How to Price Your Cleaning Jobs So You Always Profit
How to Price Your Cleaning Jobs So You Always Profit
A complete pricing guide for residential, commercial, and Airbnb cleaning — built on national averages and real-world math.
Why Most Cleaners Underprice
If you've ever finished a job, looked at what you charged, and thought "I should have made more than that" — you're not alone. Underpricing is the #1 silent killer of cleaning businesses. It's not a lack of clients. It's not poor marketing. It's charging too little and burning out before you ever break even.
Most cleaners price by gut feel, by what the last client said felt "fair," or by undercutting competitors. None of these approaches are tied to your actual costs, your time, or your profit goals. The fix is building a pricing system based on real numbers — and that's exactly what this guide is for.
Build Your Pricing Foundation First
Before you quote a single job, you need to know three numbers: your cost per hour, your minimum acceptable margin, and your target hourly rate.
Know Your True Costs
- Labor — your time or employee wages plus payroll taxes
- Supplies and equipment (amortized per job)
- Vehicle costs — gas, insurance, maintenance
- Business overhead — insurance, software, phone, marketing
- Self-employment tax and income tax set-aside (25–30%)
Example: $4,000 expenses + $3,000 owner pay ÷ 80 billable hours = $87.50/hr minimum
Most cleaning businesses should target a gross margin of 40–60% after direct costs. If you're running solo, anything below $50/hr gross is leaving money on the table in most U.S. markets.
03Residential Cleaning Pricing
Residential is the most common entry point for cleaning businesses. You can price by square footage, by flat rate, or by hourly — and each has pros and cons depending on your market.
National Average Rates
Square Footage Pricing
One of the most scalable ways to quote residential work is by square footage. It's fast, consistent, and easy to explain to clients.
Example: 1,800 sq ft home × $0.10 = $180 standard clean
Recurring Service Discounts
- Weekly service: 15–20% off one-time rate
- Bi-weekly service: 10–15% off one-time rate
- Monthly service: 5–8% off one-time rate
Standard, Deep & Move-In/Out: What to Charge
Not all cleans are created equal. A standard recurring visit, a full deep clean, and a move-in/move-out are three completely different jobs in terms of time, labor, and supplies — and your pricing should reflect that. Here's a Good / Better / Best breakdown by home size for each service type.
Standard Cleaning — National Pricing Tiers
Routine maintenance clean. Surfaces, floors, bathrooms, kitchen wipe-down. No deep scrubbing or moving of furniture.
- Vacuum & mop all floors
- Wipe kitchen counters & sink
- Clean bathrooms (toilet, sink, tub)
- Dust accessible surfaces
- Empty trash cans
- Everything in Budget tier
- Wipe cabinet fronts & appliances
- Mirrors & glass surfaces
- Microwave interior
- Light fixture & ceiling fan dusting
- Everything in Mid-Market tier
- Multiple bathrooms fully detailed
- Baseboards & door frames wiped
- Interior window sills cleaned
- Premium time & attention to detail
Deep Cleaning — National Pricing Tiers
Full reset clean. Every surface, corner, and appliance. Typically required for first visits and homes that haven't been professionally cleaned in 3+ months.
- All standard clean tasks
- Scrub grout lines in bathrooms
- Inside oven & microwave
- Wipe down all cabinet fronts
- Baseboards & door frames
- Everything in Budget tier
- Inside fridge & dishwasher
- Window sills & tracks cleaned
- Light switches & outlets wiped
- Behind & under furniture (accessible)
- Everything in Mid-Market tier
- Full interior window cleaning
- Wall spot cleaning throughout
- Detailed appliance exteriors
- Multi-cleaner team for efficiency
Move-In / Move-Out Cleaning — National Pricing Tiers
Empty home, top-to-bottom. Every cabinet, closet, appliance, and surface — cleaned as if no one has ever lived there. These are your highest-value jobs.
