Most commercial cleaning companies lose deals quietly. You send a bid, hear nothing back, and eventually assume they chose someone else.
Sales data shows many B2B deals are closed after several follow‑ups, yet most quotes never get more than one or two light check‑ins. That means you often lose contracts not because your price was wrong, but because you disappeared too soon.
This guide gives you:
A simple, non‑pushy follow‑up schedule
Email templates written specifically for commercial cleaning bids
Places to plug in your existing GetBidClean resources so leads move deeper into your pricing system
Use it together with:
How to Bid on Commercial Cleaning Contracts in 2026 (Step‑by‑Step Guide)
How to Write a Winning Janitorial Bid Cover Letter & Email (With Scripts)
Step 1: Make Sure the Bid You’re Following Up On Is Solid
Follow‑up only works if your quote is profitable and defensible.
Before you start emailing, double‑check that the bid was built with your normal system:
ISSA‑style production rates from ISSA Production Rates Explained
Real labor + overhead math from How to Calculate Cleaning Business Overhead & Profit Margin
Market checks from Average Commercial Cleaning Rates per Square Foot (2026 Guide) and Office Cleaning Rates
Final numbers run through the Janitorial Bid Calculator
When you know the bid is right, you can follow up confidently instead of secretly worrying that you under‑ or over‑priced.
Step 2: Use a Simple, Non‑Pushy Follow‑Up Schedule
You don’t need 10 aggressive emails. A light, consistent rhythm is enough:
Day 0 – Send proposal
Use your cover‑letter and email scripts from How to Write a Winning Janitorial Bid Cover Letter & Email.Day 2–3 – First follow‑up
Quick “just confirming you received it” and invite questions.Day 6–7 – Second follow‑up
Brief reminder plus extra clarity on value (hours, scope, quality).Day 12–14 – Third follow‑up
Soft “what’s the status / what’s next?” with an easy way to reply.After decision – Thank‑you / nurture
If they choose someone else, stay classy and stay on their radar.
This cadence lines up well with general quote follow‑up best practice for service businesses.
Template 1: After the Walkthrough (Same Day or Next Morning)
Use this right after the site visit to anchor the relationship.
Subject: Great meeting you at [Facility Name]
Hi [First Name],
Thanks again for walking me through [Facility Name] today. It was really helpful to see how your team uses the space and to hear about the issues you’ve had with [current cleaner / in‑house team].
As discussed, I’ll build a proposal that:
- Focuses on [top 1–2 priorities: e.g., restrooms and reception],
- Uses realistic cleaning hours based on your layout and traffic,
- And gives you clear pricing with no surprises.
Our pricing will follow the same cost‑plus approach I outline here:
https://getbidclean.com/blog/how-to-calculate-cleaning-business-overhead-profit-margin-2026-guide
You can expect the full proposal by [day/date]. If anything changes about what you need between now and then, just hit reply and let me know.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title] – [Company]
[Phone] • [Website]
Template 2: Email When You Send the Proposal
Connect this article with your existing bidding and pricing content.
Subject: Cleaning proposal for [Facility Name] – ready for your review
Hi [First Name],
Attached is our cleaning proposal for [Facility Name], including a detailed scope by area, service schedule, and transparent monthly pricing.
The price is based on:
- Industry cleaning times for your square footage, layout, and restrooms (as explained here: https://getbidclean.com/blog/issa-production-rates-explained-how-many-hours-your-cleaning-job-really-takes),
- Local wage and payroll costs plus overhead (our full method: https://getbidclean.com/blog/how-to-calculate-cleaning-business-overhead-profit-margin-2026-guide),
- And a realistic profit margin so we can keep a stable, well‑trained team on your site long‑term.
When you have a chance, please:
- Review the proposal,
- Share any questions,
- And let me know if there’s anything you’d like to adjust in the scope or frequency.
If it’s easier, I can also walk you through the key points on a quick 10–15 minute call.
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 3: First Follow‑Up (2–3 Days After the Proposal)
Subject: Quick check‑in on [Facility Name] proposal
Hi [First Name],
Just a quick check‑in to make sure you received the cleaning proposal I sent over for [Facility Name] on [day/date].
If you’ve already had a chance to review it, is there anything that isn’t clear, or any part of the scope you’d like me to tweak?
If you want to see how our pricing compares to typical 2026 office cleaning rates, this page may help:
https://getbidclean.com/blog/office-cleaning-rates
If you haven’t had a moment to look yet, no rush at all — I just want to be sure it didn’t get stuck in a spam filter somewhere.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Template 4: Second Follow‑Up (6–7 Days After the Proposal)
Subject: Any questions about our cleaning proposal for [Facility Name]?
Hi [First Name],
I wanted to follow up on our proposal for [Facility Name] and see where you’re at in your decision process.
