What to Look for When Hiring a Commercial Exterior Cleaning Contractor in NSW

Hiring a commercial exterior cleaning contractor is a different process to booking a residential clean. The stakes are higher — you're dealing with shared property, tenants and residents on-site, compliance requirements, and a body corporate or property owner who expects the job done properly. Choosing the wrong contractor creates problems that are harder to fix than a dirty building.

Here's what to actually check before engaging a contractor for commercial or strata exterior cleaning in NSW.

Insurance — Not Just 'Yes, We're Insured'

Any contractor can say they're insured. What you want is a current Certificate of Currency for public liability insurance, with a coverage level appropriate for the work being performed. For commercial and strata work in NSW, $10 million public liability is a standard minimum. Ask for the certificate before works commence — a professional contractor will send it without hesitation. If there's any delay or reluctance, that's a signal worth noting.

For larger or higher-risk sites, also ask whether the contractor carries workers compensation insurance for their crew.

Safety Documentation for the Site

Commercial and strata cleaning works in NSW often require a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) — a document that identifies the hazards involved in the work and the controls in place to manage them. On strata properties, industrial sites, schools, aged care facilities, and government buildings, this is typically a non-negotiable requirement.

Ask the contractor whether they can provide a site-specific SWMS and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for any chemicals they'll be using on your property. A contractor who isn't familiar with these documents — or who treats the request as unusual — is not set up for commercial work.

Experience With Similar Property Types

A contractor with strong residential experience doesn't automatically understand the requirements of strata and commercial cleaning. Ask specifically about experience with your property type — apartment complexes, strata schemes, warehouses, retail centres, industrial estates. Ask to see before and after photos from similar jobs.

The questions worth asking:

• Have you worked with strata managers or property managers before?
• How do you coordinate access and minimise disruption to residents or tenants?
• Can you provide a case study or reference from a similar property?

A Clear, Written Scope Before Any Work Starts

A professional contractor provides a written scope of works before the job — specifying exactly what areas will be cleaned, what methods will be used, and what the expected outcome is. This protects both parties and gives the body corporate or property owner a clear record of what was agreed.

Be wary of contractors who provide a verbal quote without documentation, or who are vague about exactly what the job includes. On strata properties, the scope often needs to go to committee or body corporate for approval — a written proposal makes that process straightforward.

Communication and Reliability

This is the one that causes the most frustration in practice. A contractor who does good work but is difficult to contact, shows up late, or fails to communicate when circumstances change creates significant management overhead.

Before engaging, pay attention to how quickly the contractor responds to your initial enquiry, how clearly they communicate the process, and whether they follow through on what they say they'll do. These early signals are usually accurate predictors of how the relationship will work.

Before and After Documentation

For commercial and strata properties, before and after photo documentation is not a bonus — it's a basic expectation. You need to be able to demonstrate to owners, the body corporate, or building management that the work was completed as agreed and to the required standard. A contractor who provides thorough photo documentation on every job makes your life significantly easier.

Maintenance Options, Not Just One-Off Cleans

The best commercial cleaning contractors think beyond the individual job. If a contractor is focused purely on closing a one-time booking without any discussion of ongoing maintenance, they may not have the operational setup to be a reliable long-term partner for your properties.

Ask whether they offer scheduled maintenance programmes and what those look like in practice. A contractor who can commit to a regular programme, hold to a schedule, and provide consistent reporting is worth considerably more to a property manager or strata manager than one who only shows up when called.