How Much to Charge For House Cleaning?

For cleaning business owners, it’s never easy to quote a price for a house cleaning job. Every house is different and they all are supposed to be calculated individually when it comes to cleaning them. 

There are several factors involved that might alter the estimation each time you are considering a new project. The expansion opportunities are endless in this business sector but how to state a pricing range might require some rounds of experience. 

Unlike many service businesses, the cleaning service business has multiple ways to approach an estimate. Some vital aspects that play a major role in the calculation of pricing strategy are business objectives, experience, market scenarios, and primary costs.

Here, we are explaining several methods on how much to charge for house cleaning work with a step-wise guide

Factors to Calculate for House Cleaning Price

There are some important factors that play various significant roles in the cleaning job and determine the final cost. Almost every house cleaning service can be calculated by understanding and evaluating these factors. So, let’s understand the key factors for estimating house cleaning prices in detail.

1. The Site Location

The first and foremost element that you should look for is the site location. Location will provide many important details to get closer to your ideal estimation. The area, respective market, and connectivity will provide external statistical information. Moreover, the size of the house, surroundings, condition, and type of the house will help you with more specific data to decide the nature of the treatment and later cleaning costs.

2. Cleaning Type

The client’s requirement and house’s state will give you information on what type of cleaning you need to perform. Usually, cleaning companies offer basic cleaning, event cleaning, move-out cleaning, and some deep cleaning options as well. You also have to consider extras if they are part of the project like window cleaning, carpet cleaning, fridge cleaning, and laundry.

3. Time

The cleaning service type will determine how much time is needed to complete the process. The time factor is very important to calculate the costs of wages and rents. That’s why you should carefully make a judgment on the total work and its approximate duration.

4. Frequency

What will be the frequency of service is also another essential question. For extra dusty and messy places first, deep clean service will take a longer time than following the next visits. Moreover, the frequency will decide how much time will you need for each service visit. Be it a monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly cleaning, you should never forget to consider the frequency of service while estimating all the elements.

5. Labor Costs

House cleaning costs hold a major share in labor costs. If you are an owner of a cleaning company or self-employed as a cleaner, calculating the labor cost will give you an idea of the amount that you will be spending as wages or salaries. It’s important to include this segment for a more transparent estimation.

6. Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products are typical expenses for a cleaning job. An extensive range of cleaning supplies will be needed to start this business and provide effective commercial cleaning services and residential as well. For each service type, client’s requirement, and house status you might require different quantities of supplies. And that is your task to predict the rough quantity of supplies, and expenses you will bear.

7. Overhead Costs

Extra costs that are not necessarily related to the cleaning job like office rent, bills, equipment rents, marketing costs, and transportation costs should also be calculated for a fair estimate.

Deciding the Profit Margin

• To run a business smoothly, you will have to decide on a healthy profit margin for yourself. By considering insurance, taxes, and other expenses you can add a 25-30% profit margin on the total cost to complete the estimate.
• If you are new to the business and really want to land this client then you may reduce your margin or increase as well if the project allows you to do so, but never undersell your service because that will be no benefit to your business.
• When you are calculating profit margin, accidental costs should also be considered well. For instance, your service project might include any additional services, accidental damages, changing rates of cleaning products, or client disputes.

Methods to Calculate House Cleaning Prices

There are mainly four ways to calculate the house cleaning rates. With these four easy methods, you can effectively come up with a rough or accurate estimation as per the service and client’s requirements.

1. The Square Footage Method

It is a very effective and easy method for both residential and commercial sites. Once you decide per square foot rate then you just have to multiply it by the overall square footage area of the site. It is a time-saving and transparent option but to come up with that per square footage rate you have to calculate every cost meticulously and apply mathematical skills to finalize the ideal rate.

2. Per Room Method

Per room costing, the method is equally effective and easy as the square footage method. In this, you have to decide on a standard rate per room. Different houses might have different rooms. So, you can finalize variants as per the rooms. For instance, the kitchen might take more time to clean so you can calculate a different rate for the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. This way it becomes more straightforward and understandable for clients as well.

3. Per Hour Rate Method

The per-hour rate method is a very safe and flexible option, especially if you are a beginner in this business. Setting an hourly rate for cleaning service means deciding hourly wages for the employees and the remaining amount for the business. It is a very helpful choice for professionals who are unsure about the pricing strategy and want to experiment on a small scale.

An hourly rate for house cleaning is a convenient option when the time amount is not fixed, the cleaning type is not certain, and proper calculation is not done. It is surely beginner-friendly but when experience is gained it may decrease the total invoice value as completion time will be reduced gradually.

4. Flat Fee

The flat fee is a very commonly used pricing method and reliable as well for both parties. House cleaning services are estimated with various variables. However, with a flat fee, you just quote a specific price for your certain service without including any parameters. So, regardless of the type and area of the house, the number of workers, and the amount of time you charge a flat fee from your clients for promised service.

With some experience, you will be able to calculate set fees because it is entirely based on the value you provide to clients and not the time.

Conclusion

For entrepreneurs, it becomes more difficult to start their business with the right pricing structure. A right cleaning service estimation that is not overpriced or underpriced is the key to a profitable and long-living business. That’s why coming up with a proper costing strategy without any rush should be one of the primary concerns of business owners.

Considering each factor and understanding its value will eventually lead to a clearer image of the pricing line. However, market research and competitor analysis should also be performed in order to make a practical decision. 

Above listed factors and key points have their own impacts when it comes to the cleaning business. In addition, prices can vary from state to state and city to city as well. Therefore, there is no one universal module for this question. You have to customize your working pattern with every project and make a viable decision by keeping market standards, profitability, and business goals in mind. 

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