Pricing is the single biggest reason new house cleaning operators stay broke. Charge too low and you grind for $80 days. Charge too high without confidence and customers ghost. Here's the framework cleaners actually use in 2026.
The three ways to price (and when to use each)
- Flat rate / package pricing — best for residential standard cleaning. One number, all-in. What 80% of customers prefer.
- Hourly — best for first-visit deep cleans, hoarding situations, or "we'll figure it out as we go" jobs. $35–$60/hour per cleaner.
- Per square foot — best for new customers when you can't see the home. $0.10–$0.20/sq ft for standard, $0.25–$0.50/sq ft for deep clean.
The pros use a hybrid: think in hourly cost, quote a flat rate to the customer, hold a per-sq-ft floor.
Standard cleaning vs deep clean vs move-out
Three completely different products. Don't price them the same.
- Standard recurring cleaning: $100–$200 per visit (1,500–2,500 sq ft, typical condition). Maintenance — surfaces wiped, floors vacuumed/mopped, bathrooms + kitchen scrubbed.
- Deep clean (one-time or first visit): $250–$500. Baseboards, inside oven, inside fridge, behind appliances, blinds. 2-3x the time of a standard.
- Move-in / move-out: $300–$600. Empty home, full deep clean, inside cabinets + drawers, walls if needed. Highest expectation: "ready for showings or security deposit."
What changes the number
- Square footage: $0.10–$0.20/sq ft standard, $0.25–$0.50/sq ft deep.
- Bathrooms: the most labor-intensive room. Each additional bathroom adds $20–$40 to a standard clean.
- Pets: hair adds 30–60 min. Most cleaners charge a flat $20–$40 pet surcharge.
- Frequency: recurring customers get 10–25% off the one-time rate. Weekly = cheapest per visit. Monthly costs more per visit (more buildup).
- Location: Boston, NYC, SF, Seattle run 30–50% above national median. Smaller markets 15–25% below.
- First visit: price as deep clean even if customer says "it's not that bad." 9 out of 10 times it's worse than they describe. Set the expectation upfront.
The frequency discount math
One-time: $200. Monthly: $180. Bi-weekly: $160. Weekly: $140. The weekly customer pays you 26 × $140 = $3,640/year. The one-time customer pays you $200, then disappears. Discount weekly customers — they're the engine of the business.
The honest minimum
Most cleaners set a $120–$150 minimum regardless of home size. The drive, the gear, the supplies — under $120 you're losing money. Don't do tiny apartments at tiny prices unless they're on a route with two other jobs.
How to quote without flinching
- Get the data. Square footage, # of bedrooms, # of bathrooms, pets, frequency interest. 3 minutes on the phone.
- Quote a single number, with confidence. "For your 2,200 sq ft home, 3 bed/2 bath, biweekly — $165 per visit. First visit is a deep clean at $325. Want to book?" Not "It would probably be around 150, depends on..." Confidence sells.
- Explain the first-visit-is-deep rule. Customers expect this once it's framed. "Your first clean is always a deep clean — it sets the baseline so every visit after that is faster + cheaper."
- Don't discount on the spot. If they push back, hold or offer to extend the recurring discount, never cut the headline price.
Red flags in your own pricing
- Closing 95%+ of quotes: too cheap, raise prices.
- Closing <30% of quotes: either too expensive OR your quoting confidence is weak.
- Days that net under $300 in revenue: minimums too low or over-driving.
- Customer asks "is that all?": too cheap, raise prices.
The bottom line
Charge by hourly internally, quote flat rate externally, hold a $120-$150 minimum, raise prices when you're booked out 2+ weeks. Operators following this hit $80K+ revenue in year two solo.
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