One of the most common sources of billing surprises in a janitorial contract, and how to prevent it.
Before you sign a janitorial contract, ask one question that most facilities managers skip: who supplies the consumables? Paper towels, toilet paper, hand soap, trash liners, and restroom supplies are not cleaning labor — they are product. How a contractor handles them can add meaningfully to the monthly cost of the contract, or create friction every time a restroom runs out of paper at 2pm on a Wednesday.
| Arrangement | How It Works | What to Watch For |
|---|---|---|
| Client supplies, contractor stocks | You purchase and store consumables. The contractor restocks from your supply closet during each visit. | You control product choice and cost. You absorb the inventory risk. Works well when you have a purchasing relationship with a janitorial supply distributor already. |
| Contractor supplies, billed separately | The contractor purchases and delivers consumables. You are billed for them monthly, typically at a marked-up cost. | Markup on consumables can be significant — 20% to 40% above distributor pricing. Ask for the markup percentage before you sign. |
| Contractor supplies, bundled into the rate | Consumable cost is built into the monthly cleaning price. The contractor absorbs the consumable cost as part of the contract. | Simpler billing, but the monthly rate has consumable cost baked in. If you switch contractors, the new quote needs to account for whether consumables are included or not. |
For most professional office buildings in Wayzata with two to six restrooms, the most straightforward arrangement is client-supplied consumables. You control the product, the cost is transparent, and the contractor's monthly price reflects labor only. You need a storage location that the crew can access during visits, but that is typically a supply closet that already exists.
For facilities with six or more restrooms or multiple floors where consistent restocking is critical to operations — a multi-tenant office building, a building with a day porter — bundled consumables may be worth the simplicity even at a slight premium.
Whichever arrangement you choose, it should be in the written scope before you sign. The contract should specify: who purchases consumables, what happens if supplies run out between visits, and what the billing mechanism is if the contractor supplies them. A contract that is silent on consumables will produce a dispute at some point.