Pricing guide · Cleaning

What to Charge for Cleaning Jobs in 2026

Written for the cleaning business owner setting prices, not the homeowner comparing quotes.

Cleaning is a repeat-revenue business being priced like a one-time service. The single biggest pricing mistake in this industry is treating the first clean and the fortieth clean as the same product. They are not: the first visit is discovery and catch-up work, and every visit after is maintenance on a known house.

Here is what US cleaning businesses are billing in 2026, and how to structure it so the recurring book carries the company.

2026 cleaning rate benchmarks

Use these as sanity checks, not as your price list. Your own cost structure sets your rate; the market decides whether it's defensible.

What you're billingTypical 2026 US range
Standard house cleaning (per visit)$120–$250
Deep cleaning$200–$400
Move-in / move-out cleaning$250–$500
Window cleaning (per window)$5–$15
Carpet cleaning (per room)$25–$75
Hourly equivalent (solo cleaner)$40–$75/hr
Recurring discount vs one-time10–20%

Commercial and short-term-rental turnover cleaning price differently (per square foot contracts and flat turn rates respectively) and both reward reliability over sparkle. The residential numbers above are the core market.

First clean high, recurring steady

Price the first visit as a deep clean ($200–$400) even for customers who intend to go biweekly. It takes 1.5–2x the time of a maintenance visit, and it is where you earn the recurring rate. Then set the recurring price at your standard rate with a 10–20% loyalty discount for weekly or biweekly service. A biweekly house at $140 is worth $3,600 a year; price the relationship, not the Tuesday.

Flat rate beats hourly, with one exception

Customers hate watching the clock, and fast crews should profit from speed. Quote flat per-visit prices built internally from hours (a 2,000 sq ft house is roughly 3–4 solo hours standard, 6–8 deep) times $40–$75 per hour. The exception: hoarding-adjacent, post-construction, and "we have not cleaned since the divorce" jobs. Those bill hourly with a walkthrough first, because no flat quote survives contact with them.

Charge for the things that wreck your day

  • Add-ons priced individually: inside oven $25–$50, inside fridge $25–$50, interior windows by count, laundry and dishes by basket. The add-on menu turns "while you're here" into revenue.
  • Same-day and after-hours premiums: 25–50% for compressed scheduling, especially rental turnovers.
  • Cancellation policy: under 24 hours, 50% of the visit. Your route cannot resell the slot.
  • Supplies: included in your rate normally, but bill specialty products (post-construction, biohazard-adjacent) at cost plus.

Raise prices annually, keep the good houses

A cleaning book quietly rots as houses get bigger dogs and lower prices. Review every account each January: 5–8% standard increase, more for the houses that grew. The accounts that leave over a $10 increase were subsidized by the ones that stayed. Communicate increases in writing in February for a March 1 start; never spring them on the invoice.

Bill the job with the free cleaning invoice template

Describe the visit ("biweekly clean, 3 bed 2 bath, inside oven added") and the AI helper drafts itemized lines at the rates on this page. Edit anything, download a clean PDF.

Open the cleaning invoice template →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I charge for house cleaning in 2026?

Standard recurring house cleaning runs $120–$250 per visit in 2026, deep cleans $200–$400, and move-out cleans $250–$500. Internally that is built from $40–$75 per solo hour. Square footage, pets, and condition move a given house within the range.

Should cleaning be priced hourly or flat rate?

Flat per-visit rates win for standard and recurring work: customers get certainty and efficient cleaners profit from speed. Bill hourly (with an in-person walkthrough first) only for condition-unknown jobs like post-construction and severe catch-up cleans.

How much cheaper should recurring cleaning be than one-time?

A 10–20% discount from your one-time rate for weekly or biweekly service is standard. The first visit should be priced as a deep clean regardless, since it runs 1.5–2x a maintenance visit. Price the annual value of the account, not the single Tuesday.

Should I charge a cancellation fee for cleanings?

Yes: 50% of the visit price for cancellations under 24 hours, stated on every invoice and reminder. Your route cannot resell a same-day slot, and a written policy applied consistently keeps it fair and enforceable.

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