What goes wrong without a written specification
"General cleaning, five nights a week" is not a specification. It tells the operator when someone will be in the building; it says nothing about what they will do when they get there. Tasks are assumed on both sides, and the assumptions never match.
When standards slip — and without a written scope, that happens on a predictable schedule — there is nothing to arbitrate against. The buyer points to what they expected; the contractor points to what they priced. Neither version is wrong because neither version was ever written down. Disputes begin not because someone failed, but because the original agreement contained no definition of success.
The only way to resolve that is a document: a task list, a frequency table, an area schedule, and a date. A specification that is in writing, and dated, can be checked, contested, and revised. An understanding cannot.
What a specification contains
- Task groups Named categories of work — floors, sanitary areas, kitchens, touchpoints, glass, waste — that define what the contract covers and what sits outside scope.
- Frequencies How often each task group is carried out, expressed as a frequency band (daily, twice weekly, monthly) tied to the specific area, not to a general standard.
- Area schedule A list of named spaces with their measured extent in square metres, so that coverage is unambiguous and additions to the building trigger a scope discussion, not a dispute.
- Materials and finishes A register of the surfaces in the building — floor types, worktop materials, partition glazing — so that product selection and method follow the finish, not a house default.
- Access and key-holding Who holds what, who can grant access, how after-hours entry is logged, and what happens when the alarm is triggered.
- Consumables responsibility Which party supplies hand soap, paper towels, bin liners and sanitiser dispensers — stated explicitly, because this is the most common source of operational friction.
- Review interval A fixed date — typically three or six months after commencement — at which both parties review the specification against actual use and amend it in writing.
Four stages from blank page to signed document
Every area is measured and its use noted. The buyer decides which spaces are in scope and which are not before anything else is discussed.
Each category of work is named. The buyer decides what the contract will and will not cover. Inclusions and exclusions are listed with equal weight.
Frequencies are set by occupancy, use pattern and finish type — not by what similar premises have historically received. The buyer decides what is appropriate; the contractor prices against that decision.
The specification is produced as a document, reviewed by both parties, signed, and dated. The review interval is written into it before it is signed.
Scheduling in plain terms
A contract priced at a particular number of hours per week should state that number. The buyer should be able to see, for any given week, which operative was rostered, which hours were worked, and which tasks were completed. Where that information is not visible, the contract is priced against an assumption the buyer cannot check.
Absence is the most common point of failure in a running contract. When an operative is absent, the tasks they were rostered to complete either carry over, are covered by a different operative, or are missed. The specification should state, in writing, how absence is handled and what the buyer's recourse is when cover is not provided.
Periodic tasks — deep cleans, carpet extraction, hard-floor treatment — sit on a separate calendar from the daily roster. That calendar is agreed in writing at the outset and updated at each review.
An illustrative example
Fictional 900 m² first-floor office — one tenant
This example is constructed for illustration. It does not represent a priced contract, a measured average, or a recommended standard. Actual task groups and frequencies depend on the specific building, its use pattern, and the finishes in it.
Task groups included in scope
| Task Group | Frequency (illustrative) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hard floor maintenance (open plan) | Daily | Dust, damp mop; 450 m² vinyl tile |
| Carpet vacuuming (meeting rooms) | Daily | Three meeting rooms, 80 m² total |
| Sanitary area cleaning | Daily | Two WC suites, consumables by tenant |
| Kitchen and tea station | Daily | Surfaces, sink, appliance exteriors |
| Touchpoints (handles, switches, screens) | Daily | All common touchpoints per task list |
| Internal partitions and glass | Twice weekly | 120 m² glazed partitioning; smear removal |
| Waste collection and bin change | Daily | To building waste point; not off-site disposal |
| Carpet extraction (meeting rooms) | Quarterly | Periodic; separate calendar entry |
| Hard floor strip and reseal | Annually | Periodic; subject to condition at review |
Outside scope in this example
External windows; server room and comms cabinet interiors; any area not listed in the area schedule; off-site waste disposal; consumables supply; any task not in the task list above.
See how in-scope and out-of-scope are structured for a full contract →
What we do not do
The following are outside scope on every contract, without exception. They require different equipment, different training, different insurance cover, or different regulatory standing. Naming them here is more useful than leaving them for a later conversation.
- Specialist external façade access cleaning (rope access, suspended platforms, cradles)
- Post-fire or post-flood restoration and remediation
- Hazardous-material handling, removal or decontamination — including asbestos-containing materials
- Clinical waste collection and off-site disposal (a licensed contractor is required by law)
- Pest control of any kind
- Drain and gutter clearance
- Specialist document or data destruction
- Off-site waste disposal — waste is transferred to the building's own waste point, not collected by us
Start with the building
The specification starts with a walk. Use the contact form to describe your premises and what you want to improve. Nothing is priced before the building has been walked and the scope agreed in writing.