How to Write a Custodial Services RFP (University & Government)
Short answer: A strong custodial services RFP locks in five things before any vendor sees it: a complete space inventory, a measurable cleaning standard for each space type (APPA levels), a scored inspection method the owner can see, the data and reporting the contractor must provide, and evaluation weights that reward proof over price. Get those right and every proposal answers the same question. Leave them out and each bidder quietly writes its own scope, and the lowest price usually means the lowest level of service.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for procurement officers, facility directors and contracting officers who are drafting a custodial solicitation for a college or university campus, a federal or state building, or another multi-building institution. An office janitorial contract is a commodity purchase. A campus or government custodial contract is not: dozens of space types, academic or agency calendars, secured areas, and a quality bar that students, visitors and the public see every day.
We write this from the contractor side of the table. CSS reads custodial RFPs every week, and the best ones share the same structure. The template at the end of this guide is free to copy.
What good custodial RFPs get right
- Scope by space type, not by task list. "Mop nightly" is hard to enforce. "Maintain classrooms at APPA Level 2, verified by scored inspection" is a contract.
- A cleaning standard you can inspect. APPA's five appearance levels give owners and bidders the same definition of clean. (APPA Cleaning Levels Explained)
- A quality-control method the owner can see. How inspections are scored, how often, by whom, and where the owner can see the results.
- Staffing transparency. Bidders show their labor hours, staffing by building and shift, and the production rates behind them.
- Data and reporting requirements. What the contractor must record, report and make available, written into the scope rather than left to the proposal.
- A real transition plan. 30, 60 and 90-day milestones, with the incumbent workforce question addressed up front.
- Evaluation weights published in the RFP. Bidders put their effort where the points are. If price is 70% of the score, expect proposals written to win on price.
Step by step: building the RFP
1. Build the space inventory
List every building with its gross and cleanable square footage, then break each building into space types: classrooms, offices, restrooms, lobbies and corridors, labs, residence-hall common areas, athletics, food service, child care and any secured space. Include floor types and fixture counts (toilets, urinals, sinks) for restrooms. Bidders can only price what they can see. A thin inventory is the most common reason proposals cannot be compared.
2. Assign an APPA level to each space type
Most campuses target Level 2 (Ordinary Tidiness) for public and showcase space and accept Level 3 (Casual Inattention) in low-traffic areas. Name the level for each space type in the scope. This one decision drives most of the staffing, and most of the price, in every proposal you will receive. (What APPA Level 2 looks like, room by room)
3. Set frequencies only where they matter
With levels defined, you only need frequencies for periodic work: floor refinishing, carpet extraction, window cleaning, high dusting. For routine cleaning, let the level carry the requirement and let bidders show how they will meet it.
4. Require the work-loading math
Ask every bidder for the analysis behind the price: production rates, labor hours by building and shift, relief factors for absences, and supervisor ratios. You can sanity-check the numbers yourself with a free tool. (APPA Staffing Calculator)
5. Define quality control and verification
Specify the inspection method (scored to the APPA level for each space), the minimum inspection frequency, who inspects, and the score that triggers corrective action. Require that inspection results and corrective actions are recorded with a time stamp and available to the owner. Optional but valuable: physical verification such as ATP surface testing in restrooms and food service areas.
6. Write in the data and technology you expect
This is the section most RFPs skip, and it is where modern programs separate from the rest. Decide what you want to be able to see and require it in the scope:
- A work-order and inspection system the owner can log into, with inspections, deficiencies, service requests and corrective actions in one record.
- Real-time service requests from building occupants or facility staff, with time to response and time to close recorded.
- Usage-based service. Many campuses now ask contractors to adjust cleaning frequency to how spaces are actually used, measured with occupancy or door counters in restrooms and high-traffic areas, instead of a fixed nightly route. If you want this, say so, and ask bidders to describe how their schedule changes when usage changes.
- Autonomous floor equipment reporting. If bidders propose robotic scrubbers or sweepers, require the coverage reports to be shared, and name the equipment in the contract.
- Training records by employee and job classification, available on request.
- Data ownership. State that the data collected on your facility belongs to you and must be provided in a usable format at the end of the contract.
Ask for these as capabilities with proof, not promises. A proposal that describes technology the contract does not require is a brochure.
7. Choose the contract model
Fixed-price with performance standards is the most common. Open-book (cost-plus with a fixed fee, all costs visible) gives the owner more control and makes it easier to change service levels mid-contract without a re-bid. Either way, tie a portion of the fee to measured quality. (Performance-Based & Open-Book Custodial Contracts)
8. Set the evaluation criteria and the schedule
Publish the scoring categories and their weights. Allow at least three to four weeks for responses on a campus-scale bid, hold a mandatory walk-through, and give bidders a question period with written answers shared with everyone.
Fill-in scope template
Copy this outline into your solicitation and fill in the brackets. It is written to be adapted, not used as-is. Download the Word version to edit it directly.
