How to Price a House Cleaning Job (2026 Guide)

Setting the right price is one of the hardest parts of running a house cleaning business. Charge too little and you burn out; charge too much and you lose the job. This guide breaks down a simple, repeatable pricing method you can use to quote confidently — whether you are a solo cleaner or running a small team.

1. Choose a pricing model

Most cleaning businesses use one of three models. Pick the one that matches how your customers think about value:

• Hourly pricing — simple and transparent, but caps your income and can penalize you for being efficient.
• Flat-rate (per job) pricing — the industry favorite. Customers know the price upfront and you get rewarded for working faster.
• Per-square-foot pricing — great for move-out and deep cleans where size drives the workload.

2. Know your true hourly cost

Before you set any price, calculate what it actually costs you to work for an hour. Add up labor (including your own time), supplies, transportation, insurance, software, and taxes. Then add your target profit margin — most healthy cleaning businesses aim for 20–40% profit after all costs.

3. A simple flat-rate formula

A reliable starting point for a standard clean looks like this:

• Base price for the visit (covers show-up cost and small homes).
• Plus a per-bedroom and per-bathroom amount (these drive most of the work).
• Plus square-footage above a threshold (e.g., anything over 1,000 sq ft).
• Multiply by a job-type factor: standard ×1, deep clean ×1.5, move-out ×2.
• Add fixed prices for add-ons like inside the fridge, inside the oven, laundry, or a pet surcharge.

This is exactly the logic CleanQuote AI uses to generate an itemized, editable quote in seconds — so you never have to do the math on the driveway again.

4. Factor in the variables that change the price

• Condition of the home — first-time and neglected homes take longer.
• Frequency — weekly and biweekly clients should get a lower per-visit rate than one-time jobs.
• Pets and clutter — both add real time.
• Location and travel time — build drive time into the price.

5. Present the quote professionally

A clear, itemized, branded quote closes more jobs than a number scribbled on a notepad. Show the line items, the total, an estimated duration, and an easy way to accept and pay. Speed matters too — the faster you send a professional quote, the more likely you are to win the job before a competitor replies.