How to price a cleaning job
- Estimate the time. How long will one cleaner take? Time several real jobs of each type — standard, deep, move-out — and keep notes by home size.
- Labour cost. Hours × cleaners × what an hour really costs (pay plus payroll costs, or the hourly pay you want if you work alone).
- Supplies and travel. Products used, disposable items and the cost of getting there.
- Price to margin. Price = direct cost ÷ (1 − target margin).
Worked example (sample figures)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Labour: 3 h × 2 cleaners × $22 | $132 |
| Supplies | $12 |
| Travel | $10 |
| Direct cost | $154 |
| Price at 45% margin: $154 ÷ 0.55 | $280 |
| Gross profit per visit | $126 |
Every two weeks is about 2.17 visits a month (26 visits ÷ 12 months), so that client bills roughly $607 a month before tax. These numbers illustrate the method — they aren't market rates for your area.
Recurring vs one-time
A home cleaned every week usually takes less time than a first clean. Rather than applying a blanket discount, time the recurring visits and price them from those hours. Deep and move-out cleans deserve their own templates with their own times.
Want to check a price a client suggested? Use Price first mode in the profit margin calculator.
Common questions
How do I price a cleaning job?
Estimate the hours the job takes per cleaner, multiply by your labour cost per hour and the number of cleaners, add supplies and travel, then price to your target margin. Time a few real jobs to learn your own hours for each home size and service type.
Should recurring cleans cost less than one-time cleans?
Often yes, because a maintained home takes less time. Price each service type from its own measured hours rather than applying a blanket discount.
What should a cleaning estimate include?
Service type (standard, deep, move-out, post-construction), rooms and areas included, add-ons such as inside oven or fridge, exclusions, frequency, price per visit, tax and payment terms.