A couple of quick points that may help:
- The pricing is built from estimated cleaning hours using ISSA‑style production rates for buildings like yours:
https://getbidclean.com/blog/issa-production-rates-explained-how-many-hours-your-cleaning-job-really-takes
- We’ve also used our standard cost‑plus model (labor + overhead + profit), so the contract is sustainable long‑term, not a “race to the bottom” bid:
https://getbidclean.com/blog/how-to-calculate-cleaning-business-overhead-profit-margin-2026-guide
If you’d find it helpful, I’m happy to:
- Walk through the proposal together on a short call, or
- Provide a second option with adjusted frequency or scope to match a specific monthly budget.
Would you be open to a quick 10–15 minute call this week? If so, what’s usually better for you — mornings or afternoons?
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 5: Handling “We’re Comparing Prices”
Here’s where you connect to your “explain your price” content instead of discounting.
Subject: Re: Cleaning proposal for [Facility Name]
Hi [First Name],
Thanks for letting me know you’re comparing a few proposals — that’s exactly what you should be doing.
To help you compare apples to apples, this article explains how our pricing model works and why we don’t just match the lowest number:
https://getbidclean.com/blog/explain-your-commercial-cleaning-price-to-clients
In short, our price is based on:
- Realistic hours from industry cleaning times,
- Paying cleaners enough to stay,
- And including overhead and quality control so we don’t have to cut corners later.
If you’d like, I can also put together a “good / better / best” version of the proposal so you can see how price changes when we adjust scope or frequency, without reducing quality.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Template 6: Third Follow‑Up (Soft “What’s Next?”)
Subject: Next steps for [Facility Name] cleaning proposal
Hi [First Name],
I know your plate is full, so I wanted to quickly check in one last time this month about our proposal for [Facility Name].
At this point, it would help me to know which of these is closest to where you are:
1) You’d like to move forward with us as proposed.
2) You’re interested, but need a few changes (scope, frequency, start date).
3) You’ve decided to go a different direction this time.
Whichever it is, just replying with 1, 2, or 3 is totally fine — that way I know how best to support you (or when to circle back in the future).
If you do want to move ahead, the next step is simply to finalize the office cleaning contract I mentioned:
https://getbidclean.com/blog/office-cleaning-contract-template-scope-of-work-legal-clauses-and-pricing
Thanks again for the opportunity to quote this building.
Best,
[Your Name]
Template 7: After Losing the Bid (Staying on Their Radar)
Subject: Thank you for considering us for [Facility Name]
text
Hi [First Name],
Thanks for letting me know about your decision on [Facility Name], and for the chance to submit a proposal.
If anything changes with your current provider, or if you ever want a second opinion on scope or pricing, I’m happy to help — even if it’s just a quick review based on the same process we explain here:
- How we bid: https://getbidclean.com/blog/how-to-bid-on-commercial-cleaning-contracts-in-2026-step-by-step-guide
- Typical office cleaning rates: https://getbidclean.com/blog/office-cleaning-rates
I’ll check in briefly in a few months to see how things are going, but in the meantime, feel free to reach out if I can be a resource.
All the best with the new contract,
[Your Name]
Template 8: Reactivation Email (3–6 Months Later)
Subject: Quick check‑in on cleaning at [Facility Name]
Hi [First Name],
It’s been a few months since you awarded the cleaning at [Facility Name], and I hope everything is going smoothly.
If you ever start to see issues — missed scope, rising complaints, or confusing invoices — I’d be glad to give you a second opinion using the same pricing and scope framework we share publicly on our site:
- Office cleaning contract template: https://getbidclean.com/blog/office-cleaning-contract-template-scope-of-work-legal-clauses-and-pricing
- Explaining price without discounting: https://getbidclean.com/blog/explain-your-commercial-cleaning-price-to-clients
Even if you’re happy right now, it can be useful to know what the market looks like for your size and type of building.
Either way, I appreciate you keeping us in mind for future opportunities.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Wrap‑Up: How This Article Connects to Your Other Guides
At this point your content hub looks like this:
Pricing & benchmarks
– Average Commercial Cleaning Rates per Square Foot (2026 Guide)
– Office Cleaning RatesCosts & hours
– How to Calculate Cleaning Business Overhead & Profit Margin
– ISSA Production Rates ExplainedBidding engine
– How to Bid on Commercial Cleaning Contracts in 2026
– Janitorial Bid Calculator: Estimate Profitable Cleaning Quotes Without ExcelSales communication & contracts
– Janitorial Bid Cover Letter & Email Scripts
– Office Cleaning Contract Template
– How to Explain Your Commercial Cleaning Price to Clients
This follow‑up templates article is the last piece: it keeps you in the conversation after you send a great bid, so more of those bids turn into real, profitable contracts.