House Cleaning Cost Calculator & Pricing Guide

Cleaning rates for house cleaning depends on the type of cleaning and the size of the home.

Additional services such as washing and folding laundry, cleaning the windows or cabinets will add to your final cost.

There are many house cleaning companies which offer their services at different prices. So it’s important to know how much the average job should cost.

Small home or apartment (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom) starting cost:

Medium-sized home or apartment (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) starting cost:

House cleaning cost per square foot:

House cleaning companies can charge differently, but most charge by the hour. It’s also common to see house cleaners charge by number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Others charge by the square foot. Depending on the service they are providing, a company may charge different rates per square foot.

House cleaning cost per bedroom (1 bathroom) starting cost:

The number of bedrooms in your house will play a role in house cleaning costs.

That means if your place is only 900 square feet but it has 4 rooms, it will cost you more than if it was 1,400 square feet with only 3 rooms.

The number of bedrooms can often indicate a few things:

1. 1.How many people live in the home
2. 2.How clean or dirty it might be

Typically, customers want their bedding changed and beds made up. This requires house cleaners extra effort and time the more bedrooms there are, which increases the cost of the services.

Pro tip: If you have spare bedrooms that are not being used regularly, negotiate with your house cleaners to clean the rooms less frequently. This will save you money, and the cleaners will save time.

Standard cleaning cost based on numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms:

A cleaning company, Easy Clean Solutions, based in Kansas City determines their prices based on number of bedrooms and bathrooms:

A typical bathroom cleaning service will include:

1. 1.Mopping
2. 2.Sweeping
3. 3.Scrubbing the sink
4. 4.Cleaning the tub or shower
5. 5.Cleaning the mirror(s)
6. 6.Wiping the countertops
7. 7.Polishing the faucet
8. 8.Disinfecting the toilet and toilet bowl

Having more bathrooms in your home will usually mean the overall cleaning cost increases. Some cleaning services charge more for extra bathrooms than they do for extra bedrooms.

How much do house cleaners charge per hour?

On average, house cleaners charge $40-65 per hour nationwide. Some cleaning service companies charge based on the number of cleaners:

Some cleaning companies charge by the hour. This means the price you pay for each visit can vary depending on how dirty your home is that day.

House cleaning companies that charge an hourly rate typically provide you a walk-through before you hire them.

A walk-through is important before you hire the company for several reasons:

1. 1.The house cleaning company will see the size, layout and general cleanliness of the home to better understand the task at hand.
2. 2.The cleaners will give you an estimate of how much a one-time or first-time cleaning will cost, as well as weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly cleaning services.

It isn’t typical for their hourly rate to change, but the one-time or first-time cleaning will cost more simply because it takes the cleaners more time.

You should expect cleaning costs to stay consistent from week to week or month to month.

Types of house cleaning

There are four types of house cleaning:

1. 1.Basic cleaning: This includes vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, mopping, and tidying up. This service is perfect for people busy working who need a little help maintaining the cleanliness in their home.
2. 2.Deep cleaning: Deep cleaning services remove a deeper level of dirt and grime in the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and living room. Hard-to-reach areas like refrigerators, windows, and lamps are also cleaned.
3. 3.Before/after-event cleaning: Events and parties get messy. After-event cleaning involves cleaning dirty dishes, taking out the trash, and cleaning living spaces.
4. 4.Move-in/move-out cleaning: Your home or apartment gets move-out ready with a full cleaning. Cabinets, walls, and other surfaces get thoroughly cleaned.

The four main types of house cleaning can be ideal for you depending on what’s happening in your life.

When you’re in the process of spring cleaning or post-home remodeling, hiring deep house cleaning services is a good choice.

Event cleanup is great if you are currently preparing for a major event, or to clean up after one.

Move-in or move-out cleaning helps bring back your living space to a clean state.

The less time-consuming the cleaning work for the pros, the lower the final cost will be. A standard house cleaning service will always be the least expensive.

Deep cleaning or move-in/move-out cleaning usually costs the most.

Pro tip: Always go over the specifics of each cleaning job with the cleaning company before any work begins. Also, ask them about prices for special requests, e.g. doing the laundry.

It’s critical you get a copy of your agreement in writing that includes:

1. 1.The outline of the day
2. 2.Approximately the time of cleaning
3. 3.What tasks will be completed

Cleaning Services Prices List
Home cleaning services prices list

Cleaning companies will most likely stick to a preset list of pricing for their services. It’s important to know the different services, and how much they charge for house cleaning.

Merry Maids Cost

Merry Maids typically costs $100 per hour for two cleaners, with a two-hour minimum. You might receive offers from their franchises for $50-$100 off your first five weekly or bi-weekly cleanings.

Molly Maid Prices

Molly Maid house cleaning prices range from $75 to $96 for a team of two cleaners for 1 hour.

You can expect to pay $300 for 4 hours of work if your home is 2,000-square-feet with 3 bedrooms.

Occasionally, Molly Maid offers $60 off three cleanings or $100 off the first ten cleanings. Below are Molly Maids’ pricing:

The Cleaning Authority Prices

The Cleaning Authority is a house cleaning company that charges $75 to $90 per hour for two workers.

Their cleaning system involves using eco-friendly (“green”) cleaning products to ensure all rooms are properly cleaned.

