You are giving someone access to your home or business, often when nobody is there. That makes hiring a cleaning company a trust decision before it is a price decision, and the industry's low barrier to entry means the range of professionalism between two companies with similar websites can be enormous.
These twelve questions take about ten minutes to ask and reliably separate a legitimate operation from one that will become your problem. Any professional company answers all of them without hesitation and in writing.
1–3: The insurance questions that protect your assets
Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance, and ask them to email it rather than describing it. This covers damage to your property — a broken fixture, a damaged floor, a ruined countertop. Typical professional coverage is one to two million dollars.
Then ask specifically about workers' compensation. This is the one most homeowners never think about and the one with the largest downside: if an uninsured worker is injured in your home, you can be liable for medical costs. Finally, ask whether the company is bonded, which covers theft by an employee. Insured, bonded and workers' comp are three separate things, and "we're insured" often means only the first.
- General liability: covers damage to your property
- Workers' compensation: covers injury to their staff in your home
- Bonding: covers theft by an employee
4–5: Who is actually coming to your home
Ask whether cleaners are W-2 employees or independent contractors. Employees are trained, supervised, covered by the company's workers' comp and subject to its standards. Contractor models shift liability and often mean whoever is available that day. Neither is automatically disqualifying, but the answer changes what the insurance actually protects.
Then ask about background checks: whether they are run, how recently, and whether they cover everyone including subcontracted help. Ask if the same team returns each visit. Consistency is not just a comfort issue — a team that knows your home does better work in less time, and rotating strangers through a property is how details get missed.
6–7: Scope and pricing transparency
Ask for a written scope of work broken down by room, not a paragraph of marketing copy. A real scope lists what is included and, just as importantly, what is not — interior windows, inside appliances, laundry, dishes, organizing, exterior areas. Most disputes come from assumed inclusions rather than poor work.
On pricing, ask three things: is this rate introductory or ongoing, what triggers a price change, and are there any additional fees such as trip charges, parking, supply fees or cancellation fees. Get the answers in the same document as the scope so there is one source of truth.
8–9: Guarantees and what happens when something goes wrong
Ask what the satisfaction guarantee actually is. "We guarantee our work" means nothing. A real guarantee has a window — typically twenty-four to forty-eight hours to report an issue — and a defined remedy, usually a free re-clean of the affected area rather than a partial refund.
Then ask the harder question: what is the process if something is damaged or goes missing. A professional company has an answer ready because it has happened before and they have a procedure. Hesitation here is more revealing than any review score.
10–12: Logistics that determine whether it works long term
Ask about scheduling and access: how they handle keys or codes, whether there is an arrival window or a fixed time, what the cancellation and rescheduling policy is on both sides, and what happens if your regular team is sick. Companies without backup coverage will simply skip your visit.
Ask about supplies and equipment — included or extra, and whether they can use products you provide or accommodate fragrance-free and pet-safe requirements. Finally ask about communication: who you contact with an issue, and how fast they respond. A company that replies in an hour before you are a customer will usually reply in an hour afterwards; one that takes three days to quote is showing you its service level in advance.
- Key or code handling and arrival windows
- Cancellation policy on both sides
- Backup coverage when your team is unavailable
- Supplies included; special product accommodations
- Named contact and response time commitment
Reading reviews properly
Volume and recency beat average rating. Twenty reviews in the last six months tell you more than four hundred spread over a decade. Read the three-star reviews rather than the one and five-star ones — they are the least emotional and the most descriptive of how the company actually operates.
Look hardest at how the company responds to criticism. A defensive or dismissive reply to a negative review is a preview of your own experience if something goes wrong. A specific, accountable response that offers a remedy is a strong positive signal, often stronger than a wall of five-star ratings.
Red flags worth walking away from
Cash-only pricing, no written estimate, reluctance to provide insurance documentation, a quote given without any information about the property, pressure to sign a long contract immediately, no physical business address or business license, and prices dramatically below every other quote you received.
That last one deserves emphasis. A quote thirty to forty percent below market is not a bargain; it means someone is not paying for insurance, workers' compensation, training or supplies, and one of those omissions eventually becomes a cost you absorb.
What a good first interaction looks like
A professional company asks questions before quoting — square footage, bathrooms, pets, condition, frequency, priorities — then sends a written scope and price. It replies quickly, documents everything, and is comfortable telling you when a smaller service would serve you better than the one you asked for.
That is the standard we hold ourselves to at Checked In Cleaning: licensed and insured, background-checked teams, written scopes with no surprise fees, a re-clean guarantee, and a reply within one hour during business hours across San Jose and the Bay Area. Ask us all twelve questions — we would rather earn the work by answering them.
Frequently asked
Quick answers
What does bonded and insured actually mean?
Insured means general liability coverage for damage to your property. Bonded means coverage against theft by an employee. Workers' compensation is a third, separate protection covering staff injuries in your home.
Should I hire an independent cleaner or a company?
Independents can be excellent but usually carry no insurance, no backup coverage and no guarantee. Companies cost more and absorb the liability, training and continuity risk.
Is a contract required for recurring cleaning?
It should not be. Reputable companies earn recurring business visit by visit. Be cautious of long lock-in terms with early-termination penalties.
