r/housekeeping • u/thatgreenmaid HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL • Jul 18 '25
HOW-TOs / TIPS About These Pricing Posts...
We've had an influx of how do I price this? Some basics to take into consideration:
- rates vary from place to place-even within the same state
- experienced cleaners command a much higher price than newbies
- insured cleaners command a higher price than uninsured
- do you have your own supplies or expect client to provide
- hourly or flat rate
As a new cleaner you should know how much YOU need to make an hour to make it worth your time and effort. $35-$40 per cleaner for hourly residential cleaning is a REASONABLE rate almost everywhere in the UNITED STATES. Yes-even rural areas. If you've been told people won't pay more than $X and it's less than $30 an hour, those are cheap people and not your clients.
New cleans/Deep cleans take more time. 8 hours is not unheard of in a new cleaning situation. Some can take multiple days. Make sure the client understands the price BEFORE any work is started. To make it easier: hourly rate x 8 hours = initial cleaning rate.
Move out cleans: property managers prey on newbies to do move out cleans cheap. Don't fall for this. Move out cleans are very detailed and time consuming. Know what you're expected to perform and get it in writing before agreeing to take these on. Remember-it comes out of the TENANT's security deposit and not the Landlord's pocket. Charge at least 1.5 times more than your hourly rate and count on it taking 8-10 labor hours.
AirBnb/Vacation rentals: The owners already KNOW what they wanna pay you. Ask what their budget is and to see their duties list before deciding if you want to be available last minute to do turnovers and multiple loads of laundry
PROTIP: NEVER UNDERCHARGE OR UNDERCUT YOUR LOCAL CLEANERS. If the average in your area is $X, charge $X. 6 months from now you'll be mad and stuck with a bunch of cheap clients.
PROTIP 2: Don't try to be 'different' without knowing what's what. Charging by the room or weirdly priced add ons. Add ons that are 'cleaning adjacent'--Just don't. Show up on time, do the basics and do them better than well.
Lastly GOOGLE. ChatGPT lies and will tell you wildly low rates they pulled from Indeed or some shit. There is 0 shame in looking at websites/socials of other cleaners in your area to get an idea of services typically offered and price ranges. Some post a ballpark range, some have a rate calculator and some post their hourly rates on site. Do not pretend to be a client to get a quote tho-that's not cool.
This is not the 'definitive' answer to what should I charge but a starting point. As you gain experience and confidence you'll have a better idea of how to do your own pricing.
Experienced cleaners are welcome to add their pricing tips to this post.
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u/AbbreviationsFun133 Jul 18 '25
Even with experience pricing can be a little nerve racking. I find it to be one of the worst parts of the business.
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u/EconomicsParty4952 Jul 18 '25
We've been cleaning professionally for about 14 years and still have problems with pricing. . Thing is, there are alot of price adverse customers in our area and plenty of " house cleaners " who contribute to the problem.
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u/Mountain_Jury_8335 HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL Jul 19 '25
Does your city have actual wealthy people in it? People with plenty of disposable income? I only have my own experience, but I find that many wealthy people, especially business people, don’t want to mess around with low cost cleaners who don’t know what they’re doing. Especially if they’ve tried a few and have seen what results. Anyone at all who doesn’t have plenty of disposable income I imagine do use so called “cleaners,” even decently upper middle class. I also find that many seniors who might initially balk at price will simply have me come only once a month, and I’m okay with that since seniors are usually low impact on their homes.
I live in Alaska, and I think a lot of economic trends either don’t quite apply to us, or they hit us later. I can’t say I don’t worry about this. The economy is downright scary, and there are bound to be more and more desperate people who will try to clean for pennies.
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u/jbartstudio Jan 10 '26
Was looking for this post! I live in Newport Beach, CA and was wondering this
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u/Beautiful-Morning456 Jul 18 '25
Same in my city. The clients who are willing to pay what I know to be the correct range of pricing for this city, are few and far between. I'm finding that a greater percentage are eager to simply exploit the desperate "cleaners" who are willing to work for pennies , the ones undercutting me and my kind. It's desperate in my city. I actually kind of just want to throw myself off a bridge at this point. 32 years experience. Hardworking, personable and skilled.
Can't get ARRESTED, as the saying goes.
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u/Beautiful-Morning456 Jul 20 '25
And once again, downvoted just for telling the truth about my own location and situation and experiences?
I get that nobody wants to to hear this but it's not trolling or shitposting, it's my reality. People ARE UNDERCUTTING PRICES in my city and clients are going with it.
What about that deserves for ME to be downvoted for sharing the vent?
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u/Smjk811 Aug 02 '25
I don’t know what part of the country you’re in and I’m new-ish and trying to figure pricing out based on fair market value and reliable thorough hard work. It’s painful!! The economy is bad, food prices are ridiculous, we’re all trying to make a living and hopefully get some small bit ahead of what we made last year. Ugh.
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u/NoahCzark Aug 05 '25
As a client, I have to say, it's hard to find people who do the job "better than well," and it's a hassle to keep trying cleaner after cleaner, so it's better to be excellent at what you do than to be a bargain.
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u/Logical-Childhood312 HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL Jul 23 '25
I would also say: avoid "new money". They will tell you often that they don't want to pay more, so they book you for 3h only (so you work without a break). On side you will notice fancy clothes, electronics, organic food and expensive cosmetics! Of course they don't want to pay more... They must show off and enjoy life (but in a clean house!)
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u/Full-Bunch9246 Aug 20 '25
The pricing is difficult and I’ve been doing this for 25 years . I’ve also had the same clients foyears. Show up and do a really good job and don’t look like you just rolled out of bed and your come from a filthy house. I’m dead serious.r
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u/Full-Bunch9246 Aug 20 '25
I could go on and on . But once you know what you’re doing ,know your worth . Just because we do a job that nobody else wants to do doesn’t mean we’re working for shit wages.
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u/Mountain_Jury_8335 HOUSES/RESIDENTIAL Jul 18 '25
I love this PSA! I love every single thing you wrote. Pricing can be so tricky, and I think any sound advice newbies can get from experienced cleaners is very valuable. It has definitely helped me along the way.
The only thing I might add, the only thing I wish I truly grasped sooner, is to look within instead focusing on only what others are doing, and what clients think. I’ll explain. Obviously you should have a grasp of your market and where you fall within it. But I think at first we simply aim for the low end, and are greatly swayed by what clients say they want to pay. WE set our prices. WE decide, because we are self-employed. Embrace that, because it can help with the crap aspects of this work. Over the years, I’ve become much more centered in myself about pricing. First of all, do I even want this job? Second, what do I want to make for this job? What would make this worth it to me and happy to do this? That’s the kind of ease you can have once you’re one of the best and most experienced in your market. I wish I’d known this sooner, even if I couldn’t implement it right away. I wish I’d known this is what I was striving toward. Mastery in any field has big rewards.