How to Price Your Cleaning Business for Profit

A solo cleaner in Birmingham, AL charges $13 per hour and works 35 hours a week. After travel, supplies, and insurance, she takes home $18,200 a year, below minimum wage when you account for unbilled admin time. Another solo cleaner in the same city charges $75 flat rate for a 2-bed clean, completes three per day, and takes home $38,000. Same city, same profession, double the income. The difference is pricing strategy. ISSA reports that the US cleaning sector employs over 3.5 million people and generates $90 billion annually. Getting your pricing right is the difference between a cleaning business that sustains you and one that burns you out.

Hourly vs Flat Rate: The Fundamental Decision

Hourly pricing is transparent and easy to set. Charge $20-$30 per hour for residential work ($30-$45 in major metros) and bill for actual time. The fatal flaw: as you get faster through practice and better systems, you earn less per job. A cleaner who takes 3 hours earns more than one who finishes the same quality in 2 hours. Hourly pricing punishes your best asset, efficiency.

Flat rate pricing charges a fixed price per job based on property size and service type. A standard clean for a 2-bed flat might be $65, whether it takes 1.5 or 2.5 hours. As you get faster, your effective hourly rate climbs. Clients also prefer it, they know exactly what they will pay before the cleaner arrives. Most successful cleaning businesses move to flat rate within their first six months.

Per square foot pricing works best for large properties and commercial contracts. At $0.15-$0.35 per square foot, it accurately scales with job size and is standard in commercial cleaning tenders.

Not sure which model fits your business? Run through the trade-offs with the Flat Rate vs Hourly Decision Engine.

Residential Pricing by Property Size

For regular cleans (weekly or biweekly), the US standard flat rates are:

One-off cleans should be priced 30-50% higher than regular cleans. The property has more build-up, you do not benefit from recurring revenue, and you invest the same marketing cost to acquire a one-off client as a regular one.

Commercial vs Residential Pricing

Commercial cleaning (offices, retail, medical) uses different pricing structures. Hourly rates are typically lower ($10-$15 per hour) but contracts involve more hours and are far more predictable. A small office of 1,000 square feet might cost $80-$150 per visit on a 3x weekly contract, generating $960-$1,800 per month in reliable revenue.

The key advantage of commercial work is consistency. A weekly office contract generates reliable income month after month, while residential clients cancel more frequently for holidays, budget reasons, or life changes. Many cleaning businesses start residential and add commercial contracts as they grow and hire staff.

Deep Cleans and Add-On Services

Deep cleans are the highest-margin service in most cleaning businesses. Price them at 2-3x the regular clean rate. A 3-bedroom deep clean at $240-$320 yields significantly higher profit because the additional product cost is minimal ($5-$15) relative to the price premium. The extra time is spent on ovens, appliances, window interiors, baseboards, and detailed work that regular cleans skip.

Other high-margin add-ons to offer: oven cleaning ($40-$80), internal window cleaning ($30-$60), carpet cleaning ($30-$50 per room), and end-of-tenancy cleaning ($200-$500). Proactively offer these to existing regular clients to increase average transaction value without any extra marketing spend.

Profit Margins You Should Target

A solo cleaner with no employees should target a net profit margin of 40-60% after transport, supplies, insurance, and self-employed tax. If you are earning below 40%, your prices are too low or your travel time between jobs is too high. The fix is usually both: raise prices 10-15% and tighten your geographic radius.

A cleaning company with employees should target 10-20% net margin after wages, employer Social Security, training, equipment, insurance, and overheads. Below 10% leaves no buffer for quiet months or unexpected costs. Track your margins with our Profit Margin Calculator and check our Break-Even Calculator to understand how many clients you need to cover fixed costs.

When and How to Raise Prices

Review your pricing annually. The strongest signal that prices need to increase is being fully booked with zero spare capacity, that means demand exceeds your supply, which is the textbook condition for a price increase. Other triggers: your costs have risen (fuel, insurance, supplies), you have gained certifications or specialist skills, or your local market rates have moved up.

Give existing clients 30 days written notice. Frame the increase around maintaining quality: "To continue delivering the service you expect, we are adjusting our rates by X% from [date]." Most clients accept increases of 5-10% without question. If you lose a few clients, you free up slots that can be filled at the new rate, often resulting in higher total income with fewer hours worked.

