How to Price Your Cleaning Business: Complete Pricing Guide

Getting your pricing right is the difference between a cleaning business that thrives and one that burns you out for minimum wage. Price too low and you will be working long hours for little profit. Price too high and you will struggle to win clients. This guide covers everything you need to set competitive, profitable prices for your cleaning services in 2026.

Should You Charge Hourly or Flat Rate?

Hourly pricing is the simplest model. You charge a fixed rate per hour (£12 to £20 for residential, £10 to £15 for commercial) and bill for the actual time spent. This is transparent and easy for clients to understand. The downside is that as you get faster and more efficient, you earn less per job. It also makes it harder to predict income.

Flat rate pricing charges a fixed price per job regardless of how long it takes. A standard clean for a 2-bedroom flat might be £60, whether it takes 1.5 or 2.5 hours. The advantage is predictability for both you and your client. As you get more efficient, your effective hourly rate increases. Most successful cleaning businesses move to flat rate pricing once they have enough experience to estimate job times accurately.

How Do You Price Cleaning by Property Size?

For residential cleaning, property size is the primary pricing factor. Typical flat rate prices for a standard regular clean in the UK:

Studio/1-bed flat: £40 to £60
2-bed house/flat: £50 to £80
3-bed house: £70 to £100
4-bed house: £90 to £130
5+ bed house: £120 to £180

These prices assume a fortnightly or weekly regular clean. One-off cleans should be priced 30% to 50% higher because they take longer (there is more build-up to deal with) and you do not benefit from the recurring revenue. Use our Carpet Cleaning Calculator to quote add-on carpet cleaning services.

What's the Difference Between Commercial and Residential Pricing?

Commercial cleaning (offices, retail, medical) is priced differently from residential. Hourly rates are typically lower (£10 to £15) but contracts involve more hours and are more predictable. A small office of 1,000 sq ft might cost £80 to £150 per visit. Commercial contracts are usually won on a per-visit or monthly retainer basis rather than hourly.

The major advantage of commercial cleaning is consistency. A weekly contract for an office generates reliable recurring income, whereas residential clients cancel more frequently. Many cleaning businesses start residential and transition to commercial as they grow.

How Do You Upsell Deep Cleans and Add-Ons?

Deep cleans are one of the most profitable services you can offer. Price them 50% to 100% above your standard clean rate. A 3-bedroom deep clean at £200 to £300 yields significantly higher margins because the additional products cost is minimal (£5 to £15) compared to the price premium.

Other high-margin add-ons include oven cleaning (£40 to £80), window cleaning (£30 to £60), and end of tenancy cleaning (£200 to £500 for a full property). Offer these proactively to existing clients to increase your average transaction value.

What Profit Margin Should a Cleaning Business Target?

A solo cleaner with no employees should target a net profit margin of 40% to 60% after transport, supplies, and insurance. If you are earning less than 40%, your prices are too low or your routes are too spread out (excessive travel time between jobs). A cleaning company with employees should target 10% to 20% net margin after all costs including wages, employer NI, training, equipment, and overheads.

Track your margins carefully as you grow. Use our Profit Margin Calculator to check your current margins and our Break-Even Calculator to understand how many clients you need to cover your fixed costs.