How Much to Charge for House Cleaning: Prices, Rates, Examples 

You’ve always been quick with a broom and have an eye for detail, so getting into the cleaning business was only natural. But as you get started, so many little things swirl around your head. Who do I hire? Which services should I offer?  

… And what should I charge? 

Balance your expertise with fair dollar values to give customers the best rates. We’ll show you how to charge for cleaning services, weaving through the nuances of the most common pricing strategies. 

How to Price House Cleaning Services

Don’t pull rates out of thin air. They should be intentional and competitive with your market. Start by comparing the four most common pricing models: flat rate, hourly, per square foot, and per room. 

Flat Rate  

No muss, no fuss—just a blanket rate for everyone. Flat-rate pricing allows customers to pay a fixed fee for cleaning service regardless of the home’s size or layout, and you can expect to charge $120-$280 per job. 

Hourly  

Don’t worry about particularly stubborn jobs. Hourly pricing based on the time spent and number of cleaners ensures you’re paid fairly. Rates generally fall between $25-$75 per hour per cleaner.  

Per Square Foot 

Determine how much to charge to clean a house based on its size. Pricing per square foot allows you to account for scale with these industry averages: 

• Regular cleaning: $0.05+ per square foot 

• Deep cleaning: $0.13+ per square foot 

• Move-out cleaning: $0.22+ per square foot 

Let’s say your company is deep cleaning a 2,000-square-foot home. Depending on the exact rate and service level, the job would cost at least $260. 

Per Room  

Big or little house? Two rooms or 12? It doesn’t matter. Pricing house cleaning this way can bring in up to $200 per room. And if you need extra flexibility, your cleaning business can also adjust the rate based on room type. After all, spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms take a little extra elbow grease. 

Hourly Pricing Formula

Not sure how long each job will take? This is especially true as you break into the home cleaning industry. So, as you think about how much to charge for house cleaning, maximize your time and labor with hourly rates.  

First, understand that where you conduct business matters because average hourly rates differ by region. For instance, house cleaning averages about $19 per hour in Houston but $24 in Los Angeles. 

Then, factor in time spent and add about 50% more to cover overhead and supplies to remain profitable. When all is said and done, you can determine hourly rates like this: 

Cost = (Hourly wage per employee x number of employees) x 1.5 

How Much to Charge for Home Cleaning

You’ve been here before: “I just don’t have the time or energy to clean as much as I should.” The good news for customers who feel the same way is that general home cleaning is the most affordable option and gives a gentle helping hand.  

No matter how you choose to price cleaning services, rates for a basic job assume the home is already in good condition and include tasks such as vacuuming, mopping, and wiping surfaces. Consider similar rates to these industry averages depending on your pricing structure: 

• Hourly: $20-$50 per cleaner per hour, depending on experience and team size 

• Flat rate: $100-$170 weekly or biweekly for a single-family home 

• Per room: $100 for one bed/one bath, plus $20 or more for each additional room 

• Per square foot: $0.05-$0.15 per square foot for recurring cleanings 

How Much to Charge for Deep Cleaning a House

Once in a blue moon, every home needs an intense refresh, touching spaces owners usually don’t think about—whether it’s snaking hair out of the sink or wiping down baseboards. A deep clean is ideal for the first visit to get a customer’s home in tip-top shape or even for special occasions (e.g., spring cleaning or the arrival of a new baby).  

When considering how to charge for cleaning services, one thing to note is that deep cleaning can cost up to 50% more than standard cleaning. Knowing this, your prices might look like this: 

• Hourly: $40-$100 per cleaner per hour, depending on experience and team size 

• Flat rate: $200-$400+, depending on home size and crew 

• Per room: $125-$200, plus up to $30 per each additional room 

• Per square foot: $0.13-$0.17 per square foot 

How Much to Charge for Move-Out Cleaning

Move-out/move-in cleaning greatly improves the moving experience for buyers and sellers alike. It’s the most expensive cleaning service because of the level of detail required—but customers only have to do it once!  

