Short answer
Read your current contract for the notice period and any auto-renewal date before you do anything else. Line up the new company first, with a walkthrough, a written scope, a certificate of insurance and a start date, and then give written notice to the old company so its last night and the new company's first night line up. On the switch, collect keys and fobs, change door and alarm codes, sort out whose supplies are whose, and walk the building the first morning.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Your contract controls how and when you can end it.
Most people put off changing cleaning companies because they're afraid of a week where nobody shows up. That's fair. A missed night in a busy office means full trash cans and a restroom nobody wants to use by lunch. The fix is order. Do the steps below in this sequence and the building never goes uncleaned.
Step 1: Read your current contract
Before you call anyone, find these in your current agreement:
- Termination clause. How much notice you have to give and in what form. Some contracts need it in writing, sent a specific way.
- Auto-renewal. Some contracts renew for another term unless you cancel within a window. Missing it can lock you in.
- Early termination fees, if any.
- Equipment and supplies. Who owns the vacuum in your closet, the paper towels on the shelf and the chemicals under the sink.
- Keys and codes. What the contract says about returning them.
Write the notice deadline on your calendar.
Step 2: Write down what's going wrong
Make a short list of why you're switching. Missed restrooms, no supervisor, a different crew every week, poor communication. Show it to every company you talk to. A good company will tell you how it handles each one, and the list becomes part of your new scope.
Step 3: Line up the new company first
Do this before you give notice.
- Walkthroughs. Have each company see the building in person.
- Written scope. Every task, how often, visits per week, who supplies what. Our contract and scope guide has a template.
- Certificate of insurance. Ask for general liability and workers' comp. In Texas, the Department of Insurance says most private employers can choose whether to carry workers' comp, and you can check coverage through the TXCOMP lookup TDI links to.
- Tax paperwork. If you're an exempt buyer, like a public school or a nonprofit with a Texas exemption, have your Form 01-339 ready for the new company.
- Start date. Pick the first night the new company cleans.
Once the new agreement is signed, you have a safety net.
Step 4: Give notice the right way
Give notice in the form your contract requires, and keep a copy. Set the old company's last night so it lines up with the new company's first night. Be polite and short. You may need their cooperation on keys and supplies.
Step 5: Plan the handoff
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| A week or two before the switch | Confirm the new company's start date, crew contact and supervisor. List every key, fob and code the old company has. |
| A few days before | Inventory supplies and equipment in the janitor closet and agree who owns what. Take photos of the building's condition. |
| Old company's last night | Collect keys and fobs, or arrange pickup. Ask them to remove their own equipment and chemicals. |
| Next morning | Change door and alarm codes the old company used. Give the new company its own codes and keys. |
| New company's first night | Have someone walk the building with their supervisor before or after the clean, if you can. |
| First morning after | Walk the building yourself. Send notes on anything missed. |
Step 6: Handle keys, codes and products
- Keys and fobs. Match what comes back against your list. Re-key if anything's missing.
- Alarm and door codes. Change them. Don't hand the new company the old company's codes.
- Chemicals. Clear out products you don't own and won't use. OSHA's hazard communication rule has employers make safety data sheets available when their chemicals could expose another employer's workers. Ask the new company for theirs.
- Supplies. If you bought the paper goods, they stay. If the old company did, sort it out before they leave.
Step 7: Tell your people
Let staff know a new company starts on a certain night. Tell them who to report problems to. If your staff have been cleaning up after the old crew, ask them to stop and report instead, so the new company sees what's being missed.
Step 8: Watch the first 30 days
The first month sets the pattern. Walk the building a few mornings in a row the first week. Send notes in writing, even a text with a photo. A good company will fix what you report and adjust the checklist. If the same item gets missed twice after you've reported it, raise it with the supervisor right away.
Common mistakes
- Giving notice before the new company is signed.
- Missing the auto-renewal window.
- Forgetting to change the alarm code.
- Leaving supply ownership vague.
- Skipping the written scope and ending up with the same problems.
Switching to V&V
When a building is coming to us from another company, we do the walkthrough and write the scope before you give notice, so the date is up to you. Our managers do site checks, and you get one number to call or text. We carry general liability and workers' comp, we're family-run, and we've cleaned around DFW since 2009. Request a walkthrough or see our janitorial services.
Common questions
How much notice do I have to give my cleaning company?
Whatever your contract says. There's no single legal number for commercial cleaning contracts. Look for the termination clause, how notice must be given, and whether the contract renews on its own unless you cancel in a certain window.
Should I tell my current cleaners before I've hired a new company?
Usually not. Line up the new company first, with a signed scope and a start date, so you aren't left without service if things move faster than you planned. Then give notice the way your contract requires.
Do I need to change the alarm and door codes?
Yes. When a vendor leaves, change the codes it used and collect every key and fob on its list. Give the new company its own codes.
Can the new company start the day after the old one stops?
That's the goal. Set the new company's first visit for the next scheduled cleaning night after the old company's last one, and have the walkthrough and scope done before that.
What if the old company leaves early?
It happens. If the new company's scope and access are already set, you can ask them to start early. That's another reason to sign with the new company before you give notice.
Need a cleaning crew for your building?
V&V cleans offices, clinics, schools and churches across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance: Certificates of insurance FAQ (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Workers' compensation insurance coverage (employers, with TXCOMP verification link) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard communication (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller Pub. 96-122: Nonprofit and Exempt Organizations, Purchases and Sales (accessed Oct 8, 2026)