How Much to Charge for House Cleaning: $140–$220 a Clean and Your Lowest Price
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Housecall Pro's data puts a standard house cleaning at $140 to $220
Housecall Pro's guide, updated October 21, 2026, says house cleaners typically charge $140 to $220 for a standard clean and $30 to $80 an hour per cleaner. The clean range is the middle half of prices in a year of its customers' cleaning records, ending September 2026. Housecall Pro says those prices may include solo cleaners without insurance or payroll. The number that matters more is your lowest price: what a clean costs you, including your own pay, plus the profit you want to keep. In the one-cleaner example below, which is arithmetic and not a market price, a three-bedroom clean costs about $117 and the lowest price is about $156.
Here are Angi's prices as printed in Housecall Pro's guide, next to Thumbtack's guide, updated October 20, 2026. Angi's are standard cleans, and Thumbtack does not say which kind:
| Home size | Angi | Thumbtack |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $75–$110 | $133–$174 |
| 2 bedrooms | $100–$150 | $136–$217 |
| 3 bedrooms | $130–$200 | $166–$250 |
| 4 bedrooms | $150–$210 | $191–$286 |
TIDY (April 7, 2026) lists standard cleans at $55–$110 for one bedroom, $100–$170 for two, $140–$230 for three, and $200–$350 for four or more. For three bedrooms, the middles run from $165 (Angi) to $208 (Thumbtack). The guides do not agree, so none of them is your price. Customers also ask ChatGPT. In our test of 239 ChatGPT answers on October 22, 2026, its house cleaning price ranges were wider than Thumbtack's and Housecall Pro's and mostly overlapped them.
Prices move with the city. Housecall Pro's seven regional ranges for a standard clean span $135 to $270, and it says major cities run roughly 20% to 75% higher. To see your town, check what competitors charge on Angi, Thumbtack, or local Facebook groups. Your own costs decide what you can accept. If your lowest price is above what your town pays, lower your costs, or charge a premium and be ready to say why. Quote above your lowest price. For offices, see what to charge for commercial cleaning.
Your lowest price is what a clean costs you plus your margin
Your costs are your pay, payroll tax, driving, supplies, and your share of insurance and overhead. The margin is what you keep after paying all of that. Two lines matter. Below the cost of the clean, you are paid less than the hourly pay you chose. Below your lowest price, you keep less than your margin.
For a 25% margin, divide the cost of the clean by 0.75.
For another margin, subtract it from 1 and divide by that: 0.8 for 20%, 0.7 for 30%. Housecall Pro's guide uses this method at 25%. Multiplying by 1.25 instead keeps only 20% of the price. Jobber's guide does that while calling it a 25% profit margin: its $40 cost becomes a $50 price, and the $10 left is 20% of $50.
Write these lines in your notes:
| Line | How to work it out |
|---|---|
| Hourly pay | Your choice for yourself |
| Hours at the house | Time a few cleans |
| Hours driving | Round trip, for each person |
| Pay and tax | House and driving hours x pay, plus payroll tax |
| Mileage | Round-trip miles x 76 cents |
| Supplies | Monthly spend divided by cleans |
| Insurance and overhead | Monthly cost divided by cleans |
| Cost of the clean | Add pay and tax, mileage, supplies, and overhead |
| Lowest price | Cost of the clean divided by 0.75 |
- Hourly pay: a helper on your payroll must be paid at least the minimum wage where you work, and some local governments set theirs above the state's. Seattle's 2026 rate is $21.30, so $20 would be too low there.
- Pay and tax: 15.3% is the self-employment tax rate, and the IRS figures it on your net profit, so it also applies to the margin you keep. For a helper, Housecall Pro puts payroll taxes, workers' comp, and other employer costs at 15% to 20% of wages, and Jobber puts them at 25% to 40% with training and travel time.
- Mileage: 76 cents is the IRS business rate for July 1 to December 31, 2026. Check the IRS page for the rate after that.
- Taxes: income tax is not in the table, so ask your accountant. Sales tax on cleaning depends on your state. The Texas Comptroller says a maid service should be collecting sales and use tax. The Minnesota Department of Revenue lists vacuuming, floor cleaning, and window washing as taxable building cleaning, which it says covers homes and apartments, and lists making beds and straightening rooms as not taxable. Ask your state tax office what applies to you. This is not tax or legal advice.
