Written site-specific scope
A one-page 'general cleaning of the premises' is not a scope. A real scope lists every area of the site — reception, offices, corridors, toilets, staff room, storage, kitchen, external — with the frequency and the task set for each. If the bid does not include an area-by-area scope, the price is not comparable to anything.
Mobilisation (Puesta a Punto)
The first intervention on a new commercial site should be a documented deep clean that resets the premises to the standard the recurring contract will maintain. It is quoted separately and clearly on the proposal — not hidden inside the first monthly invoice, and not skipped so the recurring frequency has to compensate.
Same supervised crew
The contract should name a supervisor and commit to a fixed crew. Rotating pools are cheaper for the contractor but hostile to standards: a new operative every visit relearns the site each time. Insist on the crew commitment in writing.
Monthly reporting
A monthly PDF report per site is now the standard in Costa Blanca South commercial contracts. It should list visits, incidents, corrective actions and — where relevant — before/after photos. This is what makes the contract auditable at franchise, board or ownership level.
Insurance and legal identity
The provider must be a registered Spanish company (CIF) with public liability cover. €300,000 is our own limit and a reasonable benchmark for offices, retail, clinics and shopping galleries. Ask for the policy reference on the proposal, not after signature.
Response windows and escalation
The contract should define response windows: how quickly routine enquiries are acknowledged, how quickly incidents are assessed, and what corrective actions look like. It should also name the account manager — the person on WhatsApp when something cannot wait for the report.
Out-of-hours and holiday cover
Retail, hospitality and shopping-gallery contracts almost always need out-of-hours slots — pre-opening, post-closing, overnight. The contract should list them explicitly, as well as how Spanish public holidays and August are handled. 'Best efforts' language on holidays is a red flag.
Invoicing and VAT
One invoice per CIF, once per month, with 21% IVA on the correct base — that is the Spanish standard. Franchisees who need one invoice per site should confirm this before the first month, not renegotiate later.
What should not be inside the contract
'100% satisfaction guarantee' language and 'same-day emergency cleaning' promises usually cannot be defended in practice. Serious contracts avoid them. What they include instead are the response windows, the corrective action pathway and free re-clean where the fault is the contractor's — measurable commitments, not marketing.