Typical house cleaning prices
These are typical US ranges for a small cleaning business or a solo cleaner, not a large franchise. Prices run higher in big cities and lower in small towns, so use them to check your numbers, not as a quote.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Standard clean, 2 bed / 2 bath | $140–$200 |
| Deep clean, 3 bed / 2 bath | $280–$420 |
| Move-out clean | $300–$500 |
| Weekly or biweekly recurring visit | $120–$180 |
| Hourly rate, per cleaner | $45–$70 |
A recurring visit costs less than a one-off standard clean because the home stays in better shape between visits and you don't have to win the client again each time.
Is $50 an hour good for cleaning?
For one cleaner, $50 an hour sits at the lower end of the typical $45–$70 range. Whether it is enough depends on what the hour has to pay for, because only part of your week is spent cleaning:
- Travel between homes, which nobody pays you for directly.
- Supplies and equipment: cleaning products, cloths, a vacuum that survives daily use.
- Unpaid time: quoting, messages, booking and invoicing.
- Taxes and insurance, and saving for weeks you don't work.
If you clean 25 paid hours in a 35-hour working week, $50 an hour earns $1,250 for the week before costs. Put your own numbers into the hourly rate calculator to see the rate you need.
What to charge for a 3 hour clean
Multiply the hours by your rate per cleaner: three hours at $45–$70 is $135–$210 for one person. With two cleaners working the same three hours, double it.
Many clients find a flat price easier to accept than an hourly one. If a standard clean of a 2 bed / 2 bath home usually takes you three hours, quote it as one job ($165, for example) and keep the hourly rate for extra work you agree on the day. The invoice beside this article does exactly that: one line for the three-hour clean and separate lines for the add-ons.
Per hour, per job or per square foot
- Per job (by home size and type of clean) is what most clients expect for regular house cleaning. They know the price up front, and you earn more as you get faster.
- Per hour suits jobs you can't size before you start: a home that hasn't been cleaned in months, hoarding situations, or extra tasks added on the day. Agree the hours or a cap in advance.
- Per square foot is mostly used for post-construction and commercial cleans, where the space matters more than the number of rooms. A typical range for post-construction work is $0.25–$0.50 per square foot.
Whichever you use, say it in your quote before the first visit so the invoice holds no surprises.
Add-ons that raise the price
Extras that take real time belong on their own line, priced separately:
| Add-on | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Inside oven | $35–$60 |
| Inside fridge | $30–$50 |
| Interior windows, per window | $6–$12 |
| Laundry, per load | $20–$30 |
Listing them separately shows the client what they paid for, and makes it easy to offer them again next time.
How to show your prices on an invoice
Write one line per service with the date of the visit, the home or room count, and the price. Put each add-on on its own line with a quantity, so "8 interior windows at $9" adds up in front of the client. State when payment is due and how to pay.
The cleaning invoice template starts with these lines already filled in, so you only change the client, the date and the prices. See how to make an invoice for a checklist before you send it.
Last checked October 28, 2026.