Worked examples: the lowest price for one cleaner and for a team of two
This is arithmetic with example numbers, not a market price. Here are the inputs:
- House and time: three bedrooms and two bathrooms, about 2,000 square feet. Housecall Pro says a standard clean of that size takes 3 to 4 hours for one cleaner, or about 1.5 to 2 hours with two. The example uses 3.5 hours for one and 1.75 each for two.
- Pay: $20 an hour for each person. That is above the $17.07 national median for maids and housekeeping cleaners, from BLS data, and a little under the $21.01 average Housecall Pro cites from Indeed. Payroll tax is 15.3% on your pay and 20% on the helper's, the top of Housecall Pro's range.
- Driving: 30 minutes round trip for each person, and 15 miles round trip for the car.
- Supplies: $8, as in Housecall Pro's example.
- Insurance and overhead: $5 a clean, which is $200 a month over 40 cleans: $60 for liability and a janitorial bond, which some clients ask for (Insureon averages $51 and $9), plus an assumed $140 for phone, software, and ads. The example has no commercial auto policy, which Insureon puts at $250 a month on average and says most states require for vehicles owned by a business.
| Line | One cleaner (you) | You and a helper |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | $80.00 | $90.00 |
| Payroll tax | $12.24 | $15.89 |
| Mileage | $11.40 | $11.40 |
| Supplies | $8.00 | $8.00 |
| Insurance and overhead | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Cost of the clean | $116.64 | $130.29 |
| Lowest price at a 25% margin | $155.52 | $173.72 |
Pay is the hours at the house plus the driving, times $20: 4 hours for one cleaner, and 2.25 hours each for two. The team's lowest price is $18 higher because the helper's driving time and payroll cost ride on the same house.
Overhead depends on volume. 40 cleans a month of this size is about 160 paid hours, close to full time. At 10 cleans a month, the same $200 is $20 a clean, and the lowest price is $175.52. Our house cleaning business plan shows how many cleans a month pay you.
At 40 cleans a month, a price of $175 is above both lowest prices, inside every three-bedroom range above, and inside Housecall Pro's $150 to $220 for a standard clean of 2,000 square feet. Thumbtack's average for three bedrooms and two bathrooms is $220, so $175 is a price above your lowest price, not the market price.
Quote a flat price for homes you have timed, and hourly for the rest
Hourly, flat, per room, and per square foot all work as long as the price stays above your lowest price. Here are the ranges the guides publish and when they say to use each:
| Way to charge | Published range | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $30–$80 per cleaner | Job length is unclear |
| Flat | $140–$220 a standard clean | You have timed it, or a repeat client |
| Per room | $30–$50 a room | Small home, or a partial clean |
| Per square foot | $0.10–$0.20 standard, $0.12–$0.30 deep | 3,000+ square feet, as a check |
Housecall Pro publishes the hourly, flat, and square-foot ranges, and HomeGuide (bylined April 2024) the per-room range. For hourly, HomeGuide says $25–$75, and Jobber says an average of $40–$55, though its own table says $20–$50.
Housecall Pro says to quote flat for recurring clients and homes you know well, hourly for first-time or unpredictable jobs, and by square foot for large homes. A flat price is a guess on a home you have never seen. Treat square footage as a check on your quote, not as the price. Housecall Pro says per-square-foot math runs higher than bedroom-based quotes: at 2,000 square feet its table gives $200 to $400, while its guide says to plan on $150 to $220.
- Time a few cleans of each size before you set a flat price, so you are not guessing.
- Work out your lowest price from the timed hours. Use the lines in your notes.
- Quote above it. Housecall Pro's example sets a $110 to $130 flat rate on an $88 minimum, which works out to 25% to 48% above it.
