It’s exciting to start a cleaning business. When it comes to growth and expansion, the possibilities are unlimited. You must know how to charge for house cleaning before you can be a successful service entrepreneur.

It doesn’t have to be difficult to create a house cleaning pricing guide. There are several elements to consider when developing the optimal price guide for your company and clientele.

What do you need to know?

The cost of house cleaning varies by state in the United States. After comparing prices, we discovered that the national average for house cleaning charges per hour ranges between $25 and $90. Of course, this is just an average; depending on the region, some firms charge more per hour.

This data is useful since it allows you to know what other people in your industry are earning. We’ve examined the broad picture and broken it down to assist you in determining how much to charge for your house cleaning services.

Types of cleaning services

 

• Standard cleaning: Sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and tidying
• Deep cleaning: Gets rid of more dirt and grime in the bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchen. Refrigerators, lamps, windows, and other hard-to-reach spots may also require deep cleaning.
• Moving out cleaning: This service cleans your home or apartment from top to bottom, including walls, cupboards, and other areas that haven’t been cleaned since you moved in.
• After-event cleaning: After an event or party such as cleaning dirty dishes, cleaning the living space, and bringing out the trash.

Various types of house cleaning services may be required at different periods depending on what is going on in your life. Deep cleaning is an excellent option for your annual spring cleaning or for cleaning up after a home remodel when there is a lot of dust. Event cleanup is ideal for getting your house in shape before a big event or getting it back in shape after one. Cleaning after a move-in or a move-out Refurbishing your apartment or house might give you a tremendous return on investment by allowing you to obtain your deposit back.

The lesser the expense to you, the less intensive the cleaning task for the specialists is. A basic house cleaning service will always be the least priced in the absence of any special discounts, while thorough cleaning or move-out cleaning will usually be the most expensive.

Cleaning firms may classify certain services differently, so always discuss the details of each cleaning task with the cleaning company before beginning work, and inquire about rates for unusual requests. Make sure you receive a written copy of your agreement that includes a description of the cleaning day and time, as well as the duties that will be addressed.

Methods for calculating rates

Clients can be charged in a variety of ways for house cleaning services. What matters is that you select the best strategy for you. The four most popular procedures utilized by house cleaning companies are as follows. They can be based on the home’s square footage, a per-room rate, a per-hour rate, or a flat fee.

The square footage method

The size of a house or a building is measured in square footage. This pricing strategy necessitates deciding on a charge per square foot. You could, for example, charge $0.10 per square foot. You would multiply 10 cents by 2,000 square feet if the house you are cleaning is 2,000 square feet. As a result, a 2,000 square foot home costs $200.00.

Per-room rates

This technique of pricing necessitates pricing each room separately based on the time it takes to clean it. Cleaning a kitchen takes longer than cleaning a bathroom. So, if the kitchen costs $100.00 and the bathroom costs $50.00, the average cost per room is $75.00.

Per-hour rates

The national average for house cleaning rates per hour ranges from $25 to $50, as previously stated. Your rate should be determined by where you live and what other businesses in your area charge. To attract more customers, don’t underprice your services. Calculate your charges based on how much it will cost you to complete the project, plus a profit margin. While an hourly rate allows for some flexibility, keep in mind that as you gain experience and clean houses faster, your profit margin may shrink.

Flat rate

When you perform a service for a specific sum, you charge a flat rate. Cleaning a house, for example, would cost $100 a week. Charging a flat price ensures that you earn the same amount of money regardless of how quickly you complete the task or how big the house is. Choosing a flat fee pricing approach avoids the issues that come with charging an hourly rate. The client is paying you for the problem you are fixing, not for your time. It also removes any price matching or conflicts between you and the client. You can also simplify your cleaning business recurring billing with Probill invoice.

Specialty cleaning service rates

Specialty services go above and beyond to assist your clients in solving a problem. Many house cleaners are unable to solve it, but you are—and this distinguishes you from your competitors.

Are you stumped as to how much to charge for specialized services? Depending on the service, these types of add-ons usually use a combination of the previous four pricing models.

