A quote given over the phone without ever seeing your facility is a guess dressed up as a number. A walkthrough is what turns that guess into an accurate, written scope of work — here is what actually happens during those 20 to 30 minutes.
Floor Types, Room by Room
Carpet, VCT, tile, sealed concrete — each requires different equipment and time. An estimator notes floor type by area, not just an average across the whole facility.
Restroom Count and Condition
Restrooms drive labor time more than almost any other area. The estimator counts fixtures, notes current condition, and estimates usage based on your headcount and hours.
Trash Volume and Break Room Load
Break room size, appliance count and general trash volume all factor into how long a nightly visit realistically takes.
Special-Handling Areas
Server rooms, sensitive documentation areas, or zones requiring restricted access get noted explicitly — these often need a different access protocol or get excluded from the standard scope entirely.
Access and Security Requirements
Alarm codes, key protocols and any after-hours access rules get confirmed during the walkthrough, not discovered on the crew's first night.
What You Get Afterward
Following the walkthrough, you receive a written scope of work listing every task, area and frequency, along with a price. Nothing is verbal, and nothing gets added later that was not in that document.