Most new cleaning businesses set prices by asking “what does everyone else charge?” That tells you what customers might accept — but not whether that price is any good for you. A price that works for a company with a cheap supply contract and tight routes might lose you money. This guide shows a cost-first method you can use for any home.
Step 1: Know what one hour of labor costs you
If you employ cleaners, this is their hourly wage plus payroll costs. If you do the cleaning yourself, it’s the hourly pay you want for yourself. Not sure? Work it out from your income goal with the hourly rate calculator.
Step 2: Estimate how long the job will take
Time is the biggest variable in a cleaning price. Build your estimate from:
- Size — square footage, plus extra time for each bathroom and bedroom.
- Type of clean — a deep or move-out clean takes much longer than a maintenance clean.
- Condition — pets, clutter and how long since the last professional clean.
- Frequency — weekly homes stay cleaner, so each visit is faster.
- Add-ons — inside the oven or fridge, interior windows, laundry.
The best data is your own: time your jobs for a few weeks and calculate how many square feet you clean per hour.
Step 3: Add up the job cost
Job cost = (Hours × Labor cost per hour) + Supplies + Travel + OtherInclude travel — fuel or mileage there and back. It’s easy to forget, and on a short job it can be a big share of the cost.
Step 4: Price for your target margin
Price = Job cost ÷ (1 − Target margin)If the job costs $130 and you want a 30% margin, the price is $130 ÷ 0.70 = $185.71. Notice this is more than adding 30% to cost ($169) — adding a percentage on top of cost is markup, which gives a lower margin than you might expect.
Step 5: Sense-check against your market
Now compare. If your cost-based price is far above what local customers pay, look for the reason: are you slower than you think, is your travel too long, are your supplies expensive? If it’s far below, you may be leaving money on the table. Either way, you’re making the decision with real numbers.
Flat rate, hourly, or per square foot?
| Method | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rate per job | Customers like knowing the price up front | Underestimating time on heavy jobs |
| Hourly | Unpredictable jobs like post-construction | Customers may worry about the final bill |
| Per square foot | Quick quotes for similar homes | Ignores condition and room count unless adjusted |
Whichever you use, check the expected profit. The cleaning estimate calculator supports both cost-plus-margin and per-square-foot pricing and shows the profit behind each.
Write it down
Send every customer a written estimate that lists what’s included, how long the price is valid, and that the price assumes the condition described. Here’s what to include in a cleaning estimate.