Quick answer: Cleaning is usually priced per visit, based on the type of clean and the size of the home, often measured in bedrooms and bathrooms or square feet, with add-ons priced separately and a lower per-visit rate for recurring service.
Pricing methods for cleaning jobs
| Method | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Flat rate per home size | Standard and recurring cleans, priced by bedrooms and bathrooms or a square-footage band. |
| Hourly rate | Homes with unusual layouts, heavy clutter or post-construction cleans where time is hard to predict. |
| Per visit with frequency pricing | Weekly or biweekly service, where the first deep clean costs more and later visits are lighter. |
You can use more than one method in the same business. What matters is that the customer can see which one applies to their estimate.
What drives the price of a cleaning job
- Type of clean: standard, deep, move-in or move-out.
- Size of the home and number of bathrooms.
- Condition of the home and time since the last clean.
- Add-ons: inside oven, fridge, windows or baseboards.
- Pets, supplies and travel distance.
What to check before you quote
- When was the home last professionally cleaned?
- Is it occupied, empty or being moved out of?
- Which add-ons does the customer want?
- Is this a one-time clean or recurring service?
Write the answers into the scope of work. When the price later depends on one of them, the customer can see the assumption you priced on.
Worked example: deep clean, 3-bedroom home
This is the example job in our free cleaning estimate template. The quantities and prices are illustrations to show the structure, not price recommendations; use your own costs and rates.
| Line item | Qty | Unit | Example amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen deep clean: appliances outside, cabinets, counters | 1 | room | $140 |
| Inside oven | 1 | each | $45 |
| Inside refrigerator | 1 | each | $40 |
| Bathrooms: scrub tub, shower, toilet and tile | 2 | room | $150 |
| Bedrooms: dust, baseboards and floors | 3 | room | $135 |
| Living areas: dust, baseboards and floors | 2 | room | $100 |
| Interior windows | 12 | window | $72 |
| Supplies and equipment | 1 | visit | $25 |
| Example subtotal | $707 |
Notice that each part of the price has its own line. A customer comparing your estimate with a cheaper one can see what the other bid may have left out, and you can discuss one line instead of defending the whole total.
Build your markup on real overhead
Whatever the method, a price has to cover four things: direct costs (materials and parts), labor at a loaded rate that includes payroll costs, overhead such as vehicles, insurance, software and the office, and profit. A simple check:
- Add up your yearly overhead and divide it by the hours you can bill in a year. That is the overhead each billable hour has to carry.
- Add it to your loaded labor cost per hour to get your break-even hourly cost.
- Add your profit margin on top, and use the result for both hourly and flat-rate prices.
Margin and markup are not the same: a 50% markup on cost is a 33% margin on the price. Decide which one you are using and apply it consistently.
Send the price, then follow up
Most cleaning estimates are not lost on price alone. They are lost when the customer goes quiet and nobody checks in. Agree on a decision date when you send the estimate and follow up once on that date. Our follow-up email templates give you the wording.
Want a ready-made layout? Download the free cleaning estimate template in Excel, Word or PDF, or see how SprigDeal handles a cleaning estimate from the first quote to the signed approval.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge more for the first cleaning?
Usually yes. A first or deep clean takes longer than maintenance visits, so price it separately and show the lower recurring rate on the same estimate.
Is it better to charge by the hour or a flat rate?
Flat rates are easier for customers to accept and compare. Hourly works for unpredictable jobs; if you use it, give an estimated number of hours.