Most cleaning business owners I meet are highly capable and underpriced. They were taught to sell their time, so they measure their value by how busy they are.
When I started Beskar Cleaning, I charged by the hour like everyone else. I'd check the numbers on a Friday after fuel, wages and supplies, and everyone had been paid except me. I was working harder than ever and resenting my own business.
This guide covers how to price cleaning jobs so the business pays you too: flat rates, packages, quoting without a site visit, and handling the "you're too expensive" conversation. If you're just setting up, start with how to start a cleaning business.
▶ Watch: How Premium Cleaning Businesses Charge More (and Win)
Why hourly pricing holds you back
When you charge by the hour, clients start calculating. "Two hours, so that's this much. Maybe I can find someone cheaper." That's how every race to the bottom starts.
Hourly pricing also caps you. There are only so many hours in a day, it's hard to raise prices because people tie your rate to the clock, and clients start squeezing in "one quick extra thing" in the last five minutes.
What clients actually buy is the feeling of walking into a spotless home and not having to manage you.
Sell the result with a flat rate
The day I stopped saying "it's $50 an hour" and started saying "it's $399 for a full property refresh with guaranteed results," clients treated my business differently. So did my staff, and so did I.
A flat rate gives clients certainty. They make one decision, trust you with it, and get on with their day. If you need flexibility, frame it with confidence: "Starting from $299 depending on property size, with a full quote after a quick two-minute form."
Build three packages
Instead of "let me know what you need and I'll quote you," try "here are three ways we can work together. Which suits you best?"
Entry option: a way to try you without fully committing, like a one-off refresh.
Core package: your best value and most popular option, with your healthiest margin and the easiest delivery. Most clients pick this one.
Premium: for clients who want the best of everything.
Skip generic names like standard, premium or deluxe. Name each package after the result or stage it represents. A clear package is also easier to train staff on, delegate and automate.
How much to charge for house cleaning
Your price has to cover more than wages. Write down your labour cost per hour, then add super or payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance, travel, products, software, marketing and admin. Then add your own wage and a profit margin.
If a job takes four labour hours and you charge $200, is that good? It depends entirely on those numbers. Know them before you set your rates, and review them every few months.
Then use proof to make your price feel easy: real reviews, before and afters, and genuine client stories in their own words. Stories like that sell your price for you, as long as they're true.
How to quote a cleaning job without seeing the property
If you're still driving to every property to work out a price, this one's for you. "Every house is different" usually turns out to be seven or eight variables: bedrooms, bathrooms, condition, how often it's cleaned, pets, specific surfaces, travel and add-ons.
▶ Watch: How to Quote Jobs Without Seeing the Property | Instant Quoting for Service Businesses
Here's how I'd build it from scratch:
Take your last 20 or 30 quotes and find the repeating patterns.
Write down what information you needed to price each one, and what pushed a quote up.
Note which jobs ran over time and why.
Build those variables into a quote form with clear pricing rules.
Protect the exceptions with terms: the quote is based on the details provided, signed digitally, with a card on file.
Maybe 80% of your jobs can be quoted instantly, and the remaining 20% (the big, unusual or risky ones) get an inspection. That's still 80% of quote visits gone. Price around your business model too. If you want recurring fortnightly clients, make weekly and fortnightly pricing attractive and charge more for the first clean.
An instant quote also captures the lead. Someone who gets a price has told you they're interested, so you can follow up like an e-commerce store follows up an abandoned cart. That's what our instant quoting build does, and it's how you get more cleaning clients from the same traffic.
Your cleaning price list
Once your variables and packages are set, publish a simple cleaning price list or "from" prices on your website, and let the instant quote do the rest. Your price list should match your packages, and your add-ons (oven, fridge, windows, carpets) should each have a fixed price.
How to handle "you're too expensive"
Nine times out of ten, a price objection is about fear. The client is remembering their last cleaner: the one who cancelled last minute, rushed the job, stopped replying or let quality slip after two weeks.
▶ Watch: How to Handle Price Objections in Your Cleaning Business
When a client says your price is higher than their last cleaner, try this:
"I completely understand. A lot of our clients come to us for the same reason. Their previous cleaner was cheaper, but unpredictable. We focus on reliability. We send the same cleaner at the same time each week, and if they can't make it, we send someone in their place, so you never get cancelled on. If the main issue with your last cleaner was inconsistency, choosing someone reliable will save you money, time and stress."
Then pause, and finish with: "Would you prefer someone cheaper, or someone who is consistent?"
Don't discount. Lowering your price confirms their fear that you're just like the others. Use your offers to add value instead, as I explain in my cleaning business marketing plan. If a client only wants the cheapest option, let them go. They often come back.
Set boundaries that protect your price
Premium clients respect premium structure. Set clear cancellation and rescheduling fees, never discount without removing something from the service, and put your policies in your onboarding emails and service agreement.
Saying "we're onboarding new clients for next month" does more for your value than squeezing everyone in.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge by the hour or a flat rate for cleaning?
A flat rate. Hourly pricing invites clients to watch the clock and compare you to cheaper cleaners. Flat rates and packages sell the result, build trust and make it easier to raise prices later.
How much should I charge for house cleaning?
Work it out from your costs: labour, super or payroll taxes, insurance, travel, products, software and marketing, plus your own wage and profit. Then price by the variables that change the work, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, condition, frequency and add-ons. Avoid copying a competitor's rate.
Can you quote a cleaning job without seeing the property?
Yes, for most jobs. Ask for the variables that change the work (size, condition, frequency, pets, add-ons), build them into an instant quote form, and protect yourself with terms that adjust the price if the details were wrong. Keep site visits for large or unusual jobs.
How do I handle a client who says I'm too expensive?
Price objections are usually fear of the last cleaner who cancelled or cut corners. Acknowledge it, explain your reliability and processes, and ask whether they'd prefer someone cheaper or someone consistent. Avoid discounting.
Should I put my cleaning prices on my website?
Show starting prices or an instant quote. A clear 'from' price or a quote in seconds removes friction and captures the lead, while still letting you price each home properly.
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