1. Facility overview
- Owner: [institution / agency name]
- Buildings in scope: [number], total cleanable square feet: [__]
- Operating hours and occupancy: [academic calendar / agency hours / 24-7 areas]
- Contract term: [base period] plus [option periods]
2. Space-type matrix
| Space type | Sq ft | Fixtures (restrooms) | APPA level | Service window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classrooms | [__] | n/a | [2] | [nights / days] |
| Offices | [__] | n/a | [2 or 3] | [__] |
| Restrooms | [__] | [toilets / urinals / sinks] | [2] | [__] |
| Lobbies and corridors | [__] | n/a | [2] | [__] |
| Labs / clinical | [__] | n/a | [__] | [__] |
| Residence-hall common areas | [__] | [__] | [__] | [__] |
| Secured or restricted areas | [__] | [__] | [__] | [escort required? Y/N] |
3. Calendar and exceptions
- Breaks, commencement, move-in and move-out, summer turnover: [dates and expected service changes]
- Event support: [estimated events per year, on-call terms]
4. Periodic and special services
- Floor refinishing: [floor types, frequency]
- Carpet extraction: [frequency]
- Window and high dusting: [frequency]
- Emergency and spill response: [response time]
5. Supplies and green requirements
- Who supplies paper, liners and soap: [owner / contractor]
- Green certification requirements: [Green Seal / EPA Safer Choice / none]
- Equipment requirements: [HEPA vacuums, autonomous equipment allowed or required]
6. Security and personnel
- Background checks: [standard required]
- Clearance or escort areas: [list]
- Key and access-card control: [requirements]
- Uniforms and ID badges: [requirements]
7. Quality control and verification
- Inspection method: scored to the APPA level for each space type
- Minimum inspections: [__ per building per month]
- Corrective action trigger: score below []%, corrected within [] hours
- Owner access to inspection results: [live system / weekly report]
- Physical verification (optional): [ATP testing locations and frequency]
8. Data, reporting and technology
- Work-order and inspection system with owner login: [required / preferred]
- Service request tracking with response and close times: [required / preferred]
- Usage-based scheduling with occupancy or door counters: [required / preferred / not required]
- Autonomous equipment coverage reports: [required if proposed]
- Training records by employee: [available on request]
- Data ownership and end-of-contract export: [format]
9. Staffing
- Required with proposal: labor hours by building and shift, production rates used, relief factor, supervisor ratio
- Incumbent workforce: [right of first refusal? Y/N]
- Key personnel: [project manager qualifications]
10. Transition plan (30 / 60 / 90 days)
- Day 1 to 30: staffing, training, keys and badges, baseline inspection
- Day 31 to 60: full service at contracted levels, first scored inspection report
- Day 61 to 90: data review and schedule adjustments based on actual usage
11. Pricing workbook
- Monthly price by building
- Periodic services priced separately
- Unit prices for added space and event support
- Open-book cost detail: [required / not required]
12. Evaluation criteria (set your own weights)
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Technical approach and staffing analysis | [__]% |
| Quality control, verification and reporting | [__]% |
| Technology and data | [__]% |
| Experience and references | [__]% |
| Transition plan | [__]% |
| Price | [__]% |
Questions to require in every proposal
- Show your work-loading analysis for our facilities: production rates, labor hours by building and shift, relief factors.
- What APPA level will each space type be maintained at, and how will it be scored?
- Can we see a live example of your inspection and work-order system?
- What is your employee retention rate and average management tenure?
- What equipment and technology will be on site on day one, and what data will we be able to see?
- How does your schedule change when building usage changes?
- What physical verification (ATP, slip resistance, air quality) do you perform, and at what thresholds?
- How will the program improve in years two through five?
For a longer list with what each answer tells you, see How to Choose a Custodial Services Company.
Red flags in the responses
- A price with no staffing math. The lowest bid usually guessed lowest, and the gap shows up as missed service after award.
- A scope rewritten by the bidder. If a proposal quietly changes your levels or frequencies, it is pricing a different job.
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Quality data you can only see in summaries the contractor prepares.
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Technology in the narrative but not in the pricing or the staffing plan.
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No transition detail. "Seamless transition" without dates, names and milestones is a warning, not a plan.
Frequently asked questions
What should a custodial services RFP include?
A space inventory by building and space type, an APPA cleaning level for each space type, periodic service requirements, a scored quality-control method the owner can see, data and reporting requirements, staffing transparency, a transition plan, a pricing workbook and published evaluation weights.
How do you write a custodial scope of work for a university?
Start from a space inventory, assign an APPA appearance level to each space type, define periodic services and calendar exceptions such as breaks and move-in, and require bidders to show the labor hours behind their price. Define quality by scored inspection rather than by task lists.
What evaluation criteria should a custodial RFP use?
Most institutions score technical approach and staffing analysis, quality control and reporting, technology and data, experience and references, transition plan, and price. Publishing the weights in the RFP tells bidders what matters and makes proposals easier to compare.
Should a custodial RFP require technology?
Require what you want to be able to see: an inspection and work-order system you can log into, service request tracking, and, if you want service to follow real usage, occupancy or door counters with a schedule that adjusts to them. Ask for proof the capability is in use, and name it in the contract.
How long should bidders have to respond to a custodial RFP?
For a campus or multi-building government contract, three to four weeks after the walk-through is typical, with a written question-and-answer period shared with all bidders.
Get a second set of eyes on your scope
If you are drafting a custodial RFP for a campus, a free campus assessment is a good place to start. We will talk through your facilities and the questions you want your solicitation to answer. It's free, and there's no pressure.
Request a free campus assessment · Download the scope template (Word) · Run the APPA Staffing Calculator
Contract Service Solutions, LLC (CSS) provides custodial services for higher education and government facilities nationwide. Dynamic scheduling, sensor technology and Facility Hub Live are core elements of the CSS cleaning program.
Start with a free campus assessment
If you are drafting a custodial RFP for a campus, a free campus assessment is a good place to start. We will talk through your facilities and the questions you want your solicitation to answer. It's free, and there's no pressure.
Request a free campus assessment Download the scope template (Word)