What Desert Duster MAY need before opening day

Q: I will offer house cleaning from my home, a deep cleaning or a basic cleaning based on what clients want. I provide all supplies, equipment and transportation, I have one employee, and advertising will be word of mouth and referrals.

A: Hi Stella,
Because clients never visit your house, a home occupation permit stays simple, but it is still the right paper for paperwork done at your kitchen table. The business license covers cleaning services, and having one employee brings payroll registrations and workers' comp insurance. Since you supply products and carry chemicals in your vehicle, a hygiene or safety note for the vehicle can come up, and a bond is a selling point with new clients. A sales tax permit applies only if supplies are billed separately. We find out which of these apply to Desert Duster and fill out the applications. Here is the full map, item by item.

1. Business license: A business license for a residential cleaning company MAY ask how many cleaners work for you, the types of homes you serve, and whether you bring supplies and vehicles to each job.
2. Home occupation permit: A home occupation permit MAY apply because supplies and paperwork are kept at home, usually with limits on staff arriving to pick up equipment, client visits and vans parked on the street.
3. Home entry bonding: Where cleaners are given keys or door codes, a bond protecting homeowners against theft claims MAY be asked for.
4. Employee background checks: A record showing that each cleaner has passed a background check may be requested for the application.
5. Cleaning checklist and service agreement: A written scope of work for each client helps show exactly what is included in the price.
6. Employer registration: With people on the payroll, you MAY also need an employer ID, a withholding account and workers' compensation coverage before the first paycheck.
7. Company papers: A DBA, an LLC or a tax ID number MAY make sense for Desert Duster, and we prepare all of these documents on this site, so everything can be ordered in one place.

Why it is worth the paperwork

Busy families and professionals value time more than ever, and a trustworthy cleaner can build a calendar of weekly and biweekly clients.

A small scene

Leif hand-wrote thank-you cards for his first ten clients of Pine & Polish Cleaning, then slipped the freshly issued license in the folder.

A cautionary example

A client says a cleaner broke an heirloom vase and demands its entire value, and an LLC keeps the claim from reaching your own home.

Codes and counts

Business code (NAICS): 561720 (Janitorial Services). This page lists 7 paperwork items for a residential cleaning company, and each one is marked as something you MAY need, since we confirm which apply.

Tip: Walk through each home with the client before you begin and note existing damage in writing, since it avoids quarrels later.

The dust always returns, which is the whole business model.

Ready when you are: start your order and we will find out what applies to Desert Duster, fill out the applications and keep the paperwork moving.