1. Identify the property and the decision-maker
Record the property name, address, manager’s contact and the person who can approve access or scope changes. For multiple sites, create a separate list for each address. Include a marked site plan or simple annotated photos from ground level.
State whether you need a one-time project, a maintenance option or both. Include your preferred completion window and any board meeting or budget deadline; ask the contractor to confirm availability.
2. Use a surface-by-surface scope
| Area | Details to include | Clarify separately |
|---|---|---|
| Building exteriors | Buildings, elevations, stories, siding or coating | Balconies, enclosed patios, windows and damaged finishes |
| Breezeways and stairs | Levels, landings, floor material and railings | Resident access and items that need moving |
| Walks and entrances | Lengths or approximate areas, concrete or pavers | Curbs, entrance signs, stains and parking spaces |
| Pool and amenity areas | Deck material, furniture and opening hours | Furniture handling, screens and drainage restrictions |
| Roofs and pavers | Roof material or existing paver coating | Roof repairs, failed sealer removal and sealing |
Approximate measurements help start a discussion. Ask which measurements will be verified before the final price. Do not include a roof in a general high-pressure cleaning instruction.
3. Define access and resident coordination
- Gate or vendor-entry procedure and an on-site contact.
- Available water sources, equipment access and parking.
- Required entrances and routes that must remain usable.
- Permitted working hours, delivery times and quiet periods.
- Who sends resident notices and how far ahead.
- How outdoor items, vehicles, windows and pets will be addressed.
- Phases, temporary closures and a weather rescheduling contact.
Ask the bidder to flag any access assumption that could change the price. Keep any gate codes out of public bid documents and share them through your manager’s normal process.
4. List sensitive surfaces and vendor requirements
Point out worn paint, loose material, electrical fixtures, cameras, landscaping, ponds and drainage concerns. Share manufacturer instructions for specialty materials or coatings when available.
Provide the manager’s insurance-documentation and vendor-registration requirements with the request. Ask the contractor to confirm what documentation it can supply and how site-specific wash-water requirements will be handled. Avoid assuming a generic “fully insured” statement answers your particular requirements.
5. Compare the written scope, exclusions and timing
Compare proposals against the same area list. Does each include the same building sides, sidewalks and amenities? Are stain treatment, furniture handling, lift access, roof work or sealing separate? Ask whether remaining discoloration could be wear or coating damage rather than removable buildup.
Identify how additional work is approved, who checks completion and what photographs or walk-through you want at the end. Ask for recurring-service options separately from the initial clean so you can see what each visit includes.
6. Apply the checklist to a real type of property
Safe Touch’s project archive includes a paver breezeway at Avilia Condos in Palencia Village, a hotel exterior in Jacksonville Beach and restaurant and shopping-center work at night. Each illustrates a different planning issue: shared access, building height or operating hours.
The photos establish the kind of work shown; they are not a price or a promise that another property will have the same scope. View the actual commercial project photographs.
Send Safe Touch a useful starting brief
Property: name, address and manager contact.
Work: buildings and surfaces to include, plus photos.
Access: gates, water, parking and resident needs.
Timing: desired work window and decision deadline.
Requirements: vendor documents and site instructions.
Chuck can review the brief with you and identify what needs an on-site assessment. Learn about Safe Touch HOA and condo cleaning or request a commercial proposal.