Our service agreement

The short version

What we do: We clean your home or workplace on the schedule and at the price set out in Schedule A, using our own supplies and tools.

We’re committed to earth friendly, human friendly products and practices: We use low-toxicity, environmentally responsible products we've carefully chosen — and in some cases formulated ourselves — for allergens and sensitivities, effectiveness, and sustainability. We do need running water (hot and cold); if there's no electricity at the site, we can only work in daylight and some services won't be available.

Fair, predictable pricing: We keep prices transparent. Once a year, we adjust recurring prices by inflation (the BEA's PCE Price Index) plus 2%. That keeps pace with rising wages for our team and the real cost of fuel, supplies, and vehicle upkeep, and lets us reward exceptional work. We give you at least 30 days' notice before any increase. If there are other reasons for price changes, we will clearly communicate why.

Payment: We invoice through QuickBooks. Payment is due when you receive the invoice, by bank transfer (ACH) or card. A balance left unpaid more than 10 days carries a 1.5% monthly late fee, which stops growing after 90 days (or once it reaches 15% of the invoice); after that we may take the unpaid balance to small claims court.

Cancellations: Please give us at least 48 business hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule (for a Monday-morning clean, that means by the prior Thursday morning). Later cancellations are a $35 fee; lockouts or turn-aways are charged the full visit. Everyone gets one free pass a year, because life happens. Weather or safety reschedules are never charged.

If we miss something: Tell us within 24 hours with a quick photo or note, and we’ll come back and re-clean that area for free.

If something gets damaged: Let us know within 3 business days. We’ll make it right up to the price of that cleaning; anything larger goes through our insurance.

Respect for all: We aren’t just clients and cleaners: we’re living here together in midcoast Maine. We are part of a community. And so we believe respect and kindness are key! We have zero tolerance for bigotry, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, misogyny, ageism or xenophobia from our team or from clients.

Your privacy: Your home is private and we respect that. We use encrypted email with clients and encrypted messaging within our team to keep your information secure.

Tips and giving back: Tips are appreciated but never expected. Every invoice also has an optional donation line for our Cleaning Mutual Aid Pool, which funds free or discounted cleanings for neighbors who need them.

Ending service: Either of us can end ongoing service with 14 days’ written notice (email is perfect).

1.Services

We will provide the residential or commercial cleaning services described in Schedule A (Service & Pricing), at the service address, on the frequency stated there. Schedule A is part of this Agreement. Unless Schedule A says otherwise, our services do not include: exterior window washing beyond what is easily accessible from the inside or the ground floor; work requiring ladders above two steps or moving heavy furniture or appliances; cleanup of biohazards, human or animal waste, mold, or pest infestations; hoarding conditions; post-construction debris; or any task we consider unsafe. We're glad to refer these out or quote them separately when we can.

2.Prices and Annual Price Adjustment

(a) Your prices. You agree to pay the prices in Schedule A. We price transparently; our rates reflect fair wages, quality supplies, travel, and insurance.

(b) Annual adjustment. Once each year, we may adjust recurring prices by an amount equal to the annual percentage change in the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), plus two percentage points (2%). We use the most recent twelve-month PCE change published by the BEA at least thirty (30) days before the adjustment takes effect, and the adjustment takes effect on each anniversary of your Start Date. Example: if the PCE Price Index rose 2.5% over the reference period, your price would increase by 4.5%. The annual adjustment will not reduce your price (it will never be less than 0%). If the BEA stops publishing the index or renames it, we will use the closest successor measure.

(c) Why we do this. This annual adjustment keeps pace with the real cost of careful work: fair, rising wages for our team year over year; fuel, vehicle repairs, and cleaning supplies; and a budget to recognize and reward cleaners who deliver exceptional service. We will give you at least thirty (30) days’ written notice before any adjustment takes effect.

(d) Other price or scope changes. Any change to the scope or frequency of service, or any price change beyond the annual adjustment in (b), is by mutual written agreement (email is fine) and applies going forward.

3.Payment

(a) Invoicing; when payment is due. We invoice through QuickBooks. Payment is due on receipt of the invoice, by ACH bank transfer or card. For recurring service you authorize us to keep a payment method on file and charge it for each completed visit.

(b) Late fee; cap; small claims. A late fee of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month (18% per year) applies to any balance that remains unpaid more than ten (10) days after the invoice date. Late fees stop accruing on the earlier of (i) ninety (90) days after the invoice date, or (ii) the date total late fees on that invoice reach fifteen percent (15%) of the invoice. After that, we may refer the unpaid balance to collection or file in Maine Small Claims Court (jurisdictional limit currently $10,000), where statutory post-judgment interest and allowable court costs apply. We may adjust the late-fee rate from time to time under our internal formula, which weighs the Company’s overall rate of client turn-aways, cancellations, and lockouts against prevailing average interest rates, but never above the maximum rate allowed by Maine law; any change applies only to invoices issued after we give you notice. We may pause service on past-due accounts.

(c) Failed or returned payments. If an electronic payment fails, we will work with you to resolve it directly; because we invoice through QuickBooks, its payment safeguards typically prevent failed or duplicate charges. A returned or failed payment may incur a fee of [$35].