Now, what method should you use?

Location

The location of your residence is an important factor to consider. How high or low your rates are will be determined by your cost of living. The cost of living will be higher in places like San Francisco, CA, and New York City. The cost of living is cheaper in more rural areas of the country. Demand is also influenced by the area. There is a bigger number of people looking for house cleaning services in some parts of the country. You should price your services in accordance with local demand.

Experience

If you’re new to the cleaning business, you shouldn’t charge more than more experienced cleaners. You won’t be able to back up your claims with references. You’ll be able to charge a premium fee once you’ve gained more expertise.

Frequency

Because of the amount of time required to clean a residence, frequency affects prices. Cleaning a home more frequently takes less time. The initial cleaning may take longer, but subsequent cleanings will take less time.

Dimensions of the house

Cleaning will take longer in a larger house. If you have a flat rate, consider raising it if you have a large house.

State of the house

Before determining a charge, several house cleaning services need a walk-through. A walk-through will help you to assess the condition of a property. The charge should be greater for residences that would require more than a regular cleaning.

Cleaning types

Your rate may be affected by the type of cleaning you undertake. Packages with various cleaning services will be offered by house cleaning agencies. Here are some cleaning service bundles to consider:

• Standard cleaning
• Deep cleaning
• Event cleaning
• Move-out cleaning

Clients may occasionally request additional services such as window cleaning, bed linen changes, or laundry completion. Any extras should be included in the price.

Number of cleaners required for the job

When determining your fee, one of the most important considerations is whether the customer requires a single cleaner or a team of experts. This is also dependent on the type of property and its state.

Profit margin

Visit the house

You’ll need to know the area you’ll be working with before we can build a price guide so you can appropriately charge for cleaning services. First and foremost, never give estimates over the phone.

According to Cleaning 4 Profit, you must see the house in question when assessing all private house cleaning jobs. Why? You should calculate how long it will take your firm to clean the house, not how long the consumer believes it would take you. Because the consumer is not in command of the cleaning company, they will not have the same idea of what the task entails as you. The consumer may attempt to deceive you in order to obtain a lesser bid. Alternatively, people may be unaware of how long a professional cleaning operation takes. Cleaning firms will need the most precise and up-to-date information in order to be paid fairly and accurately.

In any event, you must visit the residence to assess the job at hand before providing an estimate. Otherwise, you’ll be paying yourself less than you should on a regular basis.

Measure the space with a laser distance measurer while you’re there to get a better picture of what you’re dealing with, or ask the customer for the total square footage. If you’re more experienced, you can just eyeball it.

Time Estimation

Now that you’ve seen the house, figure out how long you anticipate the project will take. According to Cleaning 4 Profit, cleaning 1,000 square feet of a property should take 1.5 hours on average. So, cleaning a 3,000 square foot home should take 3 hours, and so on. Deep cleaning and vacant house cleaning, for example, will definitely take longer or shorter.

You’ll need to budget for additional charges while deep cleaning a home. Years of damage may necessitate the use of specialized materials as well as additional cleaning time. You’ll need to know the rooms and particular locations they’ll need you to clean, as well as the standards they’re looking for, to get the most accurate deep cleaning estimate.

For first-time cleanings, you might want to double or triple your rate, especially if the place has been neglected and needs some significant TLC. To avoid any issues later on, it’s a good idea to determine how much thorough cleaning a house costs in advance for the client.

After that, because you’ve restored order, you can charge your standard amount for subsequent cleanings. Cleaning service fees ensure that everything is precise and efficient, which is the greatest approach to ensure that you are paid correctly.

Whatever the situation may be, make it a practice to keep track of how long each job takes so you can modify your pricing properly.

Calculate labor costs

Even if you’re the one performing the cleaning, figure up the labor expenditures. You always pay yourself this way. You must decide on an hourly rate. The most efficient way to ensure that everyone is paid appropriately and on time is to use time and service chargers. If your industry requires it, separate sections for other cleaners and chargers can be created.

