How much should I charge for house cleaning?

Part of: Cleaning Business Growth

Most standard house cleans in the US cost $118 to $238 per visit, about $176 on average, according to HomeAdvisor's 2026 cost guide, and Thumbtack puts a standard clean at $146 to $202. You can charge by the hour ($25 to $80 for cleaning companies, per HomeAdvisor), by a flat rate per visit, or by the square foot ($0.10 to $0.20 for a standard clean). Whichever you choose, check that the price covers your pay, supplies, travel and taxes.

What do house cleaners charge in 2026?

The two biggest published cost guides land in the same range: roughly $120 to $240 for a standard clean of an average home. Both are national averages, so prices in your area can be higher or lower.

Use these as a reality check, not as your price. Look at what a few local competitors list on their websites, then price from your own costs.

Should I charge by the hour, by the job or by the square foot?

Each method works. What matters is that every one of them comes back to how long a home takes you and what an hour of your time costs.

Thumbtack's bedroom pricing shows how size moves the price: $133 to $174 for a one bedroom home, $166 to $250 for three bedrooms and $217 to $327 for five.

How do I work out my own hourly rate?

Start from what you need to earn, then add your costs, then compare the result with the market ranges above. If your number is far below the market, you are probably leaving money on the table.

1. Decide what you want to pay yourself per hour of cleaning.
2. Add self-employment tax. The IRS says the self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, on top of income tax.
3. Add supplies, gas and insurance, spread across your cleaning hours.
4. Add unpaid time: driving, quoting, texting clients and bookkeeping.
5. Add a profit margin so the business can grow, not just pay you.
6. Compare the total with HomeAdvisor's $25 to $80 range for companies.

For context, employees in this job earned a median of $17.07 an hour in 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data shown on O*NET OnLine. If you hire help later, your rate has to cover their wage plus payroll costs.

How do I turn my hourly rate into a flat price?

Time a home on the first visit, then multiply. A flat price is just your hourly rate times the hours a clean takes, rounded to a clean number.

1. Do the first clean by the hour, or quote a range and track your time.
2. Write down the hours, the number of cleaners and any extras.
3. Multiply total cleaner hours by your hourly rate.
4. Add your travel time if the home is far from your other jobs.
5. Quote that as the flat price for future visits, with the task list in writing.

Example only: if a home takes one cleaner 3 hours and your rate is $50 an hour (HomeAdvisor's reported average), the flat price would be about $150 per visit.

How much more should a deep clean or move-out cost?

Charge noticeably more, because these jobs take longer. HomeAdvisor reports deep cleans at $200 to $400 per visit, or up to $0.25 per square foot, and move-out cleans up to $500, or up to $0.35 per square foot.

Spell out what a deep clean includes before you quote it. HomeAdvisor lists tasks like baseboards, inside the refrigerator and deep bathroom cleaning as common deep clean items. Many cleaners price the first visit as a deep clean, then switch to a lower recurring rate.

Should recurring clients get a lower price?

Often yes, because homes cleaned often take less time. HomeAdvisor reports weekly cleaning at $75 to $200 per visit and every two weeks at $100 to $250, and says many companies drop their rate by $5 to $10 per visit for weekly or every other week service.

Thumbtack's numbers show the same pattern: $174 to $256 for a one-time visit, $162 to $228 for monthly and $160 to $220 for every two weeks.

Do I need to add sales tax?

In some states, yes. Texas, for example, says maid and janitorial services should collect sales tax, including on cleaning a home. Check your state's rules before you quote, since tax changes the price the client pays. Our cleaning business license guide covers this in more detail.

How Momyntum helps

Good prices only help if people can find you and book. Momyntum is a $49 a month growth service that covers your website and hosting, outreach that brings in new customers, help getting found on Google and AI search, and a short weekly report by email. Get your free website check or start a 14-day trial.

By Momyntum Team. Updated November 1, 2026. For: House cleaning.

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