How to Choose a High Dusting Contractor: 12 Questions to Ask
Key Takeaways
- Ask for general liability and workers' comp certificates naming your facility as certificate holder.
- Aerial lift and fall-protection training records are non-negotiable for overhead work.
- A scope that names specific surfaces beats a scope that says 'overhead cleaning'.
- Photo documentation by zone is the deliverable that makes the work provable later.
Safety and insurance
- Can you provide a current COI for general liability and workers' compensation?
- Are your technicians trained and documented for aerial/scissor lift operation?
- What is your fall-protection plan for work at this height?
- Do you carry care, custody, and control coverage for our equipment and inventory?
Method and scope
- Do you use HEPA vacuum capture, wipe-down, or compressed-air blow-down?
- Which specific surfaces are in scope — deck, joists, ducts, sprinklers, fixtures, rack tops?
- How will you protect inventory, production lines, and sensitive equipment?
- Who is responsible for the floor and any fallout after the work?
Execution and proof
- Will you walk the site before quoting?
- Can you work nights, weekends, or during a shutdown?
- Will we get before/after photos organized by zone?
- Can you provide references from facilities similar to ours?
Red flags
Apex High Dusting Solutions serves warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, retail spaces, gyms, offices, and places of worship across Richmond and central Virginia.
- A firm quote given over the phone with no site walk
- A scope described only as 'overhead cleaning'
- No mention of dust containment or floor protection
- Reluctance to send insurance certificates
- Blow-down presented as equivalent to vacuum capture
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What should a high dusting quote include?
A named list of surfaces, the cleaning method, protection and containment plan, scheduling window, floor cleanup responsibility, and documentation deliverables.
Do high dusting contractors need special certification?
There is no single national license, but qualified crews carry documented aerial lift training, fall-protection training, general liability coverage, and workers' compensation.
Should I hire my janitorial provider for high dusting?
Only if they hold the lift training, fall-protection program, insurance, and HEPA equipment for overhead work. Most janitorial scopes and crews are not equipped for it.
LOOKING FOR HIGH DUSTING SERVICES?
Apex High Dusting Solutions serves Richmond and central Virginia. We walk the building before we quote.