What goes into the cost of a cleaning job
- Labor. Usually the biggest cost. It’s the hours the job takes multiplied by what one labor hour costs — a cleaner’s wage plus payroll costs, or the hourly pay you want for yourself.
- Supplies. Chemicals, paper towels, trash bags, sponges and microfiber you use up on the job.
- Travel. Fuel or mileage to and from the home, plus tolls and paid parking.
- Other job costs. Equipment rental, disposal fees, a helper for a big move-out clean.
The cost formula
Total job cost = (Hours × Labor cost per hour) + Supplies + Travel + OtherAll-in cost per labor hour = Total job cost ÷ HoursThe all-in cost per hour is a useful check: if your hourly price is below it, every hour you work loses money.
Worked example
A 2,000 sq ft deep clean estimated at 7 hours, with labor at $22/hour:
| Labor (7 hrs × $22) | $154.00 |
| Supplies | $25.00 |
| Travel (24 miles round trip) | $16.00 |
| Total job cost | $195.00 |
That’s an all-in cost of about $27.86 per labor hour. To earn a 30% margin you’d need to charge $195 ÷ 0.70 ≈ $278.57. Example figures only — use your own wage and costs.
Make your cost estimates more accurate
- Time your next 10 jobs and update the “sq ft cleaned per hour” assumption to match your real pace.
- Track supply spend monthly and divide by jobs completed.
- Use the IRS standard mileage rate or your actual fuel cost per mile for travel — and don’t forget the drive home.
- Once you know the cost, check your price with the profit calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cleaning costs for a job?
Add up everything the job costs you: labor (estimated hours × hourly labor cost), cleaning supplies and consumables, travel (gas, mileage, tolls, parking) and anything else like equipment rental or disposal fees. The total is your break-even price — charge less and you lose money.
What costs do cleaning businesses forget?
Travel time and mileage, consumables like trash bags and microfiber replacement, equipment wear, card processing fees, and the extra time heavy-condition homes take. Overhead like insurance, phone and software is usually better built into your hourly labor rate or margin.
How much should I budget for cleaning supplies per job?
It depends on the products you use and the size of the home, so track it: divide what you spent on supplies last month by the number of jobs you did. Use that number here and update it every few months.
What's the difference between cost and price?
Cost is what the job takes out of your pocket. Price is what you charge the customer. The difference is your profit. This page focuses on cost; the cleaning estimate calculator turns that cost into a recommended price.