Getting started
How to Get Janitorial Contracts With No Experience: 7 Steps
TL;DR
- Buyers do not really want years of experience. They want to know you will show up, do the job, carry insurance and not take anything. Give proof of each one.
- Start with small, owner-run offices where one person decides, not formal bids that score past performance.
- Lower the buyer's risk with a written scope, a paid two-week trial, a 30-day cancellation clause and a walkthrough after the first week.
- Get three honest references in your first month by cleaning a small business, church or relative's office at a reduced rate in exchange for a reference.
- Subcontracting for an established janitorial company is the most reliable way to get paid experience. Buying a franchise is another route, and the FTC requires a disclosure document 14 days before you sign or pay.
You can get janitorial contracts with no experience by giving buyers proof instead of history. A buyer who asks "how long have you been in business?" is really asking whether you will show up, clean properly, carry insurance and keep their building safe. You can prove all four in writing before your first account. Then start with small offices where one person decides, offer a short paid trial, and earn three references in the first month.
What "experience" means to a buyer
When a buyer worries about experience, they are worried about four specific failures. Each one has a piece of proof a new company can show on day one.
| What the buyer worries about | Proof you can give with no history |
|---|---|
| "Will they show up every time?" | A written schedule, your direct phone number, and a promise that the owner works the first month |
| "Will they do it properly?" | A task checklist by area and frequency, plus a joint walkthrough after the first week |
| "What if they damage something?" | A certificate of general liability insurance, sent before the walkthrough |
| "What if something goes missing?" | A janitorial bond, a key and alarm log, and named crew members |
| "What if it does not work out?" | A 30-day cancellation clause and a paid trial period |
7 steps to your first janitorial contract
- Register the business and open a business bank account. Form an LLC or register a business name, get a free EIN, and have a W-9 ready. Commercial buyers pay companies, and accounts payable will ask for a W-9 before the first invoice. You are done when you can send a W-9 the same day it is requested.
- Buy general liability insurance and a janitorial bond. Ask your agent what limits local property managers require before you buy, because many contracts set a minimum. Get the certificate as a PDF you can email. You are done when the certificate is in a folder on your phone.
- Write your scope checklist. List tasks by area (restrooms, break room, offices, floors, entry) and by frequency (each visit, weekly, monthly). This one page becomes the core of every proposal and shows you know the work.
- Earn three references in 30 days. Clean a friend's shop, a church, a small office or a relative's business at a reduced rate for one month, in exchange for a written reference and permission to list them. Do the work exactly as you would for a paying client, inspection and all.
- Target small accounts only. Single-tenant offices under about 10,000 square feet are decided by an owner or office manager, with no formal scoring. Formal bids for schools, government and large buildings usually ask for past performance you do not have yet.
- Offer a paid trial with an easy exit. Two weeks at the quoted price, then month to month with a 30-day cancellation clause. You are asking for a small decision instead of a big one.
- Inspect your own work and report it. Walk the building after each visit for the first month and send the buyer a short note with anything you fixed. Established companies often send a crew and disappear. A new owner who reports every visit looks more reliable, not less.
The paperwork for a new cleaning company in Texas
Texas has no state license for a janitorial or cleaning business. Next Insurance, which publishes Texas requirements for cleaning companies, notes that city rules vary, so call your city's business office to check for a local permit or certificate of occupancy.
Two state items do apply. First, the Texas Comptroller treats janitorial and building cleaning as taxable services, so you collect state and local sales tax on what you bill and need a sales tax permit. Second, if you plan to bid on state work later, the Comptroller says vendors must be in good standing and, where it applies, have an active franchise tax account. Neither is a reason to wait. Both are reasons to set the business up properly from day one. Confirm the details with your accountant.
What to say when a buyer asks about experience
Answer honestly and move to proof. Do not stretch your history, because commercial buyers call references and a small market talks.
Buyer
"How long have you been doing this?"
