How Much to Charge for House Cleaning (With a Free Calculator)

How much to charge for house cleaning is the question that decides whether your cleaning business makes money or just keeps you busy. Charge too little and you work long days for small profit. Charge too much without a clear reason and customers go to the next cleaner. This guide shows what affects the price, how long a clean really takes, worked examples for different homes, and a free calculator to check your own numbers.

What Affects How Much to Charge for House Cleaning

Two homes of the same size can need very different prices. These are the five things that matter most:

• Size of the home: more square feet or square metres means more hours.
• Bedrooms and bathrooms: bathrooms take the most time per room, because of fixtures, mirrors and sanitising.
• Type of clean: a deep clean or a move-out clean takes much longer than a standard weekly clean.
• Frequency: a customer who books every week is worth more than a one-time job, and usually gets a better price per visit.
• Add-ons: the oven, the fridge, windows and cabinets all add time.

On top of that come your own costs: wages, supplies, travel, insurance and software. A price that covers only the time in the home is a wage, not a business.

3 Ways to Charge for House Cleaning

1. By the hour. You charge a rate for each hour of work, multiplied by the number of cleaners. Many cleaners in the US charge between $25 and $75 an hour, depending on the region and the type of clean. It is simple, but customers may worry about slow work. housecallpro

2. By size. You charge a rate per square foot or square metre. It is easy to explain and works well for larger homes and offices.

3. A flat price per job. You set one price for a standard clean, a deep clean and a move-out clean. Customers like knowing the total in advance.

If you are not sure which fits your business, read our full guide on how to price house cleaning services.

How Long Does It Take to Clean a House?

Time is the base of every price. A simple way to estimate it is: size of the home divided by how fast you clean, plus half an hour for each bathroom and 15 minutes for each bedroom. Here are examples using 600 sq ft per hour and a rate of $35 an hour:

These are examples, not rules. A fast cleaner with good equipment will work quicker, and a home with pets or heavy dirt will take longer. Time a few real jobs, and replace the numbers with your own.

Standard, Deep and Move-Out Cleans

A deep clean covers more: inside appliances, baseboards, tile grout and areas that a regular clean skips. Most cleaners charge 50 to 100 percent more for a deep clean than for a standard one. A move-out clean is usually even more, because the home is empty and has to be perfect. zenmaid

Using the same 1,500 sq ft house at $35 an hour:

• Standard clean: about 4.25 hours, about $149
• Deep clean (60% longer): about 6.8 hours, about $238
• Move-out clean (80% longer): about 7.7 hours, about $268

Pricing Add-Ons and Recurring Customers

Extras are where many cleaners lose money, because they do them for free. List each add-on with its own time and price, and show it as a separate line on the quote:

• Inside the oven or fridge: about 30 minutes each
• Interior windows: about an hour
• Blinds or laundry: about 30 minutes

For customers who book regularly, a small discount makes sense. A common range is 5 to 10 percent for monthly cleaning and 10 to 15 percent for weekly cleaning. Show it clearly, so the customer sees the deal. You can see how a full quote looks in our guide on how to quote cleaning services.

A Worked Example

A customer asks for a weekly standard clean of a 1,500 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, plus the inside of the oven:

1. Cleaning time: 4.25 hours
2. Oven: 0.5 hours, so 4.75 hours in total
3. Price at $35 an hour: about $166
4. Weekly discount of 10 percent: about $150 per visit

Over a month that is around four visits, so close to $650 for that one customer. This is why recurring customers are worth keeping.

Try the Free House Cleaning Cost Calculator

You do not have to do this math by hand. Our free house cleaning cost calculator takes the size of the home, rooms, type of clean, frequency and add-ons, and gives a price per visit, the hours it takes and the monthly price for recurring customers. You can change the hourly rate and the cleaning speed to match your own business.

Common Mistakes When Deciding How Much to Charge for House Cleaning

• Guessing every time. Your prices change from customer to customer, and sooner or later you work for less than you should.
• Forgetting your costs. Supplies, travel, insurance and taxes need to be inside the price. If you are unsure what cleaners earn, check local wage data, for example from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Leaving extras off the quote. Extras you do not charge for are work you do for free.
• Copying a competitor. Their costs and quality are not yours.
• Replying slowly. Even the right price loses to a competitor who answers first. Here is why instant cleaning quotes win more jobs.

Common Questions About House Cleaning Prices

How much should I charge to clean a 2,000 sq ft house?
Estimate the hours first. A 2,000 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms takes about 5 hours for a standard clean, and at $35 an hour that is around $175. Enter your own hourly rate in the calculator to see the price for your business.

Should I charge by the hour or by the job?
Most customers prefer a fixed price per job, because they know the total in advance. Use the hourly figure to check that the fixed price still pays you well.

How much more should I charge for a deep clean?
Many cleaners charge between 50 and 100 percent more than for a standard clean, depending on the home and how long it has been since the last clean.

Do I need to include tax in my quote?
If you charge tax, show it as a separate line, so the customer sees the subtotal, the tax and the total clearly.

Quote Faster Starting Today

Once your prices are set, let customers see the total instantly. With SparkCleanApp they choose their services on your personal link, and you receive the request on WhatsApp and email. Read how to send cleaning quotes on WhatsApp without a website, try a live demo, or start your 15-day free trial. No credit card required.