What should I charge for house cleaning?
Cleaning rates get quoted per home, but your year is built on hours: cleaning time, driving between houses, supplies, and the weeks clients cancel around holidays. Figure out what each working hour must earn first, then quote per-home prices that hold up.
| Gross revenue you need to bill | – |
| Business expenses | – |
| Self-employment tax (15.3%) | – |
| Federal income tax (est.) | – |
| State income tax (est.) | – |
| Retirement savings | – |
| Your take-home income | – |
For projects: estimate the hours the job will take, multiply by your hourly rate above, then add materials (with markup) and a 10–25% buffer for overruns.
Estimates use 2025 federal brackets, the standard deduction, and an approximate state rate. Local taxes, credits, and deductions beyond the standard deduction are not included. Not tax advice.
What to count as expenses
For house cleaning, annual business expenses typically include cleaning supplies and equipment, fuel between homes, liability insurance and bonding, booking/payment app fees, and uniform/laundry costs. Add up a full year of these — using a rough annual total is far better than entering zero and pricing your overhead at nothing.
Be honest about billable hours
Travel between homes typically adds 20–40 unpaid minutes per job. Three 2-hour cleans is an 8-hour day. Price per home = your hourly target × (cleaning hours + travel share), which is why per-home flat rates beat hourly billing for tight routes.
House Cleaner pricing FAQs
Should I charge hourly or flat-rate per home?
Flat-rate per home is usually better once you know a house: you keep the upside of your own speed, and clients prefer a predictable price. Use your calculated hourly rate to set the flat rate, and re-quote if the home’s condition changes.
How much more should a deep clean or first-time clean cost?
First-time and deep cleans typically run 1.5–2× the standard visit price — they take twice the time and more product. Never give a recurring-clean price until the first deep clean is done.
Do solo house cleaners need insurance?
Liability insurance (and ideally bonding) costs a few hundred dollars a year and is increasingly required by clients and property managers. Include it in expenses here; it also makes your quote more credible than an uninsured competitor’s.