House Cleaning Cost Calculator

The sweet spot for residential cleaning is between $25-50 per hour or $0.08-0.15 per square foot. Most cleaning businesses charge $120-280 for a standard 3-bedroom home. Your actual rate depends on your local market, experience level, and the type of cleaning. First-time cleans and deep cleans command higher rates - usually 1.5-2x your regular price. Don't forget to factor in travel time, supplies, and your desired profit margin when setting prices.

Regular cleaning is your maintenance service - dusting, vacuuming, mopping, bathroom and kitchen wipe-downs. It's priced lower because the home is already reasonably clean. Deep cleaning tackles the stuff that gets neglected: inside appliances, baseboards, ceiling fans, grout scrubbing, window tracks, and behind furniture. Deep cleans typically cost 2-3x a regular cleaning because they take significently longer and require more effort. Most clients need a deep clean first, then switch to regular maintenance visits.

Both have pros and cons. Hourly rates ($25-50/hour) give you flexibility and guarantee you get paid for your time, but clients worry about slow workers. Flat rates per room or square footage ($100-300+ per home) let clients know exactly what they'll pay, which builds trust - but you absorb the risk if a job takes longer. Most successful cleaners start hourly to understand how long jobs actually take, then switch to flat rates once they know their numbers.

First-time cleans almost always take longer than you expect. The home hasn't been professionally cleaned, there might be hidden problem areas, and you're learning the layout. Charge 1.5-2x your regular rate for first visits. Some cleaners offer a slight discount on the first clean to win the client, then raise to regular pricing - but honestly, that undervalues your work. Clients who balk at first-time pricing usually become problem customers anyway.

Add-ons are where the money is. Popular upsells include: inside appliance cleaning (oven, fridge, microwave) at $15-40 each, window cleaning ($3-8 per window), laundry services ($20-40 per load), organizing/decluttering ($25-50/hour), carpet cleaning ($50-150 per room), and move-out deep cleans (premium pricing). The trick is presenting these as options during your quote - not pushing them. Clients appreciate having choices, and they'll often say yes to things they genuinely need.

Move-out cleans are your highest-margin jobs. Charge $300-600+ depending on home size. These cleans are thorough - you're essentially doing a deep clean plus addressing the wear and tear of someone moving out. Empty homes take less time to navigate but often have more hidden grime. Move-in cleans are similar but typically slightly less intensive. Both usually require more time than clients expect, so price accordingly.

Bathrooms almost always take longer per square foot than bedrooms. Toilets, showers, tubs, sinks, mirrors, and floors require more scrubbing and detail work. Industry standard is to charge roughly 1.5-2x for a bathroom compared to a bedroom of similar size. A typical bedroom might add $15-25 to your quote, while a bathroom adds $25-45. Master suites with attached baths should be priced as combined units.

Recurring clients are your bread and butter - consistent income with less marketing effort. Offer a discount for regular service: 10-15% off for bi-weekly, 20-25% off for weekly. One-time cleans get your full rate since they require more sales effort and don't guarantee future business. Some cleaners don't discount recurring at all; they just charge premium for one-time. Either approach works - just be consistent.

Most cleaners spend $3-8 per house on supplies (cleaning solutions, rags, paper towels, etc.). Some bring their own supplies and charge a small premium; others use the client's products. If you supply everything, add $5-15 to your base price to cover materials and give yourself a small margin. Using quality products does make a difference in results and efficiency - cheap cleaners cost more in the long run.

Square footage pricing typically ranges from $0.05-0.15 per square foot, depending on cleaning type. A 2,000 sqft home at $0.10/sqft = $200 base price. But square footage alone isn't the whole picture - a 2,000 sqft home with 4 bathrooms takes longer than one with 2. Most calculators (including this one) combine square footage with room counts for accuracy. For luxury or heavily-furnished homes, add 10-20% to account for extra care required.

