House cleaning services have become increasingly popular as more families and individuals struggle to find time to keep up with chores. Hiring professional house cleaners can save you time and energy so you can spend it on more important things.
However, finding accurate house cleaning rates can be tricky with so many variables that affect price. This complete house cleaning pricing guide breaks down the different factors that influence the cost of house cleaning services.
What Does a House Cleaning Service Do?
A house cleaning service sends professional cleaners to tidy and sanitize your living spaces. House cleaning companies offer standard housekeeping services as well as specialty offerings. Most house cleaners cover basic tasks like:
Vacuuming All Carpets and Rugs
Carpets easily accumulate dirt, dust, pet hair, and allergens when not regularly maintained. Your home likely contains various types of floor coverings with carpeting in the bedrooms, living spaces, finished basements, etc.
The cleaner will thoroughly vacuum all carpets using your provided vacuum or their commercial-grade model. This lifts debris and freshens the pile.
Mopping All Hard Floor Surfaces
Tile, vinyl, laminate, real wood – most houses contain an array of hard flooring across kitchens, hallways, bathrooms, etc. The house cleaner hand mops or utilizes an auto-mop machine to sanitize surfaces and lift stuck-on dirt.
This brightens the floor shine too. They’ll carefully move aside furniture to access all areas and mop under tables, chairs, etc.
Dusting All Furniture and Decor
From wood tables to ceiling fan blades to the tops of door jams – dust accumulates everywhere. The cleaning crew uses microfiber cloths and dusters to wipe away dust and return luster to your home decor and furnishings. This helps keep pet dander and environmental allergens under control too.
Scrubbing All Bathrooms
Bathrooms require heavy-duty cleaning to remove soap scum, hard water stains, and grime from tile, sinks, showers, tubs, and toilets. The cleaning professional wears protective gear to use disinfectants, scrub brushes, and cleaning solutions to sanitize the sinks, showers, tubs, and toilets. This keeps bathrooms free of germs and bright white.
Wiping Down All Surfaces
Kitchen counters, nightstands, appliances exteriors, etc. all collect fingerprints and spills when used daily. The cleaning crew carefully wipes down every surface to eliminate grime buildup and restore shine.
Changing Bed Sheets
Sleeping leaves behind natural oils that create stains over time. Your bedding also collects dust mites, skin cells, pet dander, etc. The cleaning team strips off soiled linens and replaces sheets and pillowcases to provide clean, allergenic-free sleep spaces.
They bring their commercial cleaning supplies and equipment. Some companies use eco-friendly cleaning products as part of green cleaning services. The cleaners take care of the hard work while you handle other priorities.
House cleaning rates can vary drastically based on the size of your home, frequency of service, and types of cleaning tasks needed. The national average cost of house cleaning cost per hour falls between $30 to $50. However, prices range from $25 on the low end to $75 per hour on the high end.
Factors That Influence Cost of House Cleaning Services
Many variables affect the house cleaning prices charged by professional cleaners and cleaning companies. The main factors that decide the overall house cleaning costs include:
Frequency Sets Overall Costs
Opting for one-time or occasional house cleaning limits costs to periodic deep cleaning sessions only. This works well for move-out cleaning or preparing your home for special events. Expect to pay $150 to $400 per intensive cleaning session.
Regular weekly or biweekly, weekly cleaning service offers the lowest per-session pricing, averaging $80 to $150 per visit. The cleaning crew knocks out a standard set of tasks each time so your home maintains a steady level of cleaning. Overall costs add up more over time due to the recurring service.
Deep cleaning rotates periodically on top of standard house cleaning duties. This covers more intensive scrubbing of kitchens, bathrooms, and floors and ensures a healthier, allergen and germ-free home environment.
Home Size Drives Labor Time
The overall square footage, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms directly relate to the size of the job. More area to cover equals more person-hours required. Even the layout itself affects efficiency – multi-story houses take longer.
Expect at least an extra $10 to $25 per special room like dining rooms, finished basements, studies, etc. And plan for added pricing for every extra bedroom and bathroom as each one requires extensive individual cleaning.
Task List Affects Effort & Pricing
Standard cleaning tackles the floors, surfaces, basic rooms, etc. Specialty add-ons like window/gutter, deep cleaning services, appliance scrubbing, and waxing services take extra effort. So pricing adjusts accordingly per service type requested.
Bundle specialty add-ons instead of spacing them out individually to maximize value.
Who Does the Work?
Some professional cleaning companies dispatch individual cleaners to homes while others utilize teams. Having more cleaners speeds up the overall time. Yet adds pricing since companies pass along higher labor expenses to customers.
