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Start your own porter company

A porter company keeps a community’s common areas clean and orderly between larger cleanings. This page covers the business side: what to set up, who you would hire, and what a community checks before it hires you.

What the work is

This is our own description, written as guidance. Porter service is a trade term, and the official sources below do not define it.

A porter typically handles the daily upkeep of shared spaces: trash, restrooms, the clubhouse, the pool deck, walkways and litter on the grounds. Some communities schedule a porter every day and others a few visits a week, so the scope in each proposal is yours to write down.

  • BLS describes the closest federal occupation, janitors and building cleaners, as keeping buildings clean, sanitary, orderly and in good condition. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of

How a porter company worksPorter guide

Set up the company

Start with the same short list any service company uses. Each step has its own page that walks through it, so this page does not repeat them.

  • SBA's launch guide lists, among its steps, registering the business, getting federal and state tax ID numbers, applying for licenses and permits, opening a business bank account and getting business insurance. SBA, as of
  • Most states have you register a business with the Secretary of State's office, a business bureau, or a business agency. SBA, as of
  • License and permit requirements and fees vary by business activity, location and government rules. SBA, as of

Your setup checklistEINBusiness typesBusiness registrationInsuranceCertificates of insuranceLicenses and certifications

Hiring a crew

Porter work is hourly and often early. Decide how you will pay your people, and keep time records from the first shift.

  • SBA's payroll checklist for a first hire includes getting an EIN, checking state and local tax IDs, deciding between contractor and employee, and collecting a completed W-4. SBA, as of
  • The IRS common-law test for employee versus independent contractor weighs behavioral, financial and relationship evidence of control and independence. IRS, as of
  • The IRS says to ask each new employee for a signed Form W-4 when they start work. IRS, as of
  • All US employers must complete Form I-9 for every person they hire in the United States, citizens and noncitizens alike. IRS, as of
  • Employers must get each employee's name and Social Security number for Form W-2. IRS, as of
  • Employers deposit and report withheld federal income tax and both the employer and employee Social Security and Medicare taxes, and report wages paid. IRS, as of
  • The FLSA requires overtime at not less than one and one-half times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek for covered nonexempt workers. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
  • SBA's guide lists workers' compensation (through a commercial carrier, self-insurance or a state program) among employee benefits, and the rules depend on your state. SBA, as of

What a community checks for porter work

For porter work, the rulebook also asks for one trade document before you can propose:

  • Background check

Insurance and credentials

Communities often ask for proof of insurance before they hire.

Each community sets its own insurance requirement when it writes an RFP, and your documents are checked against it before a proposal goes in.

How insurance works

Keep reading

How a porter company worksWriting proposalsFinding customersFinding work on HOAcrew

Submit application as vendor

Sources

  1. Janitors and Building Cleaners (Occupational Outlook Handbook) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of .
  2. Launch your business (SBA counseling guide; business-guide URLs redirect here) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
  3. Manage your business (SBA counseling guide) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
  4. Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee? Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  5. Hiring employees Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  6. Employment taxes Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  7. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As of .

Official pages change. Each line shows the day we last read it.