If you quote by the hour, divide your lowest price by the hours at the house. In the one-cleaner example, that is $44 an hour at $20 of pay, because you bill none of the driving and also pay tax, mileage, supplies, and overhead. Here are the lowest prices for the same example at other pay rates, rounded to the dollar:
| Your hourly pay | Per hour at the house | For the 3.5-hour clean |
|---|---|---|
| $17.07 (national median) | $39 | $138 |
| $20 | $44 | $156 |
| $25 | $53 | $186 |
| $30 | $62 | $217 |
Deep cleans, move-outs, and first cleans are priced by the hours they take
A deep clean or move-out is a standard clean plus hours, so price the hours. For a 2,000-square-foot house, Housecall Pro says a standard clean takes 3 to 4 hours for one cleaner, a deep clean 3 to 6, and a move-out 4 to 8, and that deep and move-out times depend on condition and crew size. Prices, October 2026, from Thumbtack's guide and Housecall Pro's:
| Clean | Thumbtack | Housecall Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $146–$202 | $140–$220 |
| Deep | $190–$265 | $180–$375 (Angi) |
| Move-out | $200–$286 | $220–$400 |
The guides disagree on the jump from standard to deep. TIDY says to expect roughly 1.5 to 2 times the standard rate. Jobber says to add 30% to 50%. A multiplier is a guess, so run your lowest price again with the longer hours. Example arithmetic: 6 hours at the house instead of 3.5, with everything else unchanged, makes the cost $174.29 and the lowest price $232.39, inside Thumbtack's $190 to $265.
For a new recurring client, price the first clean as a deep clean, and quote it that way. Housecall Pro suggests pricing a new recurring customer's first visit as a deep clean and then moving them to standard pricing, and TIDY says the first session of a recurring plan is often priced as a deep clean to set a baseline. Tell the client in writing that the first visit is a deep clean at its own price and that standard pricing starts at the second visit. Housecall Pro says to "Always confirm the quote in writing before the job." Our guides to starting a house cleaning business and cleaning business marketing cover how to win and keep recurring clients.
Companies say recurring clients get 0% to 20% off, and your lowest price sets the limit
Three companies publish recurring prices or discounts:
- TaskRabbit, Oct 1, 2026: weekly 5% to 20%, every two weeks about 10%, monthly 0% to 5%.
- TIDY, Apr 7, 2026: weekly and every-two-weeks plans save 10% to 20% a visit, it says. Its own table for a three-bedroom home shows more: weekly $100–$175 a visit against $180–$350 one time. No monthly discount stated.
- Thumbtack, Oct 20, 2026: no weekly price. $160–$220 a visit every two weeks and $162–$228 monthly, against $174–$256 one time. The ranges overlap, and Thumbtack states no discount.
Housecall Pro tells you to make sure the discounted rate still covers labor, supplies, overhead, and your margin.
Your lowest price is the limit. Example arithmetic: say you price the house at $175. The lowest price is $155.52, so the most you can take off is about 11%. A 10% discount gives $157.50. A 15% discount gives $148.75, which is $32.11 above the cost of the clean but under your lowest price, so you keep about 22% instead of 25%. A recurring clean that takes less time gives you more room: if it takes 3 hours instead of 3.5, the lowest price drops to $140.15, enough for almost 20% off $175.
If a client asks for a lower price, change the scope before the rate. Housecall Pro suggests skipping an add-on, cleaning priority rooms only, or moving from weekly to every two weeks.
Price add-ons by the time they take, and set a minimum for small jobs
Add-on prices from two guides:
| Add-on | Housecall Pro, Oct 2026 | HomeGuide, byline 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Inside oven | $30–$50 | $15–$35 |
| Inside refrigerator | $31–$100 | $12–$50 |
| Inside cabinets | $75–$230 | $25–$45+ |
| Extra bath or bedroom | $30–$60 | $10–$30 (extra room) |
Laundry is $5 to $20 a load at both HomeGuide and Jobber. Windows are $4 to $7 each inside at HomeGuide and $4 to $10 at Jobber. Our window cleaning pricing guide covers windows as the main job.
Price an add-on on its own, because the drive is already paid for. Its lowest price is pay, payroll tax, and supplies, with your margin on top. Example arithmetic: $20 an hour plus 15.3% is $23.06, or $30.75 with a 25% margin. An oven that takes you 40 minutes comes to $20.50 before supplies, and each $1 of supplies adds $1.33, so Housecall Pro's $30 to $50 leaves room and HomeGuide's $15 to $35 might not.
A minimum charge is your lowest price for the smallest job you will drive to. Example arithmetic: a one-bedroom that needs 1.5 hours, with the same driving and $5 in supplies, costs $67.52, so the lowest price is $90.03. The work is 43% of the three-bedroom clean, but driving, mileage, and overhead do not shrink with the house. HomeGuide's $60 low end for a one-bedroom is below that cost. TIDY notes that many pros set a 2 to 3 hour minimum.
