Prepare one common survey brief
List each building and carpeted zone. Provide plans where available, identify fixed furniture and stairs, and state who can release the floor. Invite suppliers to confirm the measurements and flag anything their quote excludes.
If the building manager or contractor has recently changed, first gather the carpet-care records to request at a changeover, so the brief starts from the known specifications, scopes and open questions.
Use a comparison that exposes differences
Swipe across the table to see all columns →
| Compare | Ask every bidder |
|---|---|
| Scope | Which measured areas are included and excluded? |
| Method | Why does it suit this carpet and its condition? |
| Access | What can move, who moves it and when is the floor available? |
| Drying | What estimate and reopening checks have been allowed? |
| Price | What is the minimum, VAT treatment and variation process? |
| Maintenance | Does each visit cover the same area and method? |
| Completion | Who inspects, records exceptions and signs off? |
Check documents against the proposed work
Request the insurance certificate, relevant risk assessment and method statement, COSHH information and your site’s onboarding requirements. Review the documents for the work proposed rather than counting how many certificates are in a folder.
If a bid makes an environmental claim, ask what the claim covers and what evidence supports it before comparing it with another proposal.
Agree how a test area will be judged
Where heavy soiling or permanent staining makes the outcome uncertain, agree a representative test area before commissioning a full floor. Record the condition, method and observed result. Do not treat an unrelated photograph as a guarantee for your building.
Clarify price differences before selection
A lower total may exclude furniture movement, stairs, specialist spots or part of the measured area. Resolve these differences in writing, then assess price alongside the workable programme and the proposed result. There is no universal weighting suitable for every procurement team.
For a worked hypothetical example, read comparing commercial carpet cleaning quotes.