Pricing Psychology: How to Present Your Rates

Anchor with the deep clean price. When a prospect asks about your rates, lead with the deep clean price first (e.g., "A deep clean of a 3-bed house is $280, and a regular bi-weekly clean is $90"). The regular clean now feels like excellent value by comparison.

Quote the package, not the hourly rate. Clients who ask "What is your hourly rate?" are mentally calculating how long the job should take and will question any bill that exceeds their expectation. A flat rate removes this friction entirely. Say "A 2-bed flat is $65" rather than "I charge $15 per hour."

Offer three tiers. Present a basic clean, a standard clean, and a premium clean for every property. Most clients choose the middle option, which should be your target price point. The premium tier (including extras like oven and fridge) gives clients a reason to spend more without feeling upsold.

Bundle add-ons into the quote. Instead of quoting $80 for the clean and then adding $40 for the oven, quote $120 for "your regular clean plus oven." The inclusive price feels like a package rather than an add-on, and most clients will accept it without questioning each line item.

Scheduling for Maximum Profitability

Pricing is only half the equation, scheduling determines whether those prices translate into real income. The most profitable solo cleaners cluster their jobs geographically, minimizing travel time between clients. A cleaner with 6 clients all within a 2-mile radius earns 15-20% more than one whose clients are spread across a 10-mile area, simply because less time is wasted driving.

Plan your week in geographic zones. Monday is one area, Tuesday another. When taking on new clients, prioritize those in existing zones. When a client in an outlying area cancels, replace them with someone closer. Over 6-12 months, this optimization compounds significantly. Track your time and route efficiency alongside your revenue using our Marketing ROI Calculator to measure the return on your scheduling changes.

Building Your Complete Business Numbers

Pricing is one part of the financial picture. For a full view: model your break-even point with our Break-Even Calculator, check margins with the Profit Margin Calculator, and read the carpet cleaning rate guide for how carpet operators structure their quotes. If you are considering hiring, our Employee Cost Calculator helps you understand the true cost of each team member. Use our Freelancer Rate Calculator to work backward from your income goals. Adjacent home-service trades follow the same quote logic: see our Plumbing Cost Calculator, Fencing Quote Calculator, and Landscaping Quote Calculator for how pricing patterns transfer across trades.

Insurance, Certification, and Professional Standards

Public liability insurance is essential. A minimum of $1 million cover protects you if a client's property is damaged during cleaning. Policies cost $50-$150 per year for solo cleaners. Without it, a single accidental damage claim could destroy your business.

Employer's liability insurance is legally required once you hire staff. Minimum cover is $5 million. Policies cost $100-$400 per year depending on employee count.

Professional certifications from organizations like the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) add credibility and justify premium pricing. A ISSA-certified cleaner can charge 10-15% more than an uncertified competitor because the certification signals quality and professionalism. Investment: $100-$300 for training and certification.

DBS checks (Disclosure and Barring Service) are not legally required for domestic cleaning but give clients significant peace of mind. A basic DBS check costs $18 and can be completed in 1-2 weeks. Advertising that all your staff are DBS-checked removes a common objection and helps win clients with children or vulnerable family members. Combine this with the Hourly to Salary Calculator to budget your take-home earnings after insurance and certification costs.

Scaling From Solo to Team

The transition from solo cleaner to cleaning company is the most critical business decision you will make. As a solo cleaner with good rates and efficient scheduling, you can earn $35,000-$45,000 working 35-40 hours per week. The ceiling is your available hours.

Hiring your first employee changes the economics fundamentally. You now earn a margin on their hours too, but your costs increase: payroll taxes (employer share of FICA at 7.65%), liability insurance, training time, uniform, equipment, and management overhead. A cleaner paid $12 per hour costs you approximately $15-$16 per hour all-in. If you charge clients $18-$20 per hour for their work, your margin per employee hour is $2-$5.

The math works when you reach 3-4 employees. At that point, the combined margin on their hours ($6,000-$20,000 per year per employee) exceeds what you would earn cleaning yourself. Your role shifts from cleaner to manager. Track the financial impact of each hire with our Employee Cost Calculator.