Change prices 5% to 10% at a time, and tell recurring clients in writing first
Jobber's 2026 Home Service Trends Report surveyed 1,050 US home service owners in December 2025. In it, 65% of businesses raised prices in the past year, and cleaning pros were the least likely to, at 55%.
Housecall Pro suggests adjusting 5% to 10% at a time and tracking how many quotes you win. It aims for a close rate of 65% to 75% and says that losing more than 35% of quotes may mean you are above market, or that you need to explain your value better.
Change new quotes first. Then tell recurring clients in writing before the new price starts. Housecall Pro says the notice should state the new rate, the effective date, and the reason. Give one reason that is true for you, and follow any agreement you signed. Our guide to how to raise your prices has a break-even table and the text to send.
Where ServicePro fits
ServicePro is home services software. It starts with getting you found. The Free plan is $0 with no card: it builds a website from your Google Business Profile, with five service pages, a booking page, and no per-lead fees, and it carries a Powered by ServicePro.co badge. Pro is $99 a month with no contract, and adds a toll-free number that forwards to your cell with two-way texting, plus 25 town pages.
Sam is the AI office manager that never sleeps. You can text him to draft an invoice and email it to any customer with an email on file, and the Sam page shows how to get him.
ServicePro does not write quotes or plan routes. If you want customers to book online at a price set by bedrooms, bathrooms, or square feet, Housecall Pro says its cleaning software has fields for that, in its pricing guide. Get the free website.
How this post was made: drafted with AI from the sources linked on this page. Figures and links were checked on October 22, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I charge to clean a house?
Housecall Pro's October 2026 guide puts a standard clean at $140 to $220, and Thumbtack's says $146 to $202. Those show what customers expect. Your lowest price decides what you can accept: add pay, payroll tax, driving, supplies, and overhead, then divide by 0.75 for a 25% margin. For a three-bedroom house with one cleaner paid $20 an hour, the example arithmetic comes to about $156.
How much should I charge per hour for house cleaning?
A solo cleaner paid $20 an hour needs about $44 for each hour at the house, by example arithmetic, once you add the unbilled driving, supplies, mileage, tax, and margin. Guides list $25 to $75 (HomeGuide, bylined 2024), $30 to $80 (Housecall Pro, October 2026), and an average of $40 to $55 (Jobber, March 2026), per cleaner.
Should I charge hourly or a flat rate for cleaning?
Flat for homes you have timed and for repeat clients, hourly when you cannot tell how long a job will take. Housecall Pro and Jobber both say flat suits recurring work and hourly suits first-time or unpredictable jobs. Either way, work out your lowest price first so the quote never falls below it.
How much should I discount weekly or biweekly cleaning?
Companies say 0% to 20%. TaskRabbit (October 2026) estimates 5% to 20% for weekly, about 10% for every two weeks, and 0% to 5% for monthly, and TIDY (April 2026) says 10% to 20% for weekly and biweekly. Let your lowest price set the limit. For a three-bedroom house with one cleaner paid $20 an hour, a $175 price with a $155.52 lowest price leaves about 11% to give, by example arithmetic.
How much do I charge for a deep clean or a move-out clean?
Thumbtack's October 2026 guide lists deep cleaning at $190 to $265 and move-out at $200 to $286. Housecall Pro puts move-in or move-out at $220 to $400 and says deep cleans take 3 to 6 hours and move-outs 4 to 8. Time the job, then work out your lowest price with those hours instead of multiplying the standard price.
What should my minimum charge for a cleaning be?
Your lowest price for the smallest job you will drive to. For a 1.5-hour one-bedroom clean with one cleaner paid $20 an hour, the example arithmetic comes to $90.03. That is 58% of the three-bedroom lowest price for 43% of the work, because driving, mileage, and overhead do not shrink.
How do I tell my cleaning clients I am raising my prices?
Send a short written notice, such as a text, before the new price starts. Give the new price, the start date, and one reason that is true for you, which is what Housecall Pro recommends for recurring customers. A month ahead gives them time, and any agreement you signed comes first. Housecall Pro suggests changing prices 5% to 10% at a time.
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