How to Hire a House Cleaner in Florida: 12 Questions to Ask

To hire a house cleaner in Florida the right way, ask these twelve questions before the first visit — three about licensing and insurance, three about the crew doing the work, three about the actual clean, and three about what happens when something goes wrong. Companies that hesitate on any of them are companies you don't want in your home. If you'd rather have three pre-vetted companies contact you directly, see our free vetted-cleaner matching service.

Every question below has one right answer. If a company can't produce it in a phone call or an email, they either don't have it or they're hoping you won't check. Both cases mean this isn't the company that should have your house key.

Licensing, insurance & bonding (questions 1–3)

1. Do you have an active Florida business license and can you send it?

Right answer: they email a copy of their current DBPR or county business tax receipt within an hour. Florida cleaning companies register at the county level; the license takes 60 seconds to verify at your county tax collector's website.

2. Do you carry general liability insurance and can I get a certificate?

Right answer: a certificate of insurance (COI) from Hiscox, Next, Thimble, Chubb, or another A-rated carrier, showing a $1M minimum limit, sent same-day. If you're a property manager or business, ask to be listed as an additional insured. Companies without COI are a hard no.

3. Are you bonded, and what does the bond actually cover?

Right answer: a "janitorial bond" ($10,000–$25,000 typical) that specifically covers theft by employees. Bonding is not insurance and it's not workers' comp — it's a specific product. Read more on how to verify insured and bonded status including how to spot a fake certificate.

The crew (questions 4–6)

4. Do you run background checks on cleaners?

Right answer: national criminal background check through Checkr, Sterling, or GoodHire, plus E-Verify for I-9 employment eligibility. Reasonable companies also do reference calls and a supervised probationary clean. If the answer is a shrug or "we trust our people," pass.

5. Will I have the same cleaners every visit?

Right answer: yes, same team assigned to your home for recurring service, with a documented backup when the primary team is out. Consistency is worth 10–20% of visible clean quality — cleaners who know your home skip the learning curve every visit.

6. Are the cleaners W-2 employees or 1099 contractors?

Right answer: W-2 employees. 1099 contractor arrangements in Florida cleaning almost always mean no workers' compensation (a Florida crime for domestic-worker classifications), no payroll taxes withheld, and no employer-side accountability. If a cleaner is injured in your home and misclassified, the liability chain can land on your homeowners policy.

The actual clean (questions 7–9)

7. Can you send me your standard-clean checklist?

Right answer: an emailed PDF or link within a day showing room-by-room task lists. Companies without written checklists deliver inconsistent cleans because they have no baseline. Compare theirs to our Florida deep cleaning checklist for reference.

8. Do you use supplies and equipment I can request?

Right answer: standard supplies included; pet-safe, green, or fragrance-free available on request. Ask specifically about HEPA vacuums (Florida pollen makes this real, not a marketing bullet) and separate cloths per room (color-coded).

9. How do you price — hourly or flat rate?

Right answer: flat rate quoted after a phone walk-through of your home size, condition, and pets. Hourly billing incentivizes slower work; flat rate incentivizes efficient work. Companies quoting flat rates without asking about pets or last-cleaned date are guessing. For real 2026 prices, see our full Florida cleaning price guide.

When something goes wrong (questions 10–12)

10. What's your re-clean guarantee?

Right answer: within 24 hours of the visit, they return at no cost to redo any area you flag. Every reputable Florida company offers this. Absence of a re-clean guarantee is a red flag.

11. What happens if something breaks or is damaged?

Right answer: they file a claim under their general liability policy immediately. Documented process: photo, email report, replacement or repair funded by their carrier. Companies that offer to "work it out" without paperwork are avoiding a claim on their policy — you're the one absorbing the risk.

12. Do I need to sign a long-term contract?

Right answer: no. Standard Florida cleaning arrangements are visit-by-visit, with recurring service on a rolling basis you can pause or cancel anytime. Companies that push year-long contracts are compensating for churn — meaning their existing customers leave.

Red flags that override every good answer

• Cash-only payment; refuses to invoice
• Won't email COI or license
• Quotes 40%+ below competitors without a walk-through
• Doesn't ask about pets, home size, or last-cleaned date
• No re-clean guarantee
• Contract requires 12+ months
• Reviews all posted within the same 3-month window
• No physical address on the invoice

The shortcut for busy homeowners

If asking twelve questions three times sounds exhausting, our free matching service does the verification for you. Every partner in our network has an active DBPR/county license, general liability COI, a janitorial bond, W-2 employees with background checks, a written checklist, and a re-clean guarantee. We remove companies that don't maintain those standards. You compare three real flat-rate quotes and book the one you like.

How to hire a house cleaner FAQ

What's the most important question to ask before hiring a house cleaner?

"Can you send me your certificate of insurance and business license?" A company that can email both within a day is legitimate and reasonably established. A company that can't is neither.

Should I hire an independent cleaner or a company?

For one-time small jobs, either works. For recurring service in a home worth six figures, a licensed and insured company covers you in ways an independent almost never does — insurance, workers' comp, bonded theft coverage, background checks, and continuity if one cleaner is out.

How much should I tip a house cleaner in Florida?

15–20% for one-time cleans, $10–$20 per visit for recurring. Tipping is optional but appreciated, especially for independent and gig cleaners whose quoted rate rarely covers drive time.