Offer customers everything from the vacuuming included in routine cleaning to the scrubbing of deep cleaning while getting into hard-to-reach areas such as inside vents and under appliances. Let these average prices be your guide: 

• Hourly: $40-$100 per cleaner per hour 

• Flat rate: $300-$400 

• Per room: $125-$175 for a three-bed, two-bath home 

• Per square foot: Up to $0.22 per square foot 

How Much to Charge for Specialty Services

Help clients save time on solving their household problems and increase your earnings per job. Specialty cleaning services can be added onto jobs, and some are probably already part of your standard service, including:  

• Window cleaning 

• Floor waxing 

• Laundry 

• Ceiling/wall cleaning 

• Appliance cleaning  

The struggle in all this? Balancing the additional time and labor demands, so most specialty services are extra. Based on typical averages, your rates might look like this: 

• Hourly: $75-$100+ per cleaner per hour 

• Flat rate and per room (if applicable): Varies by job 

• Per square foot: $0.04-$0.60 per square foot 

Breakdown by Formula 

How big is the house? Will the job take several hours? Each pricing model looks at home cleaning jobs differently. These formulas help you determine how to price cleaning services and crunch the numbers. 

Flat-Rate House Cleaning Prices

Don’t want to have to overthink how to charge for cleaning services? Set it and forget it. Flat-rate pricing assigns rates across all of your services with various contingencies already baked in, including: 

• Labor costs 

• Expenses  

• Profit margin 

• Time required 

• Number of workers  

• Hourly overhead  

• Padding in case of delays  

• Convenience 

Per-Square-Foot Pricing Formula 

If you opt for a price-per-square-foot model, home size will directly impact the end price. Pair this with the scope of each job, and house cleaning prices may vary wildly.  

So, what does this look like in practice? Calculate each job with a simple formula: 

Cost = Square footage x cost per square foot 

Per-Room Pricing Formula 

Similar to square footage pricing, a per-room fee structure zooms in on home size. It’s a bit more granular—after all, bedrooms are usually way bigger than bathrooms, so it’s only fair for the price to reflect this. Per-room pricing fees are in addition to a base fee that assumes one bedroom and one bathroom, like this: 

Cost = Base fee + (number of extra bedrooms x per-bedroom rate) + (number of extra bathrooms x per-bathroom rate) 

Factors That Affect Cleaning Service Pricing 

Whether your crew has to travel outside your normal service area or the cost of supplies is creeping upward, a variety of elements could impact your pricing. Think about which factors impact your operations as you decide how to charge for cleaning services. 

Home Size and Condition 

McMansion? Fido marking his territory? Larger homes or those with pets often require more to freshen every space, so charge accordingly. 

Location and Travel  

Not every job will be right down the road. For jobs that are farther away, factor travel time and fuel costs into cleaning service pricing. Consider optimizing routes or scheduling clients that are near each other together to reduce expenses. 

Cleaning Type and Frequency 

Visiting the same house every other week is way more routine than performing a move-out job for a home that was just sold. The heavy lift often drives up deep cleaning costs, but you can offer package deals for recurring services. 

Local Market and Demand  

What do other cleaning companies in the area charge? Research their rates to keep up with the Joneses and stay competitive. As you identify what people need most, tailor your services to meet their demands. 

Time and Labor 

How heavy of a lift will the job at hand be? The longer the job and the more cleaners you have to send, the pricier it’ll be. Be transparent and manage client expectations about how these factors may impact their bill. 

Supplies and Overhead 

The business only keeps a fraction of money from each job because you have to “pay the piper before you pay yourself. As you decide how to charge for cleaning services, factor in what the business spends on cleaning products, tools, and overhead. 

Experience and Reputation 

A growing business can’t expect to charge big-box rates, but you can work your way up. Let your reputation do the talking and reevaluate your prices as you earn testimonials and trust. 

When to Adjust Your Cleaning Prices 

It’s natural to adjust your cleaning prices over time. Adapting as your business grows or the market changes can help you maintain profitability and reach your goals. Don’t sweat shifting your pricing for house cleaning when: 

• Jobs exceed your usual services or original estimate. 

• Customers outside your service area increase travel time and costs. 

• You offer promotional rates or loyalty or referral incentives.  

• Staffing or market shifts impact your operating costs. 

Set Your Cleaning Prices for Success

Don’t sweat how much to charge for house cleaning. Set the stage for success by implementing a pricing strategy that aligns with your services. Here’s what you can do moving forward to offer win-win pricing for you and your customers: 

• Audit your current pricing model (if you already have one) to see what is and isn’t working for your services and market. 

• Segment pricing into tiers based on service level (e.g., deep clean vs. standard clean). 

• Implement pricing tools, such as estimators or quote forms, to share pricing with customers. 

• Optimize your pricing over time based on results and feedback. 

Trust Service Fusion’s home cleaning service software to get your business off to the races. Our all-in-one platform simplifies everything from estimates and scheduling to managing cleaning jobs in real time and all the way to invoicing and payment.  

Keep your crew focused on the work. Use our handy pricing tool, Flat-Rate Pricing powered by Profit Rhino, to decide how to charge for cleaning services. Get started today.