Pricing a cleaning job is where most of your profit is won or lost. Quote too low and you are scrubbing bathrooms for next to nothing; quote too high without explaining the value and the client walks. This guide covers how professional cleaners set a price they can defend, and how to turn that price into a quote in a couple of minutes.
Pick a pricing model: per room, per hour, or flat rate
There are three common ways to price a house clean, and most established cleaners use a blend of them:
- Per room or per area. Set a rate for each bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living space. It is fast to quote, easy for the client to understand, and it scales naturally with the size of the home.
- Per hour. Charge for the time the job takes. Simple for one-off or unpredictable jobs, but it can punish you for being efficient and makes the client watch the clock.
- Flat rate per job. One price for the whole visit, based on your own estimate of the rooms and effort. It is the cleanest option for the client, but only safe once you know how long your jobs actually take.
Per room is the easiest place to start because it keeps every quote consistent. Work out a fair rate for each space, and your price is just the rooms added up.
Typical house cleaning rates
Rates vary a lot by region, but these are typical starting points for a standard clean. Treat them as a floor to adjust for your market, not a fixed price list.
| Room or area | Typical rate (standard clean) |
|---|---|
| Bedroom | $20 to $30 |
| Bathroom | $30 to $45 |
| Kitchen | $40 to $55 |
| Living or dining room | $25 to $40 |
| Home office | $18 to $30 |
| Hallway or stairs | $15 to $25 |
Your own numbers should reflect local competition, travel, and your supplies and insurance. When in doubt, price a little higher: it is easier to hold a rate than to raise one on an existing client.
Adjust for the type of clean
The same house takes very different effort depending on the job. A good rule of thumb:
- Standard or maintenance clean: your base rate.
- Deep clean: roughly 1.5 to 1.7 times a standard clean, for baseboards, inside appliances, and built-up grime.
- Move-in or move-out clean: roughly 1.8 to 2 times a standard clean, because empty homes get cleaned top to bottom, inside every cupboard.
Spell out which type you are quoting so there are no surprises when you arrive.
Do not forget the minimum, add-ons, and travel
A small one-bathroom job still costs you travel, setup, and supplies, so set a minimum visit charge that a job can never drop below. Price extras such as inside the oven, inside the fridge, interior windows, or laundry as separate line items rather than absorbing them into the base rate. If you cover a wide area, build travel into your pricing or add it for jobs beyond a set distance.
Do the math in seconds
Rather than working this out on paper for every enquiry, our free house cleaning price calculator does it for you. Add each room, pick standard, deep, or move-out cleaning, and it applies the right multiplier, your add-ons, and your minimum to give an itemized price you can send straight away.
Turn the price into a quote and get paid
A number in your head does not win the job; a clear, professional quote does. Once the calculator gives you a total, turn it into an estimate in one click, send it to the client, and convert it to an invoice when they say yes. Start with the free quote generator, or use the cleaning invoice template to bill a finished job without retyping a thing.
The short version
- Price per room for consistent, easy-to-read quotes.
- Start from typical rates, then adjust for your local market.
- Charge more for deep and move-out cleans, roughly 1.5x to 2x a standard clean.
- Always keep a minimum charge, and price add-ons separately.
- Quote it cleanly and convert to an invoice so you get paid faster.
Know your rate for every room, and every cleaning quote gets faster and more confident.
