Choosing a parkade cleaning company is easier when you know what to ask. Start with what needs cleaning, how the crew will get in and how the work will fit around the people using your building. Then compare quotes for the same job.
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At City Wide, we offer parkade cleaning and drainage services across Greater Vancouver. We’ve put this guide together to help strata councils and property managers compare their options. Use these questions when talking to us, too.
Start With What You Need Cleaned
Do you need a floor wash, help with oil spots, drain cleaning or a bit of everything? These jobs aren’t all the same. Write down what you’d like done and ask each company to explain what’s included.
| Our team | What we offer | Let’s talk |
|---|---|---|
| City Wide Environmental Cleaning | We offer parkade floor cleaning, hydro jet drain cleaning and vacuum truck services. Ask us about walls, pillars, overhead pipes, walkways and stairs, too. | Tell us what needs cleaning, how to access the building and when you’d like the work done. Get a City Wide quote |
Check that each quote lists the work you need, including ours. Ask for current insurance documents and the relevant WorkSafeBC clearance before the work starts.
What to Ask Each Cleaning Company
A good conversation can clear up a lot before you get to the price. Here are the details worth checking.
| Talk about | What you want to know | A useful question |
|---|---|---|
| The areas being cleaned | Which levels, ramps, stalls, lanes and extra surfaces are included. | Are the walls, stairs and edges included, or just the main floor? |
| How they’ll clean | The equipment and treatments planned for your floor and stains. | Do our coatings or nearby equipment need a different approach? |
| Getting equipment inside | Whether the equipment fits the ceilings, ramps, gates and turns. | Can you reach every level with the equipment you’re quoting for? |
| People and vehicles | Which areas need to be empty and how closures will work. | Who sends notices, and what happens if a car hasn’t moved? |
| Water and drains | How dirty water and debris will be handled, and which drains will be cleaned. | Is drain cleaning included? Are there extra disposal costs? |
| Insurance and WorkSafeBC | Current documents for the business doing the work. | Can you provide insurance details and the relevant clearance? |
| Similar jobs | Examples or references from properties with similar challenges. | Have you worked in a building with access like ours? |
| The final price | Taxes, extra charges, changes to the job and how completion is recorded. | What could change this price, and how would we approve it? |
Check insurance and WorkSafeBC separately
WorkSafeBC recommends getting clearance before and after receiving subcontractor services. The letter confirms registration and premium standing. Its guidance explains how to get a letter addressed to your business that covers the contract period.
That isn’t the same as liability insurance, and it doesn’t tell you how well someone cleans. Ask for current insurance documents separately. Your property manager or insurance adviser can help check whether the coverage fits the job. A website logo alone doesn’t answer those questions.
Make sure the equipment can get in
Check the lowest point along the whole route, not just the entrance sign. Think about gates, beams, ramps, tight turns and overhead equipment. Ask the company to confirm that its equipment will fit.
Our low-profile vacuum truck is designed for height-restricted areas. If access is tight, talk to our parkade team about your building so we can discuss whether it’s suitable.
Plan around the people using the building
Will everyone need to move their cars, or can the work happen in sections? Who sends the notices? What happens to a stall that’s still occupied? Agree on the plan before giving residents a cleaning date or reopening time.
Let the contractor know about deliveries, busy hours and any access that needs to stay open. Ask what it needs from you, such as gate access, a water connection or space to set up.
Ask where the dirty water goes
Have the company explain how it will handle wash water and collected debris at your property. It should account for your drainage setup and the local requirements, rather than assuming every floor drain can be used the same way.
Also check whether the job includes vacuuming catch basins or flushing pipes. Those are different tasks from washing the floor, and you don’t want to find out after the work starts that the drain cleaning you expected wasn’t included.
Keep Your Comparison Simple
You don’t need a complicated scoring sheet. Make a list of the things that matter to your building, then mark each answer:
- Clear: you’ve got an answer and any documents you need.
- Need to ask: something is missing or still depends on a site check.
- Won’t work for us: the company has confirmed it can’t meet a requirement.
Keep the quote or email that backs up each answer. If something is missing, ask about it. An unanswered question doesn’t automatically make a company a bad choice.
Reviews can help you get a feel for a company, but they won’t tell you whether its equipment fits your ramp. Sort out the practical details before making the decision. If your council uses scores, agree on what matters before looking at the bids.
A Quote Request You Can Copy
Send the same request to each company, along with a few photos and any plans you have. Here’s a starting point:
We’re looking for a quote to clean our parkade. Please list the areas and tasks included, with separate prices for extra surfaces, stain treatment and drain cleaning where needed.
Please explain how you’ll get equipment into the building, work around vehicles and handle dirty water and debris. Let us know what we need to arrange before you arrive.
Please include the currency, taxes, minimum charges, disposal fees, any return-visit costs and how long the quote is valid. We’d also like to know how changes would be approved and how you’ll record what’s been completed. Please provide current insurance details, relevant WorkSafeBC clearance information and a reference from a similar job, if available.
To help the company give you a useful answer, include:
- The address, type of property and best person to contact.
- The number of levels, rough floor area and a plan showing what needs cleaning.
- Clearance heights, tight turns, gates and places to set up equipment.
- Recent photos of dirt, oil spots, coatings and any damaged areas.
- Any catch basins, sumps or pipes you want checked or cleaned.
- Preferred dates, busy hours and arrangements for moving vehicles.
- Water access, EV chargers and anything else the crew should know about.
- Any photos or completion notes you need for your building’s records.
Don’t have every detail? Say what’s missing and ask whether a site visit would help. It’s better to flag a question now than have two companies quote on different assumptions.
Why Two Quotes Can Look Very Different
Imagine you’ve asked two companies to clean the same parkade. One quote is for accessible floors only. The other includes ramps and catch basin cleaning. The totals won’t tell you much until you know what’s behind them.
This made-up example shows what to check. It doesn’t describe actual companies or our service packages.
| What’s covered? | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Floor areas | Accessible floors; no mention of ramps. | Lists the levels, ramps and area to be cleaned. |
| Drains | Not included. | Lists the catch basins included. Pipe flushing costs extra. |
| Cars left in stalls | Doesn’t say what happens. | Missed stalls are recorded. A return visit costs extra. |
| What to ask next | Are ramps covered, and what happens if a car is still there? | Are all the basins listed, and do any pipes need flushing? |
Either quote could be a good fit once the details are clear. Ask both companies to price the work you actually need, then compare the totals. If you’re still working out a budget, our parkade cleaning cost guide can help.
Let’s Talk About Your Parkade
We offer parkade floor cleaning, hydro jet drain cleaning and vacuum truck services across Greater Vancouver. Tell us about your building and what’s giving you trouble, and we can discuss the work you need.
If you’re thinking beyond a one-time clean, ask us about monthly, quarterly or annual maintenance programs. The right schedule depends on your property and the work involved.
Send us your photos, access details and quote request through our contact page, or call 604-836-5156. Not sure where to start? Tell us what you know about the building and what you’d like help with.
Get a parkade cleaning quote from us
A Few More Questions
Should we go with the lowest quote?
First, make sure the quotes cover the same work. A lower price might leave out ramps, drain cleaning or stain treatment. Once that’s clear, weigh up the cost alongside access, timing and what your building needs.
Does everyone have to move their car?
It depends on the areas being cleaned and how the job is planned. Ask which spaces need to be empty, who sends notices and what happens if a stall can’t be reached.
What if we also need cleaning elsewhere in the building?
List those areas separately so each company knows what you’re asking for. If you’re arranging work in production areas or other commercial interiors, our tips for hiring industrial cleaners cover some of the broader questions to ask.
