A facilities management contract should name every service in scope, list each area with its tasks and frequencies, set out access and timing, say who does the work and how they are vetted, explain how quality is checked, and name one contact for issues. Writing these down before you sign is what makes a single-provider contract work. Use the checklist below when drafting or reviewing a specification. For the service itself, see total facilities management.
FM contract checklist at a glance
A facilities management (FM) specification is the document that turns a general promise into specific, checkable work. Without one, services drift and gaps open between them. This checklist is for office, operations and estates managers drafting a new FM contract or reviewing an existing one.
- What is the most important section?
- Areas and frequencies: every area, every task, how often.
- What gets left out most?
- Periodic work such as high-level dust, gutters and deep cleans.
- Who should sign it off?
- Whoever manages the site day to day, so it matches how the building is used.
The checklist
| Section | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Services in scope | Every service listed by name, such as contract cleaning, washrooms and consumables, windows, high-level work and grounds |
| Areas and frequencies | Each area with its tasks and how often they are done |
| Timing and access | Cleaning hours, out-of-hours access, keys or fobs, and site rules |
| Staffing | Own staff or subcontractors, consistent teams, vetting requirements |
| Quality checks | Who inspects, how often, against what, and how results are shared |
| Contact and response | Single point of contact, hours of availability, how issues are raised |
| Insurance and compliance | Public liability and employers liability certificates, COSHH for chemicals |
| Changes and term | How the scope can change, minimum term and notice period |
Common gaps
- Periodic tasks missing, so high-level dust, carpets and gutters only get done when someone complains.
- Consumables not mentioned, so nobody owns restocking washrooms.
- No access arrangements, so cleaners arrive to locked areas.
- Quality checks described vaguely, with no frequency or method.
- No route for change, so the contract no longer matches the building a year later.
How we draft it with you
DNA Cleaning Solutions surveys the site, then drafts a single written specification covering regular and deep cleaning, washrooms and consumables, kitchens, carpets, windows and facades, high-level work up to 12 to 14 metres with IPAF-licensed staff, and ground maintenance. You get one point of contact, with phones answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Managers check the work against the specification, and our quality process is ISO 9001 certified. For the bigger decision, read one contractor or several and what a facilities management company does.
Questions we are often asked
- Who writes the specification?
- We draft it with you after the site survey, then you review and agree it before the contract starts.
- Can the scope change later?
- Yes. The specification is updated as your site or needs change.
- Are your staff vetted?
- Yes. Every cleaner is DBS checked and passes 5-year referenced background checks.
- Which areas do you cover?
- London and Greater London, including Heathrow.
Book a free site survey or call +44 20 3826 8555.