(d) Tips. Tips are appreciated but never required or expected; our prices are set to pay our team fairly.

(e) Cleaning Mutual Aid Pool. Every invoice includes an optional donation line. Donations go to our Cleaning Mutual Aid Pool, which funds discounted or free cleanings, on a scholarship basis, for neighbors who need them. Donations are voluntary and are not a charge for your service.

4.Scheduling, Access, and Keys

(a) Arrival windows. We schedule an arrival window rather than an exact time, because travel and prior jobs vary. We’ll let you know if we’re running late.

(b) Access. You will give us reliable access on scheduled days by one of: being home, a key on file, a lockbox, a garage or door code, a smart lock, or leaving your door unlocked. Please tell us about alarms and provide any codes on Schedule B (Key/Access Authorization).

(c) How we protect keys and codes. Keys and codes are stored securely and are never labeled with your address or name; they are coded to an internal ID. Only assigned staff can access them. On termination we return keys or securely destroy access credentials at your direction.

5.Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Lockouts

(a) Notice. Please give us at least 48 business hours’ notice — two full business days, not counting weekends or public holidays — to cancel or reschedule a visit. For example, for a Monday-morning cleaning, we need your notice by the prior Thursday morning.

(b) Late cancellations. A cancellation inside that window is charged a $35 cancellation fee.

(c) Lockouts and turn-aways. If we arrive and cannot access the home or perform the clean inside that window — a lockout or turn-away — the full price of the visit is charged, to cover the reserved time and the crew’s lost wages.

(d) One waived cancellation a year. Life happens. Each customer receives one waived late cancellation per calendar year, no questions asked.

(e) Weather and safety. If we reschedule for weather or safety reasons, there is no fee, and we do our best to keep customers in their usual service order so scheduling stays fair to everyone.

(f) Repeated late cancellations. Repeated lockouts or turn-aways are not sustainable for our team. We reserve the right to end service for any customer who cancels inside the 48-business-hour window more than three (3) times over the life of their service.

6.Our Satisfaction Re-Clean

If something was missed or not done to standard, contact us within 24 hours and include documentation of what fell short (a photo and a short description). We will return and re-clean the affected areas at no charge, as soon as we reasonably can. This re-clean is our guarantee and your exclusive remedy for a quality concern; we do not offer cash refunds for completed service.

7.Damage, Breakage, and Loss

(a) Reporting. Please report any suspected damage, breakage, or loss within three (3) business days so we can inspect it.

(b) What we cover. For damage, breakage, or loss caused by our negligence, our responsibility is capped at the price of the clean during which it occurred. Amounts above that are handled through our insurance.

(c) Please secure valuables. For items of unusual or sentimental value — heirlooms, art, collectibles, electronics, guns, ammunition, drugs (recreational and pharmaceutical) or anything irreplaceable — please secure them or tell us in writing so we can avoid or take special care with them. We are not responsible for pre-existing damage; normal wear; items that were already broken, improperly hung, or unstable; or cash, jewelry, or valuables left unsecured.

8.Products, Equipment, and Utilities

(a) Our products — an eco commitment. We bring our own supplies and equipment. We are committed to eco-friendly, low-toxicity products; this is a commitment, not a preference. We have carefully vetted, and in some cases formulated, the products we use for allergen safety, effectiveness, and environmental sustainability, and we do not use client-provided cleaners. If you have a specific allergy or sensitivity, tell us in writing and we will do our best to accommodate it within our product standards.

(b) Utilities. We require access to running water, both hot and cold. If electricity is not available at the service address, service is limited to daylight hours and some services may be unavailable.

9.A Safe and Respectful Workplace

We hold a zero-tolerance policy for bigotry of any kind — including sexism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, ageism, misogyny, and xenophobia — from clients and from our own team alike.

(a) If our team wrongs you. If a member of our team ever subjects you to such behavior, tell us immediately. We will remove that person from your job at once and send another cleaner to finish the work at no additional cost to you. Any employee who is the subject of two (2) or more complaints of behavior that violates this policy will have their employment terminated.

(b) If a client wrongs our team. If a client, or anyone at the service address, subjects our team to such behavior, we may end the visit immediately, and the full reserved time will be billed. If, after investigation, we determine that the behavior was intentional, we will terminate service immediately.

(c) Why. There is no place for these behaviors in our company or among our clients. Our team's safety and dignity come first. We balance this with the services we provide you. We may also decline, pause, or leave a job — and still bill for the reserved time — if conditions are unsafe (for example, severe hazards, extreme clutter, structural problems, or aggressive animals). Please secure pets that may be anxious around visitors, and tell us about hazards in advance.

10.Our Team

(a) Hiring our team. We invest in training and fair pay for our team. We respectfully request that you not directly hire or engage a member of our team (or a former member you met through us) for cleaning services, outside the Company, during the term of this Agreement and for twelve (12) months after it ends.

(b) A cleaner you prefer. If you prefer a particular cleaner, we will make every effort to place that team member on your visits regularly, and we will let you know when a different cleaner needs to service your location because of demand, weather, illness, or scheduling.

