How much to charge for house cleaning (formula + example price list)
Working out how much to charge for house cleaning is where most new cleaning businesses go wrong. They copy a competitor's price, or pick a number that "feels fair", then find they're working hard and barely breaking even. The fix is simple: price from your real costs, add the profit you want, and turn that into a price list customers understand.
The three ways to price cleaning services
- Hourly. You charge for the time the clean takes. Customers can't know the final price upfront, they watch the clock, and the faster you get, the less you earn. Don't quote customers by the hour.
- Flat rate per job, by square footage and service type. One clear price before they book, and it rewards you for getting faster. This is what we recommend, and it's what most established residential companies use.
- Per add-on. Inside the oven, inside the fridge, interior windows, inside cabinets. Priced on top of the flat rate.
The setup that works: a flat price per job from square footage and service type, plus add-ons, and never an hourly quote. Behind the scenes, you still need to know your costs, so every price leaves a profit.
Step 1: Know your cost floor
Add up what one hour of cleaning really costs you. You won't quote this to customers. It's how you check that a price makes money. Here's an example (your numbers will be different):
- Cleaner's pay: pay per job, not by the hour, and aim for your cleaners to earn $30–40 for every hour the job takes (see how much house cleaners make in your state). Say $35. If you clean yourself, pay yourself too. Your time isn't free.
- Payroll taxes and workers' comp: none if your cleaners are independent contractors (W-9). With employees, add roughly 15–25% on top of pay.
- Supplies: products, cloths and vacuum bags, spread across your hours. Say $2.
- Overhead: insurance, software, phone, gas, marketing and your admin time, divided by your billable hours each month. Say $6.
Total: about $43 per labor hour. That's your break-even point. For example, a 1,500 sq ft standard clean takes about 3 hours of work: $129 in costs against a $195 price, so you keep $66.
Step 2: Price by square footage and service type
Two things set every quote: how big the home is and what kind of clean it needs. Here's the price table from our free Road to 10K guide:
| Home size | Deep clean | Recurring | Move in/out | Post-construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 750 sq ft | $200 | $150 | $250 | $400 |
| Up to 1,000 sq ft | $240 | $150 | $280 | $420 |
| Up to 1,250 sq ft | $300 | $163 | $350 | $525 |
| Up to 1,500 sq ft | $360 | $195 | $420 | $630 |
| Up to 1,800 sq ft | $432 | $234 | $504 | $756 |
| Up to 2,100 sq ft | $504 | $273 | $588 | $882 |
| Up to 3,000 sq ft | $720 | $390 | $840 | $1,260 |
Prices vary between cities, so check them against your market (step 5). The pricing sheet in the guide rebuilds this whole table from your own price per square foot.
Step 3: Set minimum prices and hold them
These are the lowest prices you should ever charge. Below them, you can't pay your cleaner well and still make a profit:
| Service | Minimum price |
|---|---|
| Deep clean | $200 |
| Standard clean | $150 |
| Weekly standard | $120 |
| Move in/out | $250 |
| Post-construction | $400 |
When a client pushes back on price, negotiate down from your quote, not from zero, and don't go below your minimum.
How to price deep cleans, move-outs and post-construction
Deep cleans cost more than recurring cleans for the same home: baseboards, behind the toilet and the oven, built-up grime. Move-out cleans cost more again, because clients are on a deadline and every cabinet, the oven and the fridge get cleaned. Post-construction is your most premium service: sawdust, paint splatter and debris, usually for contractors who will happily pay for a quality job. What each one includes is in types of cleaning services.
A common rule: a new client's first clean is always a deep clean. Then move them to a recurring plan. Homes that haven't been professionally cleaned take much longer the first time, and pricing that visit as a standard clean is how cleaners lose money.
Step 4: Offer recurring discounts
Regular clients' homes are faster to clean, and you don't have to find them again. It's worth a discount:
- Weekly: 20% off
- Every two weeks: 15% off
- Monthly: 5% off
Put the discount on the booking form, next to the one-off price. When customers see "$195 one-off, or $166 every two weeks", many choose the recurring option. A BookedEZ booking page does this for you: customers see what they save on each recurring option before they book.
Add-ons are the easiest extra money. Inside the oven, inside the fridge, interior windows, inside cabinets, laundry, baseboards, pet hair. Show them as checkboxes when customers book. It's far easier than trying to upsell at the door.
Cleaning services price list (a template to copy)
Here's the whole cleaning business price list in one place, the way a customer would see it on your website. Swap in your own numbers once you've checked your market.
| Service | Starts at | 1,500 sq ft home |
|---|---|---|
| Standard clean, one time | $150 | $195 |
| Standard clean, every 4 weeks (5% off) | $142.50 | $185.25 |
| Standard clean, every two weeks (15% off) | $127.50 | $165.75 |
| Standard clean, weekly (20% off) | $120 | $156 |
| Deep clean | $200 | $360 |
| Move-in / move-out clean | $250 | $420 |
| Post-construction clean | $400 | $630 |
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Inside oven | $50 |
| Inside fridge | $50 |
| Inside dishwasher | $50 |
| Inside cabinets | $40 |
| Garage sweep | $35 |
| Wall washing | $35 |
| Extra pet hair | $25 per pet |
| Heavy duty (extra buildup) | $25 |
| Wash and fold laundry | $25 per load |
| Sink of dishes | $25 |
| Wet wipe window blinds | $10 each |
| Interior windows | $6 each |
"Starts at" is the price for the smallest homes. Show the 1,500 sq ft column as an example so customers can place their own home, or let them work out the exact price with the cleaning price calculator. What each service includes is in types of cleaning services.
Step 5: Check your prices against the local market
Look at five local competitors' websites, or ask for quotes. If you're far above them, make sure your reviews, reliability and service justify it. If you're far below, you're leaving money on the table. Don't cut prices below your minimums to compete. You'll just get busier while losing money.
Mistakes to avoid
- Quoting by the hour. Give one flat price per job.
- Not paying yourself. If your price only covers supplies and gas, you're working for free.
- Pricing first cleans as standard cleans. They take longer. Charge a deep clean.
- Never raising prices. Review your rates once a year, and give existing clients 30 days' notice.
- Going below your minimums. A small job still has to cover travel time and pay your cleaner.
- Quoting by text, one message at a time. Put your prices on a booking page, so customers get their price and book in one go. A good cleaning business scheduling app includes one.
Common questions
Should I charge by the hour or a flat rate for house cleaning?
A flat rate per job. Price by square footage and service type, so the customer knows the price before they book. Hourly quotes make customers watch the clock and punish you for getting faster.
How do I price cleaning services for a big or very dirty home?
Quote it as a deep clean from the square-footage table. Once the home is in shape, move the client to a recurring rate.
What should be on a cleaning business price list?
Each service with its starting price and an example for a typical home size, your recurring discounts, and every add-on with its price. Keep it to one page and show the same numbers on your booking form.
How often should I raise my prices?
Review them every year, and whenever your costs (wages, insurance, gas) go up noticeably. Small regular increases go down better with clients than one big jump.
Just getting started? Read how to start a cleaning business. Ready to fill your schedule? See how to get clients for a cleaning business.