Once you've calculated your cleaning price, you need a professional way to present it to clients. Invoice Mama's free tools let you create polished estimates and invoices in seconds - just describe the cleaning job and our AI generates a clean, professional document. Looking professional from the first quote helps you win more jobs and command better rates. No more scribbling prices on paper or sending messy text messages.

The biggest price drivers are: 1) Home size (bedrooms and bathrooms count more than raw square feet), 2) Cleaning type (first-time, deep clean, or maintenance), 3) Home condition (cluttered or extra dirty homes take longer), 4) Add-on services selected, 5) Your local market rates, and 6) Your experience and reputation. Location matters too - urban areas and affluent neighborhoods generally support higher pricing.

A deep clean for a 3 bedroom house typically costs $350-$500, depending on the number of bathrooms, square footage, and your local market. This is roughly 2x the cost of a standard cleaning for the same home. If the home has 2 bathrooms and around 2,000 square feet, expect to charge or pay $400-$450 on average. Add-ons like inside appliance cleaning, window washing, or carpet cleaning will increase the total. First-time deep cleans for new clients may run slightly higher due to the extra effort required.

Cleaning companies typically charge $40-$80 per hour, which is higher than individual cleaners ($25-$45/hour). The difference covers the company's overhead: employee wages, payroll taxes, insurance, bonding, marketing, and profit margin. When you hire a cleaning company, you're paying for reliability, insurance protection, and usually a team that can clean faster. Solo cleaners charge less but may not carry the same level of insurance or backup if they're unavailable.

A healthy profit margin for a cleaning business depends on your structure. Solo cleaners should aim for 40-50% profit margin since they are the labor. Small cleaning businesses with 1-3 employees should target 25-35% margin after paying staff. Larger cleaning agencies with 4+ employees typically operate at 15-25% margin, making up for lower margins with volume. If your margin is below these targets, your prices are too low or your costs are too high. Track every expense and know your numbers.

Quoting without a walkthrough is common - most cleaners do it. Ask clients for: 1) Number of bedrooms and bathrooms, 2) Approximate square footage, 3) When the home was last professionally cleaned, 4) Any pets or specific concerns, 5) Photos if possible. Use this information with your pricing formula to give a range, not a fixed price. Always mention that the final price may adjust slightly after the first visit. For first-time clients, charge hourly or quote on the higher end to protect yourself from surprises.

Post-construction cleaning is one of the most labor-intensive cleaning types and should be priced accordingly. Charge $0.30-$0.50 per square foot or 2.5-3x your standard cleaning rate. A 2,000 sq ft home after construction could run $600-$1,000+. These jobs involve removing construction dust from every surface, cleaning windows and fixtures covered in debris, scrubbing floors, and often multiple passes. Always do a walkthrough before quoting - construction jobs vary wildly in difficulty.

Yes, but be strategic about it. Recurring clients provide stable income and require less marketing, so offering 10-15% off for bi-weekly service and 15-20% off for weekly service makes business sense. However, some successful cleaners don't discount recurring at all - they simply charge a premium for one-time cleans instead. Either approach works. The key is that recurring clients should feel valued, but you shouldn't discount so much that you resent the work. Never discount below your minimum acceptable rate.

Professional cleaning time varies by home size and cleaning type. For a solo cleaner doing standard maintenance: 1-2 bedroom apartment takes 1-2 hours, 3 bedroom home takes 2-3 hours, 4+ bedroom home takes 3-4+ hours. Deep cleaning takes roughly 1.5-2x longer. Teams of 2-3 cleaners can cut these times significantly. First-time cleans always take longer than repeat visits. Track your time on each job type to build accurate estimates - this is crucial for profitable flat-rate pricing.

At minimum, you need general liability insurance ($500-$2,000/year) which covers property damage and injuries at client homes. If you have employees, you'll also need workers' compensation insurance (required by law in most states). Many clients also ask for bonding ($100-$500/year), which protects them against employee theft. Some cleaners add commercial auto insurance if using a vehicle for business. Being properly insured builds client trust and protects your business from potentially devastating claims.