Certificate of insurance, and what to check
Ask for a COI before work is scheduled, not after. Check that general liability limits actually meet your requirements, that workers compensation is current, and that your entity is named as certificate holder. A vendor who cannot produce this same-day is not operating at commercial scale.
Water containment and runoff
This is the question most property managers do not ask and most vendors hope they will not. Wash water carrying oil and detergent entering a storm drain is a regulated discharge and the property owner carries exposure, not just the contractor. Ask specifically how runoff is contained and where it goes.
Scheduling around operations
Most commercial exterior work should happen between late night and early morning so tenants, customers and staff never encounter it. A vendor who only works business hours is going to disrupt your property every visit.
Documentation
Photographs before and after every visit, sent to you. If you manage multiple sites you cannot personally verify each one, and the most common vendor failure in this trade is invoicing for visits that did not happen.
Recurring versus reactive
Scheduled service is meaningfully cheaper per visit than periodic deep cleaning, because buildup that is allowed to sit stains permanently and then needs restoration rather than maintenance. It also keeps the property consistently presentable rather than cycling between clean and neglected.
Liability surfaces to prioritise
Entryways, walkways in shade, stair treads, ramps, drive-thru lanes and dumpster surrounds. These are where slip claims originate, and they should be on a schedule regardless of how the rest of the property looks.
Key points
Certificate of insurance, and what to check
Ask for a COI before work is scheduled, not after. Check that general liability limits actually meet your requirements, that workers compensation is current, and that your entity is named as certificate holder. A vendor who cannot produce this same-day is not operating at commercial scale.
Liability surfaces to prioritise
Entryways, walkways in shade, stair treads, ramps, drive-thru lanes and dumpster surrounds. These are where slip claims originate, and they should be on a schedule regardless of how the rest of the property looks.