Pricing guide · September 2026
The short answer: a standard clean of a typical 3-bed, 2-bath home runs $135–180 in most US markets (HomeGuide; Tidy — average ~$180), deep cleans run 40–50% higher, and you should quote by the job — not the hour. Below are the benchmark bands, what moves them, and how to turn a first-time clean into a recurring book.
| Clean type | Typical range (US) | Time for one cleaner |
|---|---|---|
| Standard / maintenance clean | $120–280 | 2.5–4 hrs |
| Deep clean (first-time or seasonal) | $200–450 | 4–6 hrs |
| Move-out clean | $200–600 | 5–8 hrs |
Bands above match 2026 data from HomeGuide, Housecall Pro, Thumbtack and HireAHelper — the same ranges our Cleaning Estimate Calculator checks against. Bathrooms move the price more than bedrooms — scrubbing a bathroom is the slowest work in the house. A working formula many cleaners use: a base visit fee plus a per-bedroom charge plus a larger per-bathroom charge, then multiply by the clean type.
Up: first-time cleans (build-up), pets, deep-cleaning add-ons (oven, fridge, windows), high-cost metros (NYC, SF, Seattle run 20–40% above the bands), and homes over 2,000 sq ft.
Down (deliberately): recurring clients. Weekly clients commonly pay 15–20% less per visit — they skip the build-up work and give you predictable income. Biweekly sits between at roughly 10% off. That's not a discount you're giving away; it's buying schedule density.
Quote by the job. Hourly quotes punish you for getting faster and make clients watch the clock. Price the job from your own hourly floor: if you need $45/hr and the home takes 3 hours, the quote is $135 — whatever the market band says. The band tells you if you're in range; your floor tells you if you're profitable.
The Cleaning Estimate Calculator does this formula live — enter rooms, clean type and frequency, and it returns a quote range plus the estimated hours, with the loyalty discount built in for recurring clients. When the quote's accepted, turn it into paper with the Cleaning Invoice Generator and standardize the visit with the Checklist Builder.
Price first cleans as a deep clean — typically 40–50% above your standard rate. Even a "clean" home has years of build-up in the places maintenance cleans skip: baseboards, door frames, inside appliances, vents. One deep first clean, then maintenance pricing after, is the standard playbook.
15–20% off the per-visit price is the common band. They cost you less time per visit (no build-up) and zero scheduling gaps — the discount pays for itself in density. Biweekly clients typically get around 10%.
Move-outs are quoted close to deep-clean rates and up, because the scope is everything: inside appliances, cabinets, closets, baseboards — and the deadline is a lease inspection. Quote from a checklist, not a walkthrough, so nothing is "surprise" scope.
Most cleaners add $15–30 per visit for heavy pet homes (hair, dander, accidents) or build it into the base. Whatever you do, price it before the first visit — pet work is the most commonly underquoted scope in the trade.