements, restricted rooms and an entry-problem contact. Decide whether staff must clear desks, whether cleaners may move furniture and where you will store approved products.
Inspect the first visits against the task list. Record missed work by room and surface, then agree on a correction deadline. Ask who covers an absent cleaner and how to request an extra visit. Put schedule changes, cancellation terms and responsibility for replenishing supplies in the agreement.
Published commercial drop-off fees for waste and compost
Local details that affect your job
Allow time to unload at the Charlottetown facility
IWMC lists the Charlottetown Waste Watch Drop-Off Centre at 8 Superior Crescent. Listed hours are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and 7:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday, subject to change. Customers must sort and unload material and depart by closing time. For a cleanout involving self-transport, confirm current hours and allow time for queues and unloading. [3]
Set responsibility for PEI mixed-waste charges
IWMC makes mixed-waste surcharges payable by the contractor, hauler or customer transporting the material to the disposal facility. It may reject unsorted material and non-transparent bags. Agree on who checks outgoing bags and how you will handle charges arising from poor sorting before the contractor removes a load. [1]
Choose the scope for your premises
| Your situation | What to request | What to settle |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring office or shop visits | A room-by-room task schedule | Visit price, supplies and correction process |
| Initial deep clean or floor treatment | A separate scope and price | Surface method, furniture movement and reopening time |
| Public lobby with uncontrolled sorting | Grouped, labelled containers for all sorting streams | Collection instructions specific to public waste areas |
| Cleanout includes commercial hazardous waste | Arrangements with a hazardous waste carrier | A disposal route outside IWMC sites |
| Workers use hazardous cleaning products | WHMIS program details | Labels, safety data sheets, education and training |
Your hiring checklist
- Prepare a room list with tasks, frequencies and exclusions.
- Separate initial cleaning and periodic floor work in the quote.
- Obtain the contractor’s legal business details and check coverage.
- Review proposed products, storage and emergency arrangements.
- Identify public and staff-controlled waste areas during the walkthrough.
- Record access procedures and the incident contact.
- Agree on missed-task correction, schedule changes and cancellation terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I compare quotes with different visit schedules?
Ask bidders to price the same tasks and frequency for the same billing period. Check which supplies and periodic treatments each includes. Ask bidders to explain proposed omissions before comparing totals.
Should I give cleaners access to occupied desks?
Set a desk-clearing rule with your staff. Identify equipment, documents and personal items that cleaners should leave alone, and describe the surfaces they may clean. Include restricted offices in the access instructions.
Can I use the chart as my cleaning budget?
Use it for the disposal portion of a cleanout. IWMC publishes these commercial drop-off fees by material category and tonne. Ask your bidder for a separate premises-specific cleaning quote and any transport charges. [1]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.