Many UK cleaning companies grow into maintenance. It usually starts with a client asking whether you can also sort the gutters, deep clean the carpets, refresh the grout, look after the washroom supplies or report anything that needs fixing. Before long, cleaning and maintenance sit side by side, and the business needs a way to run both without chaos.
ProCleanerUK is built for cleaning companies. This guide is for cleaning businesses that offer maintenance-type services alongside their cleaning, and explains how to manage both sides from one system.
What maintenance often means for a cleaning company
- Periodic specialist cleaning: carpets, upholstery, high-level dusting, windows, floor stripping and sealing.
- Exterior work: gutters, pressure washing, bin stores and litter picking.
- Consumables: washroom supplies, paper products and soap.
- Safety renewals: arranging PAT testing, fire extinguisher servicing and similar checks with qualified specialists.
- Issue reporting: flagging leaks, damage and faults found during cleaning.
Scheduling both kinds of work
Cleaning is usually frequent and regular. Maintenance is usually periodic or one-off. Set up regular cleaning as recurring jobs, and periodic maintenance as separate recurring jobs on their own cycles, such as quarterly or annually. One-off maintenance work is booked from accepted quotes. Everything appears in the same diary, with conflict warnings and the Availability Finder to match the right people to each job.
Specialist staff and skills
Maintenance work often needs specific skills or equipment. Assign those jobs to the people trained for them, and record training in your system so you can show clients that staff are competent. Keep equipment records for specialist machines, with service reminders.
Assets and renewals
Track assets at each client site, such as fire extinguishers, electrical equipment and washroom dispensers, with key dates and reminders before renewals are due. ProCleanerUK’s assets and renewals feature covers items like PAT tests, EICRs, fire extinguishers and contracts. Where checks must be done by qualified specialists, use the reminders to book them in good time.
Turning cleaners into issue reporters
Cleaners see buildings more often than anyone. A simple issue report form in the staff app, with photos, means problems reach the office straight away. Pass them to the client, quote for the fix if it is within your services, or refer it to the right specialist.
Quoting maintenance work
Maintenance jobs need clear quotes: what is included, materials, access and timing. Send quotes with optional extras the client can tick, such as sealing after a deep clean or treating a stain-prone area. Accepted quotes book themselves into the schedule. Our guide to cleaner quoting software covers quoting well.
Proof of work
Before and after photos and completed checklists are just as important for maintenance as for cleaning. They show the client what was done and protect you if questions come up later.
Billing both sides
Cleaning contracts are often invoiced on a retainer or recurring invoice. Maintenance tends to be invoiced per job or on a periodic schedule. Consumables can be billed as stock. ProCleanerUK handles all of these, with online payment and automatic overdue reminders, and integrates with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage.
Health and safety
Maintenance tasks often carry more risk than routine cleaning: working at height, heavier equipment and stronger chemicals. Keep risk assessments and method statements for each task, COSHH assessments for products and training records for staff. The HSE guidance on working at height is a useful reference.
Client communication for maintenance work
Maintenance work often affects the people using a building: noise, wet floors, restricted areas or equipment in corridors. Agree timings with the client in advance, confirm by email and send a reminder the day before. Afterwards, send a short report with before and after photos. Clients who are kept informed are far more likely to approve the next piece of work.
Pricing maintenance profitably
Maintenance jobs vary more than routine cleaning, so pricing needs care. Include labour, travel, materials, equipment wear and any specialist costs, and set a minimum charge for small call-outs. After each job, compare the actual time from clock-in records with the time you quoted. If certain jobs always take longer, adjust your price list. Track maintenance profitability separately from cleaning so you can see whether it is genuinely adding to the business.
Keeping records for clients and audits
Clients, insurers and auditors may ask what maintenance was done, when and by whom. Keep the job record, photos, completed checklists and any certificates together against the site. When a client asks for a history of work on their building, you can produce it in minutes rather than searching through emails.
Know your limits
Be clear about which services you deliver yourself and which you coordinate through qualified partners. Electrical, gas and structural work must be done by appropriately qualified people. Coordinating trusted specialists can still add value for your clients, while keeping your business within its competence.
Growing the maintenance side
Maintenance services can increase the value of every client and make your cleaning contracts harder to replace. Start with the services closest to cleaning, track profitability carefully and add more as your systems and team grow. Our guides to building maintenance software for cleaning companies and janitorial software cover related ground.
Run both sides from one system
ProCleanerUK includes recurring and periodic scheduling, quotes, issue report forms, asset and renewal tracking, stock, photos, training records and flexible invoicing on every plan. Start your 28-day free trial or book a free demo to see how it supports cleaning and maintenance together. For pricing help, see our guide on how to price your cleaning services.
FAQs
Is ProCleanerUK suitable for maintenance companies?
ProCleanerUK is built for cleaning companies, including those that offer maintenance-type services alongside their cleaning.
How do I schedule periodic maintenance?
Set up each periodic task as its own recurring job on the right cycle, such as quarterly or annually.
Can cleaners report maintenance issues?
Yes. An issue report form with photos in the staff app sends problems to the office straight away.
How do I track safety renewals at client sites?
Record assets and renewal dates with reminders, and book qualified specialists in good time.
Can I invoice cleaning and maintenance differently?
Yes. Use retainers or recurring invoices for cleaning and per-job or periodic invoices for maintenance.