What questions should you ask before hiring a cleaning service?
Before hiring any cleaning service, ask about insurance and bonding, whether cleaners are W-2 employees or contractors, background checks, satisfaction guarantees, pricing structure, and what happens if something goes wrong. The answers reveal more about a company than any ad ever will. Here are the 12 questions we’d ask — including the ones we’re happy to answer ourselves.
1. Are your cleaners employees or independent contractors? This is the single most revealing question. Companies that hire W-2 employees invest in training, carry workers’ compensation, and are legally responsible for the people entering your home. Companies using gig contractors or app-matched cleaners pass that risk to you: if a contractor is injured in your home, your homeowner’s insurance may be on the hook. At BraBos, every cleaner is a background-checked, insured W-2 employee — never a contractor.
2. Are you licensed, bonded, and insured? Ask for proof, not promises. General liability insurance covers accidental damage to your property; bonding protects you against theft; workers’ comp covers the cleaner. A company missing any of the three is asking you to carry their risk.
3. Do you run background checks? Every person who enters your home should have passed a criminal background check — not just the company founder. Ask if checks are run on every hire, and whether the same team returns each visit (consistency matters for both trust and quality).
4. What does your standard cleaning include — exactly? “We clean everything” is not an answer. Ask for a written checklist by room. Compare it to what matters in your home: inside the microwave? Baseboards? Interior windows? Knowing the list prevents the most common frustration in this industry: mismatched expectations. (See what’s included in a basic house cleaning → for a reference checklist.)
5. How do you price — flat rate or hourly? Flat-rate pricing means you know the cost before anyone arrives; hourly pricing can drift. Either can be fair, but ask what happens if the job takes longer than expected. Our house cleaning cost guide for Boston → shows typical price ranges so you can spot quotes that are suspiciously low — usually a sign of uninsured labor.
6. What’s your satisfaction guarantee — specifically? “We guarantee your satisfaction” means nothing without a mechanism. The right answer includes a timeframe (“tell us within 24 hours”) and a remedy (“we return and re-clean free”). Ask what the process is, not just whether one exists.
7. Do you bring your own supplies and equipment? Most professional services do — and it’s usually better, since pros carry commercial-grade products matched to each surface. If you prefer specific products (fragrance-free, eco-friendly), ask whether they’ll use yours.
8. Who do I contact if there’s a problem — and how fast do you respond? A real company has a real office, a phone number a human answers, and a written process for complaints and damage claims. Test it: call before you book and see how long they take to get back to you.
9. Can I get the same team every visit? For recurring service, team consistency is the difference between a cleaner who knows your home and a stranger every week. Ask how the company handles it when your regular team is out.
10. How do you handle keys and home access? Ask exactly who holds your key or code, how it’s stored, and who’s accountable. Written policy beats verbal assurance.
11. Do you have reviews I can verify? Not testimonials on their own website — public, verifiable reviews. Read the negative ones and, more importantly, how the company responded. (Our 688+ Google reviews are public — including how we handle the rare miss.)
12. What will you NOT clean? Every legitimate company has limits (biohazards, mold remediation, heights beyond a step ladder). A company that claims to do everything either hasn’t thought about safety or won’t tell you the truth.
Red flags that should end the conversation
Cash-only payment. No physical address or business registration. Prices dramatically below every other quote. Vague answers about who actually shows up. Pressure to book today for a “special price.” Any hesitation when you ask about insurance.
The short version
Ask who cleans (employees or gig workers), what protects you (insurance, bonding, background checks), what you get (written checklist, real guarantee), and what it costs (flat, transparent pricing). A company with good answers will be glad you asked.
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