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Vendor guide · Porter services

Porter services: what you need to offer them

A checklist for a company deciding whether to offer porter service to communities: what the work is, what to line up, and where each item fits in your setup.

What the work is

This part is our own guidance, in plain words.

A day porter keeps a community’s common areas clean and presentable between deep cleans: trash and litter, restrooms, breezeways, entries and the pool deck.

It is a different job from janitorial work, which is a deep clean run on a production schedule, and from handyman repairs. A porter replaces trash liners; fixing a light fixture is handyman work. Keep the three apart in your scope so a community knows what it is buying.

Proposals are written in hours per visit and visits per week. The trade calls a porter’s route a loop or a walk, and a per-visit service report is the proof a community can check.

  • 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

Your checklist for this work

Tick items off as you collect them. Each one links to the page that explains it.

Licenses and permits

Start with your state’s registration, then ask your city and county what else applies to your kind of work.

  • License and permit requirements and fees vary by business activity, location and government rules. SBA, as of
  • SBA tells businesses to check the Secretary of State's website to learn which state permits and licenses apply. SBA, as of

Registration by stateLicenses and certifications

Commonly requested by managers and boards

This is guidance for maintenance contractors in general. It names no amount, and each community sets its own requirement in its RFP.

  • CAI guidance for association maintenance and remodeling projects says a contractor's insurance should likely include construction, property and liability, workers' compensation and professional liability coverage. Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation), as of
  • CAI advises hiring a contractor or inspector who carries general liability without a homeowners association exclusion, plus errors and omissions where they act as a consultant. Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation), as of
  • CAI tells boards to get certificates of insurance for the contractor and, in some cases, additional insured endorsements naming the association, after consulting counsel. Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation), as of

Insurance explainedHow a certificate works

Workers’ compensation depends on your state

  • 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

Workers’ compensation explained

What boards read about this work

Written for boards and managers: read what they read when they choose a vendor.

Next steps

Ready to apply, or want another guide? Both are here, and the setup pages cover the documents.

Submit application as vendorVendor setupPool cleaning guidePool monitoring guideLifeguarding guide

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. Community Association Maintenance (best practices) Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation). As of .
  4. Manage your business (SBA counseling guide) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .

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