One of the most common sources of friction between commercial facilities managers and their janitorial contractors is paper goods. The contract says "restroom maintenance." The contractor restocks what they brought. Two days later the restrooms are empty. Who is responsible?

The answer depends entirely on what is written in the scope — and most facilities managers do not read that section carefully enough at contract signing.

The Two Models

Client-Supplied Consumables

Under this model, the facility provides toilet tissue, paper towels, soap, and liners. The cleaning contractor restocks from the client's supply room. This is the more common arrangement for multi-tenant properties managed by a property management company, because the PM company can buy consumables in bulk and distribute across multiple buildings at a lower per-unit cost than a cleaning contractor can.

The risk: if the facility runs out of stock and does not order in time, the contractor has nothing to restock with. The restrooms go empty and the call goes to the property manager, not the cleaning contractor.

Contractor-Supplied Consumables

Under this model, the cleaning contractor supplies and restocks toilet tissue, paper towels, soap, and liners as part of the contract. The client does not manage supply ordering. The contractor's product choices (brand, quantity, quality) are what goes in your dispensers.

The risk: the contractor controls the product specification. If they switch to a cheaper tissue brand mid-contract, you may not notice until tenants complain. Requiring written product specifications in the contract scope prevents this.

What This Costs

Consumable supply for a 10,000 sq ft office facility running five nights per week typically runs $80 to $200 per month depending on occupancy, restroom count, and product specification. The variance is real — a medical office suite with high patient volume and clinical handwashing protocols uses significantly more paper goods than a professional office of equivalent square footage.

When comparing contractor quotes in the West Valley, confirm whether consumables are included or excluded. A quote that is $100/month lower may simply be shifting consumable cost back to the facility.

Dispenser Compatibility

Most commercial restroom dispensers — Kimberly-Clark, Georgia-Pacific, Tork, and similar systems — are designed to accept only the dispenser manufacturer's product line. A contractor who supplies a different brand's tissue may mean the dispenser does not load or advance correctly.

Before switching contractors, confirm what dispenser brands are installed in your restrooms and what product lines are compatible. Dispenser replacement is a facility cost, not a contractor cost, unless it is explicitly included in the scope.

The Bottom Line

Either model works. What matters is that the scope is explicit: who supplies what, at what product specification, and who is responsible when something runs out. Get it in writing before the contract starts.

Request a quote from Waddell Janitorial Services and tell us which supply model you prefer. We accommodate both.