Pricing for Cleaning Services: How Much to Charge for House Cleaning

Running a cleaning services business means there is a lot to consider. House cleaning rates can vary depending on several factors. For example, are you supposed to include things like carpet cleaning, a deep clean, or cleaning supplies in your house cleaning prices? And how are you supposed to charge? Is it a per-hour rate, by square feet, or per job? 

These are all important questions to ask yourself, and most cleaning companies factor in even more. And it doesn’t matter if your business has experienced cleaners or is new to the industry when it comes to basic cleaning.
Read on to learn all about how to determine the most accurate estimates and price guide for your house cleaning business.

Table of Contents

Steps To Get The Right Cleaning Pricing

House Cleaning Service Rate Calculations

How to Charge for House Cleaning Services

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

Steps To Get The Right Cleaning Pricing

Before getting too far into determining the right pricing for cleaning services, there are a few steps you should take beforehand. Doing a bit of due diligence and research early can set you up for success and make your life a whole lot easier.

For example, understanding your average cleaning times can allow you to price jobs appropriately. As well, knowing which pricing model you want to use will contribute to being able to make a good profit.

Below you will find an overview of three steps to take to get the right cleaning pricing for your business.

Record Average Cleaning Times

The first step you should take is to determine your average cleaning times. Since time is essentially money, the more you know about how long it takes to clean certain areas will come in handy. When you have a baseline for each type of room you might clean, you can create an accurate price that also increases your overall profit.

For example, how long does it take you to clean:

• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Bedroom
• Stairs
• Foyer
• Family room
• Den
• Garage

Knowing these timing will also allow you to provide the best quote to your customer that’s also as accurate as possible.

Decide on Pricing Model

Next, you’re going to want to figure out which pricing model will work best for your business. What might work best for another cleaning company might not fit your model. So it’s important to find the solution that works best for you.

For an hourly pricing model, it can be a great choice if you want to focus on providing value and quality at the same time. It can also be a handy option to maximise your profits. For example, having several rooms to clean based on an hourly rate can increase the price of the quote. This is especially the case compared to a per-project pricing model. But it’s equally as important to not drag the hours on for no reason. Working efficiently will always provide more benefits and give more value to your customer.

Another pricing model is the flat rate or per-room model. This can be an excellent choice if there are hard-to-clean areas such as stairs or carpets with stains. You can ensure you price the job accordingly to account for any extra challenges.

Plus, a flat rate model can come across as more appealing to your customers since they know exactly what they’re going to pay upfront.

The final pricing model you can choose is based on square footage. It’s a great model if you regularly clean homes that are around the same size. You’re going to know exactly how long it takes to clean a specifically sized room without having to go in and measure it beforehand. This type of pricing model might also be the most profitable for your business. This is especially the case if you have customers who sign up for weekly or monthly services.

Price Cleaning Services for Profit

Generating a profit while you operate a business is critical for growth and success. No one gets into business without wanting to earn a profit. At the end of the day, you still need to get paid and you also need to adequately pay your employees if you have any.

There are many cleaning companies out there that price based solely on the market average. For example, many companies simply look at their competitor’s pricing and choose to price a little lower. While this might seem like a good way to increase business, it’s not always going to be profitable.

Plus, you need to account for overhead costs, such as supplies, fuel costs, and employee wages to name a few. If you want an easy-to-use solution for creating cleaning estimates, FreshBooks offers a great solution. You can use FreshBooks estimating software to create and send an outline of services for approval before you start working. Simply follow the steps in this article to start sending accurate and profitable service estimates to your clients.

House Cleaning Service Rate Calculations

There are several different ways that you can not only price your cleaning jobs but also calculate overall costs. The most important thing to do is choose the right method for your business and what you need. Typically, there are four different methods that many house cleaning businesses use. These are the square footage method, per-room rates, hourly rates, and a flat fee.

Let’s dive into each of these and break down how they work.

Square Footage Method

The size of homes and buildings get measured in square footage. You must select a price per square foot for this pricing strategy. You might, for instance, charge a certain amount per square foot. You would multiply that amount by the square footage of the house you are cleaning.

Per-Room Rates

Depending on how long it takes to clean each room, you must price each room individually using this pricing strategy. Cleaning a kitchen will take more time than cleaning a bathroom. As a result, your average room rate would be different for the kitchen compared to the bathroom. This would work in a similar way for any other type of room.