Expect at least $10 to $25 per hour extra for teams over solo cleaners.
The more frequently you hire a house cleaning company for services, the larger your home and the more cleaning tasks requested all contribute to higher prices.
Average National House Cleaning Prices
According to HomeAdvisor‘s proprietary house cleaning cost calculator, rates range from $30 to $50 per hour based on home size, location, and services needed.
As a baseline, here are the typical costs of professional house cleaning services:
Basic House Cleaning Tackles Fundamentals
- Covers standard cleaning tasks like vacuuming, mopping, dusting, bathrooms, etc
- ideal for maintenance cleaning between deep cleaning sessions
- Takes 2-5 hours depending on the home size
- Expect to pay $30 to $80 per basic cleaning visit
- Works for weekly, biweekly, or monthly service frequencies
Deep House Cleaning Scrubs from Top to Bottom
- Includes the standard cleaning tasks done thoroughly
- Plus intensive scrubbing of kitchens and bathrooms
- May tackle expanded specialty tasks like windows, walls, appliances
- Takes 5+ hours for larger homes 3000+ square feet
- Expect to pay $150 to $250 per deep cleaning session
- Schedule every 2-4 months as needed
Move Out Cleaning Prepares Rentals & Homes for Sale
- Tackles a deep clean throughout the entire property
- Special attention to kitchens, and bathrooms to sanitize and remove grime
- This may involve trash removal, wiping walls, cleaning windows, spot-treating carpets
- Typically takes 8+ hours for multi-bedroom single-family residences
- Expect to pay $150 to $400+ per move out cleaning session
- Schedule as needed when moving out or preparing home for sale
Regular Cleaning Maintains Light Cleanliness
- Covers standard cleaning tasks at a basic level each visit
- Keeps home surfaces and floors fresh between deep cleans
- Takes just 2-3 hours per session for an average single-family home
- Expect to pay $80 to $150 per regular cleaning visit
- Ideal for weekly, biweekly, or monthly frequencies
Those prices use a recurring flat fee structure. Some cleaning companies instead charge variable hourly house cleaning rates. Expect to budget $30 to $50 per hour. The total costs depend on:
- Square footage of home
- Number of cleaners
- Hours needed to complete service
Add-on offerings like window washing or carpet cleaning increase rates even further.
Use the house cleaning cost calculator below to estimate prices for your individual home size and cleaning tasks:
The nationwide averages give you a baseline. However specific house cleaning prices vary across different regions. Large metro areas tend to have the highest rates.
What Impacts House Cleaning Service Prices?
Angi notes that in addition to home size, the frequency of cleaning services also greatly impacts per-visit pricing.
Many factors shape local market rates for professional house cleaning near you. Prices fluctuate based on aspects like:
Cost of Living Sets Base Rates
The higher-cost areas like San Francisco and New York City set minimum wages, housing, food, and other living expenses much higher than the national averages. Cleaning companies have to charge enough per hour to cover higher payroll, insurance, transportation, equipment, etc. Expect house cleaning rates to directly align with overall city living costs.
Labor Drives Biggest Costs
Payroll makes up over 70% of the cleaning business and businesses operating budgets. States and cities with higher minimum wages – like $15 per hour – lead to much higher base home cleaning prices. That gets passed onto customers through hourly rates and per-cleaning fees. Expect lower minimum rates in regions with lower salaries.
Competition Impacts Perceived Value
Metro areas with lots of provider choices often see downward pressure on pricing as competitors fight for business. Too little competition allows companies to raise prices unchecked. Prices tend to settle optimally when numerous providers, options, and consumer selection drive value. Expect more variation in pricing from fewer cleaning companies.
Expenses Influence Minimum Prices
Costs for cleaning supplies, equipment, and gas also factor into what companies must charge per session. Providing eco-friendly eco-friendly cleaning supplies lowers overhead. Newer equipment speeds up cleaning which saves labor time. Containing transportation costs through efficient routing keeps prices in check. Companies with lower operating costs can charge less per cleaning visit.
Inflation Increases Over Time
Even with fixed pricing, inflation decreases the value of a dollar each year. As living costs rise, cleaning companies must increase wages. And periodic price hikes account for higher expenditures. Expect to see small, cleaning company bottom rate inflation around 3% to 5% annually as costs rise over time.
The cost of living directly impacts how much house cleaning companies need to charge per hour or session. Areas with higher wages and operational expenses lead to higher customer rates.
House Cleaning Price Per Square Foot
Most professional house cleaners price their services based on the total size of the home. The house cleaning cost calculator above bases the rates on the cost per square foot of footage.
