How the calculator works
It adds up what one clean costs you — labor hours times your hourly labor cost, plus supplies, travel and a share of your monthly overhead — then sets the price so your chosen margin is left over. A 25% margin means a quarter of the price is profit, which is not the same as adding 25% to your costs. Adding 25% to costs only leaves you a 20% margin.
If you clean alone, use the hourly wage you want to pay yourself as the labor cost. Your profit margin is then what the business keeps on top of your wage — money for slow weeks, equipment and growth.
Hourly, flat rate or per square foot?
Hourly pricing is safest when you haven’t seen the home, but customers can’t predict the bill and you earn less the faster you get. Flat rates by bedrooms and bathrooms are easy for customers to understand and reward you for working efficiently. Per square foot pricing suits larger homes and commercial spaces, where room counts say less about the work. Many cleaners estimate in hours, then quote a flat price — which is how this calculator works. If you price by square foot, use the “per sq ft” figure in the result to check your rate.
Pricing deep cleans and move-outs
Deep and move-out cleans cost more because they take longer: baseboards, inside appliances and cabinets, built-up grime. Price them on the extra time, not a percentage someone else uses. Time your next few deep cleans, compare them with a standard clean of a similar home, and put your own multiplier in the calculator’s time assumptions. For move-outs, ask for photos or do a walkthrough before quoting — an empty home can be quick or can be the hardest job of the month.
Recurring discounts and add-ons
Weekly and biweekly homes tend to take less time per visit because dirt doesn’t build up between cleans, and they fill your calendar without marketing. That’s the case for a recurring discount — but keep it smaller than the time you actually save. The calculator warns you when a discount pushes your margin down. Price add-ons the same way as everything else: by the time each one takes, multiplied by your labor cost, plus your margin.
Check your price against your local market
A cost-based price tells you the least you can charge and still make money. Your market tells you the most you can charge. Look at the prices local cleaning companies publish on their websites and booking pages, and ask new customers what they paid before. If you hire cleaners, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data for maids and housekeeping cleaners by state and metro area, which helps you set a realistic labor cost.
Costs that are easy to forget
- •Driving time between jobs — it’s labor even if no one pays you for it. Add it to your labor hours.
- •Time spent quoting, scheduling, invoicing and answering messages.
- •Self-employment tax and income tax on your profit.
- •Liability insurance, and bonding if your customers ask for it.
- •Card processing fees if customers pay by card.
- •Replacing vacuums, mops and microfiber cloths as they wear out.
Once your price is set, the next step is getting paid on time. Use the house cleaning invoice generator to bill the job, or download a printable cleaning invoice template.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge by the hour or a flat rate for house cleaning?
Most customers prefer a flat price per clean because they know the cost up front. Hourly pricing protects you on homes you have never seen. A common middle ground is to work out your price from estimated hours, quote it as a flat rate, and adjust after the first visit if the job took much longer than expected.
How much more should a deep clean cost than a regular clean?
Price it by the extra time it takes, not by a fixed percentage. Time a few deep cleans of your own, compare them with your standard cleans of similar homes, and use that difference. The calculator lets you set your own deep-clean and move-out time multipliers.
How do I price a move-out cleaning?
Move-out cleans usually include work a regular clean skips, such as the inside of cabinets, drawers and appliances. Ask for photos or do a walkthrough, estimate the hours, and quote from that. Confirm who is paying — tenant, landlord or property manager — and put the property address on the invoice.
Should I give a discount for recurring cleaning?
A recurring discount can make sense because regular cleans usually take less time and fill your schedule predictably. Keep the discount smaller than the time you actually save, and check that your margin is still positive. The calculator shows your margin after the discount.
How do I know if my house cleaning prices are too low?
Divide what you charge by the total hours the job really takes, including driving, and subtract supplies and other costs. If what is left per hour is less than you would accept as a wage, or leaves nothing for taxes, insurance and slow weeks, your prices are too low.