The calculator prices the cleaning two ways and uses whichever is higher. That keeps small homes from being underpriced and large homes from being priced as if every square foot were a bedroom.
The time model divides the square footage by your cleaning speed, then multiplies by your hourly rate. The defaults are 500 square feet per hour and $45 an hour, so a 1,500 square foot home takes 3 hours and comes to $135. The room model starts at $100 for one bedroom and one bathroom and adds $15 for each extra bedroom or bathroom. The same home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms has three extra rooms, so the room model gives $145. The higher number, $145, becomes the base.
The type of clean multiplies that base: standard is 1x, deep is 1.5x and move-out is 2x. Frequency then applies a recurring discount: 10 percent off for weekly, 5 percent off for biweekly, and no discount for monthly or one-time. A one-time clean is always priced at least as a deep clean, because a home that is not on a schedule almost always needs more work.
Add-ons are separate lines, priced by default at $20 for pets, $30 each for inside the oven, inside the fridge and inside the cabinets, $6 per window and $20 per load of laundry. Your minimum charge, $120 by default, is the floor for the whole visit. With every default in place, a 1,500 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom standard clean every two weeks comes to $138 a visit, or about $299 a month.
The cleaning type multipliers and the recurring discounts are built in, but the rates are yours. The hourly rate, the cleaning speed, the minimum charge, the room prices and every add-on can be changed in the Your rates panel, and what you enter is saved in this browser so it is there the next time you open the page.
- Enter the home's finished square footage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Choose standard, deep or move-out.
- Choose how often you will clean: weekly, biweekly, monthly or one-time.
- Add pets and any extras the client asked for, with the number of windows or laundry loads.
- Open Your rates and set your hourly rate, how many square feet you clean in an hour, your minimum charge, the room prices and each add-on.
- Check the per-visit price, the monthly total and the estimated hours, then tap Make this an estimate.
Size is the starting point, but bathrooms and kitchens take far longer per square foot than bedrooms and hallways. That is why the calculator also looks at room count: a small home with three bathrooms is not a quick job.
Condition changes everything. A home cleaned every week needs a maintenance pass. A home that has not been cleaned professionally in months has built-up grime, soap scum and dust on every surface. Price that as a deep clean for the first visit, then move the client to standard once they are on a schedule.
The type of clean sets the scope. A standard clean covers surfaces, floors, kitchens and bathrooms. A deep clean adds baseboards, detail work and heavier scrubbing. A move-out clean is an empty home where the inside of everything gets cleaned so a deposit comes back or a new owner moves in.
Frequency affects both the work and the relationship. Weekly and biweekly clients take less time per visit and give you steady income, which is why they get a discount. Monthly clients get no discount because the home is dirtier each time you arrive.
Pets mean hair on floors, furniture and vents, and more vacuuming. Add-ons like ovens, fridges, cabinets, windows and laundry are real extra time, so list them separately instead of absorbing them into the base price.
Your hourly rate is what one cleaner's hour of work costs the client, and it has to pay for more than the cleaner. The $45 in the Your rates panel is only a starting figure, so work your own out from your costs and enter it.
- Labor: your own pay or your cleaners' wages, payroll taxes and any paid time off.
- Supplies: chemicals, microfiber, vacuum bags, gloves and paper goods.
- Travel: fuel, vehicle costs and the unpaid time between homes.
- Insurance and bonding, which many clients ask about before they let you in.
- Equipment: vacuums, mops, caddies and their replacements.
- Overhead and profit: phone, software, advertising, and a margin so the business can grow.
The cleaning speed is how many square feet one cleaner finishes in an hour on a standard clean. The default of 500 is a common planning number, but yours may be faster or slower. Time a few of your regular homes and divide the square footage by the total cleaner hours. If two cleaners spend 2 hours in a 2,000 square foot home, that is 4 cleaner hours and 500 square feet per hour.
A realistic cleaning speed protects your margin. If you enter a rate faster than you really work, every quote comes out low and you pay for it on site.
Most of the defaults come from published US averages, and the rest are common starting points. Cleaning rates in large, high-cost cities are often well above those in smaller towns, and competition from established services in your area also shapes what clients expect to pay.
Adjust your hourly rate first, since it drives the time model for every home. If you find you are losing jobs on small apartments or winning too many of them, look at your minimum charge as well. Check a few local competitors' published prices, then set your numbers where you can be profitable and competitive.
Tap Make this an estimate to open the invoice generator with the clean and each add-on already listed. Add your details and the client's, set how long the price is valid, and print it or save it as a PDF. For recurring service, write the schedule on the estimate and note that the first visit may be priced as a deep clean.
A phone quote is fine for a standard home with a clear description and photos. Do a walkthrough or a video call first for move-outs, homes that have not been cleaned in a long time, large or unusual homes, and anything involving heavy clutter, since these are where a quote built on square footage alone goes wrong.