They provide basic cleaning services which are done once a week, as well as deep cleaning services for the bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, and kitchen on a bi-weekly basis.

The Cleaning Authority Packages

The Cleaning Authority Services

How to estimate the cost of house cleaning

There are six factors that can impact the overall price of a cleaning service:

1. 1.The number of bedrooms and bathrooms you have
2. 2.The type of cleaning (standard, deep, move-in/move-out, event-cleanup)
3. 3.The number of house cleaners
4. 4.If you have a pet that sheds hair
5. 5.The type of cleaning products/supplies used
6. 6.Extra objects to clean, like windows, fridges, ovens, etc

What to expect when hiring a housekeeper

If you decide to hire a housekeeper over a house cleaning crew, you could save money. A housekeeper typically charges $20 an hour, which is much less costly than a cleaning business.

Housekeepers offer extra services besides cleaning, including:

1. 1.Babysitting
2. 2.Cooking
3. 3.Doing laundry
4. 4.Helping with homework

Pro tip: Make sure the housekeeper has a legal US work permit. It’s critical that your insurance covers people working in your home.

Workers comp insurance, which costs approximately $130-$300/year should cover you if your housekeeper gets hurt while working in your home.

It’s common to request a trial period to see if hiring the housekeeper is the right decision.

Should I tip my housekeeper?

Yes, the average tip for housekeepers is between 10% and 15% of the overall cleaning cost. Make sure to walk through your home after the cleaners are done to see if the level of cleanliness is worth tipping.

How to hire the best house cleaner

Making sure the cleaning company or housekeeper you hire will deliver the cleanest results is your job as a homeowner.

Follow this process to ensure the cleaners you hire are trained and professional:

1. 1.Interview the best candidates by first researching the best options.
2. 2.Compare their hourly or per-square-foot rates with other quotes and the average market rates.
3. 3.Ask the company about their availability, as well as flexibility.
4. 4.Do a background check on the company to ensure they’re licensed, bonded, and insured.
5. 5.Check the company’s years of experience in the industry, and what their customers have said about their services.
6. 6.Clearly explain to them everything you want to be cleaned, and special items that are fragile.
7. 7.Give them a full walkthrough of your home/apartment so they can understand the layout of your home, and the task at hand.
8. 8.Ask the business if they provide any discounts for first-time or recurring cleanings. You can also ask them if they provide discounts for using your own cleaning products.
9. 9.Ask if they provide a money-back guarantee. It’s also common that cleaning services provide a re-clean guarantee.
10. 10.Confirm with the cleaners if their cleaning supplies are child and pet safe, or organic. If they aren’t, you can request they use safer cleaners when cleaning your home.
11. 11.Before the cleaners begin their job, lock away any valuables, e.g. your laptop.

Don’t expect to build a rapport with the cleaning crew after the first job is complete.

It will probably take at least a few weeks to understand their cleaning process before you can decide whether or not to keep hiring them.

Hiring an individual house cleaner vs. cleaning company

Whether you want to hire an individual housekeeper or a cleaning service company, always check their reviews online.

Look for any negative reviews to better understand what issues customers have experienced when working with the cleaners.

Larger cleaning companies may rush from cleaning one client’s home to another, with a goal to squeeze in as many as they can in one day.

The end result: they might not leave your home perfectly cleaned, however, an individual housekeeper might.

For a professional maid service to clean your home, it would cost you $25 to $70 per cleaning member per hour.

On the other side of the price spectrum, an individual cleaner would charge you between $15 and $25 an hour.

Below is a table that will help you understand the differences between hiring a cleaning company vs. an individual cleaner:

5 tips to save money on house cleaning

There are a handful of ways you can save money when working with a house cleaning business:

1. 1.Cleaning packages/discounts: Ask the company if they offer discounts for their services. Common discounts you’ll find are for veterans, single mothers, or disabilities.
2. 2.Supplies: If you’re looking to save $5 - $10 per visit, you can buy your own cleaning supplies for them to use. Another benefit of buying your own supplies is you can have the cleaners use more natural or “green” cleaning products.
3. 3.Maintenance: The less work the cleaning crew needs to do, the less money you’ll get charged for their services. Pro tip: ensure your house doesn’t get out of control between cleanings.
4. 4.Choose specific rooms: If a room isn’t used on a regular basis, there might be no reason to get it cleaned. Choosing to not clean certain rooms will save you money when working with the cleaners.
5. 5.Only choose services you need: Make sure to state before the cleaners start working that you don’t want added services such as window and laundry cleaning. That way you’ll avoid added costs, and the cleaners will avoid spending their time cleaning rooms that don’t need to be cleaned.

Apartment cleaning services cost

The average apartment cleaning prices range from $70 to $135, depending on the amount of rooms.

A larger 3-bedroom and 2-bathroom apartment would cost you $135 an hour for standard cleaning.

Deep cleaning could cost you closer to $175 to $190 an hour, which is cheaper than if you hired cleaners to clean your house.

Apartment cleaning prices list

The average apartment cleaning prices range from $70 to $135, depending on the amount of rooms.

A larger 3-bedroom and 2-bathroom apartment would cost you $135 an hour for standard cleaning.

Deep cleaning could cost you closer to $175 to $190 an hour, which is cheaper than if you hired cleaners to clean your house.