Marketing Your Cleaning Business on a Budget

The most effective marketing channels for cleaning businesses, ranked by cost-effectiveness:

Google Business Profile (free). Claim and optimize your Google Business listing with photos, services, pricing, and customer reviews. This is the single most important marketing asset for a local cleaning business, most customers search "cleaner near me" and choose from Google Maps results. Aim for 20+ five-star reviews within your first year.

Referral program (low cost). Offer existing clients $10-$20 credit for every successful referral. Word-of-mouth is the highest-converting lead source for cleaning businesses. A client who refers a friend has already pre-sold your service, the conversion rate on referral leads is typically 60-80%.

Leaflet drops ($50-$150). Target specific streets and neighborhoods where you already have clients. Clustering jobs geographically maximizes your earnings per hour. A well-designed leaflet with a clear offer (e.g., "First clean 50% off") can generate 1-3 inquiries per 500 drops.

Facebook local groups (free). Join neighborhood groups and respond helpfully when people ask for cleaner recommendations. Do not spam, instead, build a reputation by offering genuine advice. When someone asks "Can anyone recommend a cleaner in [area]?", having 3-4 existing clients vouch for you is more powerful than any advertising. Track your marketing ROI with our Marketing ROI Calculator.

Pricing Decision Matrix

Not every pricing model suits every service type. The matrix below shows which pricing approaches work best for each cleaning category. Use it as a starting point when structuring your quotes.

Flat rate dominates residential and recurring work because it gives customers certainty and rewards cleaner efficiency. Commercial contracts favor per-hour or per-square-foot models because the spaces are larger and scope varies between visits. Deep cleans work well as flat rate or per room because the service is clearly defined and easy to quote upfront.

How to Handle Price Objections

Every cleaning business faces price pushback. The way you respond determines whether you win the client at a profitable rate or cave to a discount that erodes your margins. The first principle is straightforward: never drop your price without removing scope. If a prospect says your quote is too high, offer a reduced service rather than the same service for less money.

When a potential customer compares your quote to a cheaper competitor, resist the urge to match. Instead, explain what your price includes that theirs may not: insurance, professional products, DBS-checked staff, or a satisfaction guarantee. The cheapest quote rarely represents the best value, and most homeowners understand this when the differences are spelled out clearly.

A common objection is "I can clean it myself for free." The effective response is to reframe cleaning as a time trade-off. If a client earns $25 per hour in their job and the clean takes three hours, they are spending $75 worth of their time on a task you can complete to a higher standard for a similar cost. Position your service as buying back their time, not as an expense.

For recurring clients who ask for discounts, offer a small reduction (10-15%) tied to a commitment. A client who books bi-weekly for a minimum of three months earns a lower rate than a one-off booking. This locks in predictable revenue while giving the client a genuine reason to commit. CalcStack tools can help you model the financial impact of different discount structures on your overall margins.

Seasonal Pricing Adjustments

Cleaning demand fluctuates throughout the calendar. Understanding these patterns lets you adjust pricing and marketing spend to maximize revenue during peaks and maintain cash flow during troughs. Spring is the busiest period for deep cleans as homeowners prepare for warmer weather and entertain guests. End-of-tenancy cleans spike in summer when student and rental turnover is highest.

During peak months, you have pricing power. Demand exceeds supply, so raising your one-off and deep-clean rates by 10-15% is justified and rarely questioned. Clients who need a clean before a specific event or move-out date will pay the premium rather than risk not finding availability.

Quieter months require a different approach. Rather than discounting your core rates, create seasonal promotions that add value. Offer a free oven clean with any whole-house booking in January, or bundle carpet cleaning at a reduced add-on rate during November. These promotions fill your schedule without training clients to expect lower base prices year-round.

Regular recurring clients should be insulated from seasonal pricing changes entirely. Their rate stays consistent regardless of the month, which is one of the benefits you can highlight when encouraging new customers to commit to a regular schedule rather than booking ad hoc.

For Cleaning Companies: Turn Your Pricing Into Lead Generation

Instead of listing static prices on your website, embed an interactive pricing calculator. Visitors enter their property size, cleaning type, and any add-ons, receive an instant estimate, and submit their details to book. You capture their property information and service preferences as a qualified lead, ready for a single confirmation call instead of a lengthy qualification conversation.