Result
- Estimated labor hours
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- Labor at your rate
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- Supplies
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- Frequency discount
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- Effective hourly after supplies
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Bathrooms add 20 min and bedrooms 10 min each. Rounded up to the nearest $5. The speeds, multipliers and discounts are example starting points - change them to match how you actually work.
How this house cleaning price calculator works
Most cleaners start by copying a competitor's price or a number from a forum. The problem is that those prices were set around someone else's speed, wages and costs. This calculator works the other way round: it starts with the hourly rate you need to earn and how fast you actually clean, then turns that into a price for a specific house.
price = max(minimum, hours x hourly rate + supplies - frequency discount), rounded up to $5
1. Find your real cleaning speed
Your speed (square feet cleaned per hour) is the most important number here, and it's personal. Time your next few standard cleans from walking in to walking out, then divide the home's square footage by the total hours. Do the same for deep cleans. The defaults on this page are only placeholders so the calculator produces a number - replace them with your own.
2. Set the hourly rate you actually need
Your target hourly rate should cover your pay, plus the time you spend driving, quoting, invoicing and buying supplies, plus taxes and insurance. If you're not sure what that number should be, use the hourly rate calculator - it works for any service business, not just handymen.
3. Adjust for condition and frequency
A home that hasn't been cleaned in months takes longer than one you visit weekly, so the condition multiplier scales your time. Recurring clients often get a discount because their homes stay cleaner and they fill your schedule predictably; enter the discounts you actually offer.
4. Check the effective hourly rate
The last line shows what you earn per labor hour after supplies. If it comes out well above your target, your minimum price probably kicked in - fine for small homes. If it comes out below, a discount is eating your margin, and it's worth deciding whether that client is worth it.
Pricing per visit vs. per hour
Clients usually prefer a flat price per visit because they know what they'll pay. Charging per visit also rewards you for getting faster. The risk is underestimating, which is why it helps to track how long each recurring home really takes and re-price the ones that run long.
Track which homes underpay you
Once you have regular clients, compare each home's price against the minutes it really takes. Homes quietly drift - more pets, more clutter, a finished basement - and a price that worked at the first walkthrough can drop well below your target rate a year later.
FAQ
How do I calculate how much to charge for house cleaning?
Estimate the hours the home will take from its square footage and your cleaning speed, add time for bathrooms and bedrooms, adjust for condition, multiply by your target hourly rate, then add supplies and apply any recurring discount. Round up and make sure it's at least your minimum job price.
What cleaning speed should I use?
Use your own. Time several real cleans and divide square footage by hours worked. Speeds vary a lot by person, team size, home layout and service type, so a number from someone else will give you someone else's price.
Should I charge per hour or a flat rate?
Many cleaners quote a flat price per visit because clients prefer knowing the cost upfront. Base that flat price on estimated hours times your hourly rate, then check real times and adjust.
Is the calculator accurate for commercial cleaning?
It's designed for homes. Commercial jobs often have different scopes, schedules and contracts, so treat the result as a rough starting point only.