Here are the typical price ranges:
- Small Home and Apartment Pricing
Home Size: Under 1,500 square feet Cost Per Clean: $80 to $150 per cleaning session Per Square Foot Rate: $0.13 to $0.15 per sq ft
Smaller living spaces – like apartments, tiny homes, and one to two-bedroom houses – take professional cleaners minimal time to tidy and disinfect fully. Expect to pay on the lower end of rate ranges due to quick 2 to 3-hour overall cleaning windows. Yet small spaces still require a minimum visit fee to account for transportation and resource costs per trip.
- Mid-Sized Single Family Home Pricing
Home Size: 1,500 to 3,000 square feet Cost Per Clean: $120 to $180 per cleaning session
Per Square Foot Rate: $0.15 to $0.20 per sq ft
The average American single-family home, townhome, or condo with around 2,000 to 2,500 square feet makes up the bulk of house cleaning demand. These mid-sized living spaces and an average number of bedrooms/bathrooms allow cleaners to maximize work output per visit. Total costs depend on overall tidiness, chore backlog, pet messes, and other factors. But expect per-square-foot savings since multiple rooms provide cleaning route optimization.
- Large Luxury Home Pricing
Home Size: Over 3,000 square feet
Cost Per Clean: $180 to $300+ per cleaning session
Per Square Foot Rate: $0.20+ per sq ft
Larger luxury living with higher-end features equals expanded cleaning effort, special surface care, and accelerated grime buildup. Yet expected savings from volume discounts fail to emerge due to the drastic effort needed per visit. Expect to pay increased rates to tackle mudrooms, home gyms, entertainment spaces, and more extensive needs in expansive houses.
As shown above, the per-square-foot pricing shrinks for larger homes. That’s because cleaners gain efficiencies when working in bigger spaces. Expect to pay around $0.13 to $0.35 per square foot depending on total size.
Factors That Increase House Cleaning Rates
These attributes drive cleaning prices higher than minimums:
Number of Bedrooms & Bathrooms
More rooms equals more work. So houses with lots of bedrooms and bathrooms take more effort. And that leads to added labor costs. Expect at least $10 to $25 more per extra bath or bedroom.
Specific Cleaning Tasks
Standard cleaning covers the basics. Additional services like:
Windows Cleaning
Interior and exterior window cleaning falls outside most basic cleaning packages. Yet dusty window tracks and streaky glass negatively impact home aesthetics. Have the crew handle inside and outside windows for brighter views and curb appeal. Just expect added fees for the extensive effort required.
Ovens Scrubbing
Caked-on grease, oil splatter, and burnt food debris take real elbow methods to remove from oven walls. Have the cleaning crew degrease and safely scrub the oven interiors and exteriors back to a like-new shine. Yet the intensive chemicals and effort add hourly fees.
Refrigerators Cleaning
Ignore your fridge too long and science experiments grow in forgotten Tupperware and spilled containers. Protect your family’s health through quarterly fridge interior disinfecting. Just note that eliminating all traces of mold requires costly solutions and protective gear.
Floors Waxing
Scuffs, dirt buildup, and dullness fade hardwood floor and tile shines over time. Protect original surfaces and boost brightness through the reapplication of floor wax layers. It takes equipment rental, extensive material, and double the labor time. So expect added fees over mopping.
Individual Cleaners vs Teams
Sending individual cleaners allows for lower minimum prices. But teams of 2 or more professional cleaners get work done faster. Expect added per-hour pricing for more personnel.
Eco-Friendly Supplies
Some cleaners bring standard commercial cleaning solutions. Using your own special eco-friendly cleaning products or your supplies adds hassle. So green cleaning options cost $5 to $15 more per session.
How to Get the Best House Cleaning Rates
Use these tips to find affordable pricing in your area:
- Get free custom quotes – Prices vary from company to company
- Ask about first-time or weekly discounts
- Provide your cleaning supplies to save costs
- Bundle multiple specialty cleaning tasks
- Pay attention to minimums and maximums
- Tip cleaners instead of higher minimum wages
- Check Groupon and social media for limited deals
- Schedule annual or seasonal deep cleaning only as needed
- Compare rates against DIY cleaning costs
Booking annually or paying in advance can also lead to 5% to 15% lower house cleaning prices from many house cleaning companies here.
Bottom Line
House cleaning service rates depend primarily on:
- Where you live
- Square footage
- Cleaning tasks needed
Expect to spend an average of $25 to $50 per hour for professional cleaning service or $80 to $250 per visit. Use this complete pricing guide to understand the myriad of factors that alter professional cleaner costs. Leverage the strategies above to find affordable home cleaning help in your area.
What questions do you have on rates for house and commercial cleaning services or maid service costs? Leave them in the comments!