- Full deep clean of all rooms
- All cabinets inside & out
- All closets swept & wiped
- Inside all appliances
- Bathroom tile & grout scrubbed
- Everything in Budget tier
- Interior windows cleaned
- Garage swept & wiped down
- Walls spot-cleaned throughout
- Detailed light fixtures & fans
- Everything in Mid-Market tier
- Full wall washing available
- Carpet cleaning coordination
- 2–4 cleaner team deployment
- Photo documentation included
Commercial Cleaning Pricing
Commercial contracts are where real recurring revenue lives. Offices, retail spaces, medical facilities, and restaurants all have ongoing needs — and they budget for cleaning as a business expense, not a personal splurge.
National Average Commercial Rates
How to Bid a Commercial Account
Example: 3,000 sq ft × $0.10 × 12 visits/mo = $3,600 + 12% supplies = ~$4,032/month
- Walk the property before quoting — never bid blind
- Estimate time using a productivity rate of 2,500–3,500 sq ft per hour for standard commercial
- Always use a written service agreement specifying scope, frequency, and access requirements
- Price higher for irregular hours — nights, weekends, and holidays
- Add a fuel/supply surcharge clause tied to an annual rate review
Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Pricing
Airbnb turnover cleaning is one of the most lucrative niches in the cleaning industry — and one of the most demanding. Hosts need fast, reliable, thorough turnovers between guests. That urgency commands a premium price.
National Average Airbnb Turnover Rates
Key Pricing Factors for Airbnb Clients
- Tight windows: Same-day turnovers (check-out 11am, check-in 3pm) command a 15–25% premium
- Variable guest count: 8-guest parties leave more mess — account for guest count in your quote
- Consumables: Charge hosts for restocked supplies at cost + 20% markup
- Monthly minimums: For low-volume hosts, require a minimum (e.g., 4 turnovers/mo) or flat retainer
- Inspection reporting: Offer to photograph damages at no charge — hosts love this and it builds loyalty
Example: $175 base (3BR) + $35 laundry + $20 restocking = $230 per turnover
Add-On Services That Boost Revenue Per Job
Add-ons are the fastest way to increase your average ticket without adding a single new client. Offer them as optional line items on every quote.
Present add-ons as a checklist at time of booking — not as a hard sell, but as an easy "while we're already there" option. Clients who say yes once often add them to every recurring visit.
087 Pricing Mistakes That Cost Cleaning Businesses Thousands
- Bidding without visiting. Never quote a property you haven't seen. One hoarded house can triple your expected time and tank your hourly rate.
- Forgetting drive time. If a job is 45 minutes away, that's 90 minutes round trip that isn't billable — price it into every quote.
- Charging the same for a first clean. A home that hasn't been professionally cleaned in a year needs a deep clean. Always charge accordingly.
- Not raising rates annually. Supply costs, fuel, and labor all rise with inflation. Build in a 3–5% annual rate review at minimum.
- Undercharging loyal clients. Loyalty is great, but it shouldn't mean working below your costs. Keep loyal clients at market rate.
- Competing on price alone. There will always be someone cheaper. Compete on reliability, communication, and consistency — then hold your rate.
- No written agreement. Verbal agreements lead to scope creep, disputes, and late payments. Every client, every job, needs a service agreement.
Not sure what to charge in your market?
Book a free strategy call. We'll review your current pricing, your local market, and build a rate structure that actually works for your business — no pitch, just strategy.
Book Your Free Call →Putting It All Together
Pricing your cleaning business correctly isn't complicated — but it does require intention. Start with your true costs, build in a healthy margin, use square footage as your anchor, and charge a premium for services that demand it: deep cleans, Airbnb turnovers, same-day windows, and add-ons.
The market will tell you where your ceiling is. Your costs tell you where your floor is. Everything in between is positioning — and that's where the real profit lives.
If you want to skip the guesswork and get a pricing structure built for your specific market and service area, book a free 30-minute consultation here. We work with cleaning business owners every day, and we'll help you get your numbers right.
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