Cleaners who service buildings and residences earn an average of $11.24 per hour, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of course, in high-paying states like Hawaii, D.C., New York, Massachusetts, and Nevada, where the average hourly wage is between $18.41 and $14.16, this figure is greater.

To calculate labor costs, multiply the number of hours you believe the job will take by the hourly rate.

• For example, cleaning a 3,000 square foot house takes three hours. You’re in Nevada, thus the average hourly fee for a cleaner is $14.16.
  • $14.16 multiplied by three equals $42.48

Taxes must be taken into account

If you have employees, you should also think about payroll taxes. FICA taxes are the official name for payroll taxes. According to Cleaning 4 Profit, payroll taxes will account for 18 percent of your labor costs.

• In the previous example, your labor cost is $42.48.
  • Payroll cost: $42.48 x 0.18 = $7.65
  • So far, the total hourly rate has been $42.48 + $7.65 = $50.13.

Factor in supplies

Cleaning supplies, for example, are an evident price in house cleaning chores. You’ll need to add roughly 6% to account for supply costs. Because cleaning materials might be difficult to estimate, we’ve provided an example below. They’re an important element of housekeeping, but they don’t have to be difficult to figure out.

• $50.13 multiplied by 0.06 equals $3.
  • So far, the total hourly rate has been $50.13 + $3 = $53.13.

Factor in overhead

Overhead is defined as any expenditure that is not directly related to the job at hand, such as office rent, marketing, and so on. To compensate for these charges, you need to add 50%.

• $53.13 divided by 0.50 equals $26.57
  • So far, the total hourly rate has been $53.13 + $26.57 = $79.70.

Add markup

You need to apply a markup to this task if you want to make a profit. Add 33% to your total cost. Of course, if you really need the money, want to be competitive, or want to land this client, you can lower this number. However, don’t undervalue yourself.

• $26.30 = $79.70 x 0.33
  • Final hourly rate: $79.70 + $26.30 = $103

Now you know how much you’ll charge your client per hour: $103 per hour.

If your state requires you to collect sales tax, include it in your estimate. Thankfully, service-based firms in Nevada (our example state) are exempt from collecting sales tax. As a result, your cost guide can appropriately represent your cleaning prices.

How much should you charge for a deep cleaning?

You can increase your regular cleaning rates by 30–50% if you’re undertaking a deep clean. Here’s how it may appear if you used different pricing methods:

• Deep Cleaning Hourly Rate: $40–100 per hour, depending on the size of the team and their experience.
• Flat fee: $200–400+ is charged depending on the size of the home and your team
• Room rates: $98–165 per night for a room with one bed and one bath, plus $35 per bedroom and $15 per bathroom.
• Rates per square foot: $0.11–0.33 per square foot for bigger homes

Pricing for extras

Some factors can affect your prices, just like they can in any business. Let’s look at a few things that could influence cleaning industry prices. To begin with, cleaning products can add to your expenses. You may need to purchase various products for clients that like an eco-friendly environment in their house. Using organic or environmentally friendly items might be pricey.

Second, as previously said, add-ons like cleaning the dishes or changing the bedding can affect the price. Finally, if a client provides their own supplies for you to use, you will need to increase your charge. The trick is to ask questions and do a thorough inspection of the property. You’ll have a better understanding of the cleaning services the client needs and how long it will take to clean their property.

What does a basic house cleaning entail?

Most providers allow you to pick which specific services you require. A basic house cleaning, on the other hand, should include:

• Disinfecting surfaces to remove bacteria and viruses
• Keeping hard floors clean
• Cleaning and disinfecting the bathroom
• Trash collection
• Bed linens replacement
• Surface cleaning in the kitchen

Last words

The dilemma of how much to charge for a service is one that many entrepreneurs face. Because of the various considerations stated above, determining cleaning rates can be difficult. Taking into account frequency, location, and demand is only the beginning.

Entrepreneurs who want to start a house cleaning service should think about their experience as well as the size of the residences they want to clean. Don’t sell yourself too low or too high! We admire your courage in taking the risk of starting your own firm. You should now have a better understanding of how to charge a reasonable fee for your services and run a successful cleaning business. Best of luck!