Hourly Rates

Using this strategy means your rate needs to get determined by your location and the going rate for similar services.

To attract more customers, don’t price your services too low. Set your rates based on what it will cost you to complete the task, leaving room for profit. While there is some leeway with an hourly rate, keep in mind that as you gain experience and clean homes more quickly, your profit may decline.

Flat Fee

When you provide a service for a predetermined fee, you are charging a flat rate. No matter how quickly you complete the task or how big the house is, charging a flat rate ensures that you always make the same amount of money.

By choosing a flat fee pricing structure, the drawbacks of using an hourly rate are removed. The problem you are solving is what the client is paying for, not your time. Additionally, it ends any disputes or price matching between you and the customer.

Speciality Services Rate

Using this rate can work in combination with one of the other rates outlined above. For example, you might have special rates for cleaning stained carpets or steam-cleaning curtains. Price these rates based on difficulty. Also, ensure you’re accounting for a healthy profit margin to ensure you’re properly compensated for the work you put in.

How to Charge for House Cleaning Services

Similar to the pricing strategies, determining how you will charge for house cleaning services is just as important. There are several factors that you will need to consider. Each one can play an important role in figuring out an accurate pricing strategy.

Location

It’s crucial to take into account where you live. How high or low your rates are will depend on your cost of living. The cost of living is going to be higher in certain locations compared to others. More rural parts of the country have lower costs of living.

Demand is also influenced by geography. There are more people looking for house cleaning services in some regions of the nation than in others. The cost of your services should be determined by local market demand.

Experience

You shouldn’t charge more than seasoned house cleaners do if you’re new to the cleaning business. You won’t be able to support your experience with references. You’ll be able to demand a higher price once you gain more expertise. 

Size of the Home

This will play a big role in your pricing strategy. Larger homes are going to take longer compared to a smaller home. As well, considering the size of the home is an important factor to consider when you’re figuring out if you will charge an hourly rate or a flat rate.

State of the Home

Before determining a price, some house cleaning services demand a walk-through. A walk-through will enable you to determine a home’s condition. The cost should be higher for homes that require more cleaning than what is typical. Rooms that are dirty and not kept clean can cause cleaning services to take longer.

Cleaning Type

Your rate may change depending on the type of cleaning you do. Housekeeping companies will offer packages that include a variety of cleaning services.

Here are a few possible examples of common cleaning service bundles:

• Routine or standard cleaning
• Deep cleaning
• Event cleanup
• Move-out cleaning

Customers might also request other services. These could include the likes of window cleaning, bed linen replacement, or laundry. Any extras should get factored into the price.

Key Takeaways

There is a lot to consider for house cleaning cost estimates and pricing. Some of the first things you should do are understand your average cleaning times and choose a pricing model. As a general rule, most pricing guides get based on hourly rates, flat rates, by the square foot, or per room. 

The most important thing to consider, among other factors, is which strategy works best for your business. From here, you can begin to create the most accurate pricing guide for every cleaning job you have. Not only can you become more profitable, but you can also have more transparent relationships with your clients.

FAQs on Pricing for Cleaning Services

How are you supposed to calculate pricing for cleaning services? 

How you calculate pricing for cleaning services depends on a few factors. Your experience will come into play as well as which pricing strategy you use. For example, you can use a per-room rate, an hourly rate, a flat fee rate, or a square footage rate. 

Is an hourly rate better than a per-room rate for house cleaning? 

For consistent jobs, an hourly rate can work well. However, as you move into bigger jobs that take longer, some hourly rates can limit your overall profitability. It’s important to consider the type of cleaning you’re doing and understand how long it will take. This way, you can choose the best option.

Does location matter when it comes to pricing house cleaning jobs? 

Yes, location can definitely factor into the pricing of house cleaning jobs. The cost of living is going to vary from one location to another. This is why it’s critical to understand where you’re going to complete the job and price it accordingly. 

What’s the most important factor to consider when developing a price guide for cleaning services? 

There can be several important factors to consider when developing a pricing guide. You need to think about how you will calculate the price, the type of cleaning needed, your experience, and the size of the home. All of these, and more, will play a role in creating an accurate quote or price for your customer.

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