How to Price a Cleaning Job: The Formula That Works
Stop guessing — price cleaning jobs by square footage, bedrooms, and bathrooms
Pricing cleaning jobs by gut feel leaves money on the table — or scares customers away. The good news: cleaning is one of the most formula-friendly businesses in home services. Three numbers drive almost every price.
The formula
Base price = square footage × $0.06 + bedrooms × $15 + bathrooms × $20
That's the industry standard starting point for a standard (maintenance) clean. Why these three inputs?
Adjust for the real-world factors
### Deep cleans: +50%
A deep clean is a different product than a maintenance clean — baseboards, inside cabinets, oven, windows. Quote it separately at 1.5× the standard price. Never fold it into a maintenance rate.
### Recurring customers: −5 to −15%
Weekly and bi-weekly customers are worth 2–3× a one-off. Offer the discount openly — it locks in predictable revenue and cuts your marketing cost per booking.
### The small-house problem
Smaller homes need a minimum — usually $100–$120 — because travel and setup are fixed costs. Don't let a 900 sq ft condo quote at $54.
### Pets and extras
Pet hair doubles vacuum time in some homes. Add $10–$25 for pets, and line-item anything unusual (high ceilings, heavy clutter, excessive dishes).
Run the numbers yourself
Use the [free house cleaning cost calculator](https://prybar.ai/tools/cleaning-cost-calculator) — enter the square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, and frequency, and it prices the job in seconds with the recurring discount built in.
A quick reality check on rates
Most cleaning companies land between $0.05–$0.10 per square foot depending on market. If you're under that, you're either subsidizing your own labor or missing the upsells. If you're over, make sure the service justifies it.
The pricing psychology that closes the job
When you quote, give a range, not a single number: "$140–$160 depending on the clutter" — then let the cleanest number win. And always follow up on quotes that go quiet: most cleaning jobs are lost to silence, not competition. A single check-in text 48 hours later recovers a surprising share.
That follow-up — plus instant replies when customers text "how much?" — is exactly what [Prybar automates](https://prybar.ai/features/customer-follow-up). But the pricing itself starts with the math above.
Bottom line: price on the formula, adjust for deep cleans and frequency, and let the [calculator](https://prybar.ai/tools/cleaning-cost-calculator) do the arithmetic. Your time is worth more than spreadsheets.
Prybar helps trade businesses never miss a customer text again. Responds instantly, captures leads, books jobs — all while you work. Try it free.
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