How much to charge for a house cleaning
Price a house clean from the home, then check the hourly. Start with a base price, add a set amount per bedroom, per bathroom and per 100 sq ft over 1,000, take off any recurring discount and add extras. With example prices, a 3-bed, 2.5-bath, 1,900 sq ft home every two weeks with a pet and the fridge comes to $265 a visit, about $53 an hour after supplies.
The formula
Price per visit = (base price + per bedroom + per full bath + per half bath + size over 1,000 sq ft) × clean type × condition, minus your recurring discount, plus pet fees and extras. Round to the nearest $5.
Then check it: (price − supplies) ÷ hours the clean takes = what you make an hour. If that's under your goal, the price goes up, whatever the square footage says.
Worked example: a 3-bed home every two weeks
These are example prices, the starting numbers in CleanQuote. Use your own.
| Part of the price | Example rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $90 | $90.00 |
| 3 bedrooms | $15 each | $45.00 |
| 2 full baths | $25 each | $50.00 |
| 1 half bath | $12 | $12.00 |
| 1,900 sq ft (900 over 1,000) | $6 per 100 sq ft | $54.00 |
| Standard clean, normal condition | × 1.0 | $251.00 |
| Every-2-weeks discount | 15% off | −$37.65 |
| Pet fee | $15 | $15.00 |
| Inside the fridge | $35 | $35.00 |
| Price per visit | rounded to $5 | $265 |
The first visit is a deep clean at 1.5 times the home price with no discount: $251 × 1.5 + $15 + $35 = $426.50, so $425.
Time on site: 30 minutes to start, 20 per bedroom, 30 per full bath, 12 for the half bath, 40 per 1,000 sq ft, 30 for the fridge and 10 for the pet. That's 278 minutes, about 4.6 hours. After 8% for supplies you keep $243.80, so the visit pays about $53 an hour.
Check a quote
This calculator uses one hours number you enter. CleanQuote works out the hours from the rooms, size, extras and clean type, prices the first deep clean, and writes the quote text you send.
Quote every house in a minute
CleanQuote does this math with your own numbers, shows what the job really pays, and writes the message for you. $19 once.
Questions
What is the average hourly rate for house cleaning?
Taskrabbit's cost guide, updated October 2026, puts the US average at about $33 an hour, with city averages from $41 in Denver to $55 in Boston and Washington DC. Housecall Pro's 2026 guide says cleaners typically charge $30 to $75 per hour per worker. Use these as reference points and check your own jobs with the formula above.
How much more should a deep clean cost?
Housecall Pro's 2026 guide says deep cleaning typically costs 50% to 100% more than a standard clean. The example above uses 1.5 times the home price, so the first deep clean is $425 against $265 for the regular visit.
Should I give recurring clients a discount?
Many cleaners do. Housecall Pro says weekly and biweekly customers may get a 10% to 15% lower per-visit rate. Take the discount off the regular visit, not the first deep clean, and check the hourly after the discount.
Should I charge by the hour or a flat price?
Most clients would rather know the price before you start, so a flat price per visit is common. Build it from the home, then use the time the clean takes to check that it pays your hourly goal.
How should I charge for pets?
A flat pet fee covers the extra hair and the extra time. The example adds $15 and 10 minutes for a pet. If a home has several shedding pets, raise the fee or the condition setting.
Sources
- Housecall Pro: How much to charge for house cleaning, 2026 pricing guide
- Taskrabbit: How much does house cleaning cost?
Written by John at Vantic Ventures. Fee figures from other businesses are their published numbers, not advice for your area.