(c) Training visits (optional). With your permission, we may use your home to train a new cleaner. When a training visit is available and you opt in, you will receive either a discounted rate or a higher-standard clean at your usual rate, in exchange for brief written feedback on the trainee’s work, which we will credit toward your next visit. You can join the training-visit waiting list on our website. Opting in is always your choice.

11.Confidentiality and Privacy

(a) What we keep private. We keep what we see in your home private. We collect only the information we need to serve you, we do not sell it, and we share it only with our team as needed to do the work or as required by law. We will ask separately, and you may decline, before using any photo of your space for training or marketing.

(b) Secure communication. We use encrypted email for client communication. If you use Proton Mail or another PGP-enabled email service, our messages with you stay fully end-to-end encrypted. Our team communicates about client work only over encrypted messaging (we use Signal, and may add similar tools such as Matrix as we grow), so your information stays secure.

12.Insurance and Liability

(a) Our insurance. The Company carries general liability insurance and, once we have employees, workers’ compensation coverage. Proof is available on request.

(b) Limit of liability. Except for our obligations in Section 6 (Satisfaction Re-Clean) and Section 7 (Damage, Breakage, and Loss), and to the extent Maine law allows, our total liability arising out of the services in any twelve-month period will not exceed the amounts you paid us for services in that period. Neither of us is liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

(c) Not a guarantor. We provide cleaning services; we are not responsible for security of the premises beyond the reasonable care of keys and access described in Section 4.

13.Term and Termination

This Agreement starts on the Start Date above and continues for recurring service until either of us ends it. Either party may end ongoing service with fourteen (14) days’ written notice (email preferred). We may suspend or end service immediately for non-payment, for repeated or serious violations of the scheduling and cancellation policy (Section 5), or for violations of the safety and respect policy (Section 9). Amounts owed for completed service, and any properly charged cancellation or late fees, survive termination.

14.Changes to This Agreement

(a) How we may update these terms. As our company grows, we may need to update this Agreement — for example, to add or describe new services, to reflect a change in how we operate, or to keep up with insurance requirements or the law. We may amend this Agreement by sending you written notice at the email address on file for you, at least thirty (30) days before the change takes effect. The notice will say plainly what is changing, why, and the date it starts.

(b) Notice by email. Notice under this Section goes to the email address you gave us for this account. Please keep it current and tell us if it changes; a notice sent to that address is considered delivered. If you would rather receive these notices on paper, just ask and we will mail them instead.

(c) Questions, concerns, and objections. If a change raises a question or a concern, please write back. We are glad to explain our reasoning, and we would much rather hear from you than surprise you. If we cannot work it out together, you may end ongoing service under Section 13 (Term and Termination) at any time before the change takes effect, with no cancellation fee and nothing owed beyond service we have already performed.

(d) When a change takes effect. If you continue service on or after the effective date stated in the notice, the updated terms apply to service performed from that date forward. Changes are never retroactive: they do not apply to visits already completed or invoices already issued.

(e) Custom terms for larger accounts. Clients whose service with us totals $25,000 or more in annual billings may request a customized agreement with individually negotiated terms, including terms that are not subject to amendment on notice under this Section. Write to us and we will work it out with you directly.

(f) What this Section does not do. This Section is how we keep the general terms current. It does not by itself change your price, scope, or frequency of service — those are set by Schedule A and Section 2 (Prices and Annual Price Adjustment) — and it does not let us walk back a commitment for work you have already paid for.

15.General

(a) Independent business. We are an independent contractor. Our team are our people, not your employees.

(b) Maine law; resolving disputes. Maine law governs this Agreement. If a dispute comes up, we agree to try to resolve it directly and then through good-faith mediation in Maine before going to court; either of us may use small claims court for qualifying claims. Venue is the Maine county where the service address is located.

(c) Whole agreement; changes. This Agreement and its Schedules are the entire agreement about the services and replace any prior understandings. Except where this Agreement lets us act on notice — the annual price adjustment (Section 2), a late-fee change (Section 3(b)), or an amendment on thirty days’ notice (Section 14) — changes must be in writing (email accepted). If any part is unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.

(d) Signatures. Electronic signatures and email approvals count as signatures.

Signatures

By signing, both parties agree to this Agreement and to Schedules A and B.

Service details

Preferred day / arrival window

To be agreed

Preferred cleaner (if any)

To be agreed

Price per visit

$______ (flat / hourly at $____/hr / per estimate)

First / deep-clean price

$______

Add-ons (price each)

Inside oven $__ · Inside fridge $__ · Interior windows $__ · Laundry $__ · Other __

Areas included

Kitchen · Bathrooms · Bedrooms · Living areas · Floors · Dusting · Trash · Other

Areas excluded / notes

To be agreed

Allergies / sensitivities

As disclosed on your intake form

Access details

Entry notes

Parking, pets, which door, etc.

# of keys / fobs provided

To be recorded

I authorize Ovenbird Cleaning Company, LLC to enter the service address as described above for the purpose of providing the agreed services.