You
"We are a new company, and that is why I do the work myself for the first month. Here is our insurance certificate and the checklist we use. I would suggest two weeks at this price, and we walk the building together after the first week. If it is not right, you can end it with one email."
More answers to common pushback are in the cold calling scripts for commercial cleaning.
Subcontracting: paid experience with less selling
Subcontracting means cleaning accounts that belong to a larger janitorial company. The larger company signs the client, bills it and pays you for the labor. It is the most direct way to get paid experience, real production numbers and a reference from someone in the trade.
How to find it: call regional janitorial companies in your area and ask for the operations manager. Say you have an insured crew and can cover accounts in your territory on short notice. Ask what they pay per visit or per month and when they pay.
The trade-offs are real. Margins are thinner because the larger company takes its share, the client relationship is theirs, and many subcontract agreements include a non-solicitation clause that stops you from taking that client later. Read the agreement before you sign it, and put payment terms in writing.
Buying a janitorial franchise: what to check
Some janitorial franchises sell a package that includes starting accounts. It can work, but you are paying for those accounts, and you should check the numbers before you commit.
Under the FTC's Franchise Rule, you must receive the Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 days before you sign anything or pay any money to the franchisor. The FTC's buying guide points to the items worth reading closely: the fees, the financial performance claims in Item 19, and the list of current and former franchisees. Call several former franchisees and ask how many of the promised accounts they kept after a year. If you want a lawyer or accountant to review the document, do it inside those 14 days.
| Route | Cost to start | Margin | Who owns the client |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own accounts | Insurance, bond, supplies | Highest | You |
| Subcontracting | Insurance and supplies | Lower | The prime contractor |
| Franchise | Franchise fee plus ongoing fees | Depends on the fee structure | Read the agreement |
Look established without pretending
A new company can look organized without inventing anything. Use a business email address, a Google Business Profile with your service area, a one-page capability sheet and a simple website that shows your services, the area you cover and your insurance. If a buyer looks you up after a call and finds nothing, the call is wasted. Fairhaven Design builds this kind of website for new cleaning companies, with prices shown up front, and it only lists what is true about your business: no invented reviews or client counts.
Mistakes new janitorial companies make
- Inventing years in business, client names or reviews. One phone call to a fake reference ends the deal.
- Bidding on large formal contracts first. They score past performance, and losing ten of them teaches you little.
- Pricing low to make up for inexperience. Price from labor hours with the method in how to bid on commercial cleaning jobs, and offer a trial instead of a discount.
- Skipping insurance until a buyer asks. Without it you cannot start the week they say yes.
Common questions
Can I get a janitorial contract with no experience?
Yes. Most small commercial buyers care less about years in business than about reliability, insurance and trust. Show a certificate of insurance, a written cleaning checklist and a short paid trial with an easy cancellation clause. Start with small owner-run offices, where one person decides and there is no formal scoring of past performance.
How do I get references for my cleaning business when I am new?
Clean a small business, church or relative's office for a month at a reduced rate in exchange for a written reference and permission to list them. Treat it exactly like a paid account, with a schedule and inspections. Three honest references are enough to start bidding on small offices.
Is subcontracting a good way to start a janitorial business?
Subcontracting is a reliable way to get paid experience and real production numbers, because a larger company brings the client and you do the work. Margins are lower and the client belongs to the prime contractor. Read the agreement for non-solicitation clauses and put payment terms in writing before you start.
Do I need a license to start a cleaning business in Texas?
Texas has no state license for janitorial or cleaning businesses, but cities can have their own requirements, so check with your city. Janitorial services are taxable in Texas, so you need a sales tax permit from the Texas Comptroller and must collect sales tax on what you bill.
Should I buy a cleaning franchise if I have no experience?
A franchise can supply training and starting accounts, but you pay for both through fees. Under the FTC's Franchise Rule you must get the Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 days before signing or paying. Read the fees and Item 19, and call former franchisees about how many accounts they kept.