what do I charge to clean a house?

Question

Want to start a house cleaning business. I'm not sure what to charge. I live in Indianapolis In.I had a cleaning business 20 years ago and I charged $50 to $60a job. That was a small town. Can someone help me out?

Answer 1

I have a house cleaning buss. I do mostly rental properties after people move out! I live in Seattle and we have get success in charging but the sq footage of the house.

we charge anywhere from 17 cents to 20 cent a square foot depending on how dirty the house is and everyone we have quoted loved our prices and we get a lot of buss.

Hope this helps!!

Also go to property management companies and give them infor for cleaning rental properties!! That is what we did and we are busy all the time

Answer 2

You should think of charging by the complexity or dirtiness of the job. Quote low for a 3 bed/2 bath house and then add charges for really dirty areas like kitchens & bathrooms, extra rooms, windows, ect.

Dusting and vacuuming of bedrooms, hallways, living, dining and family rooms will take the least time, so figure whatever $/hr is the market rate and maybe 30 minutes per room. The range might be 2 to 4X the minimum wage in your area.

For kitchens and baths, it depends how much grease and other dirt you have to clean - you could easily spend 1 hr on a kitchen with a dirty floor, greasy stove & vent fan, and a similar amount on a really dirty bathroom (all the porcelain and glass to clean, as well as the floor.)

For extra business, you can suggest to add the costs of cleaning windows, decks, entry ways, etc.

Start with an attractive price to get your foot in the door and then increase your charges by the condition of the property and how many extra areas the owner wants cleaned. And get repeat business by suggesting additional cleanings to your clients before holidays and parties (you missed this year's Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years cycle, but there is the Super Bowl weekend coming up.)

Build a client base, do an outstanding job, ask your early clients for referrals and gradually increase your prices. If you do a lot of rental units, note that most landlords simply pass the cleaning costs onto their tenants & deduct the expenses from the cleaning deposit when they move out - so you can increase your prices a bit and the landlord won't complain.

Good luck.

Answer 3

I don't know the size of Indianapolis, but to give you something to compare it to, I'll tell you my experiences: I live in a suburb of Salt Lake City, and I have had three different housecleaning services in the last 5 years. To do my whole house, which is approx. 3,500 square feet, including all floors, dusting, kitchen, bathrooms, cleaning out the microwave, empyting trash, etc., etc., I have paid anywhere from $60 to $120 for the job. I think the rate you charge should depend on what you are doing - less for "fast" jobs, more for in depth, thorough cleaning. The first one I had seemed to be the best combination of the two - relatively quick at what she did but she did a good job, too, and I paid her $80 every two weeks. The second one did a more thorough job, but it took her longer, too - she was the $120/every two weeks. My current one is not as thorough, but she is definitely acceptable and $60 is a good price. For the record, it takes them about 3 to 3.5 hours to do my whole house, so I figure I am paying around $15-$20 per hour. This seems to be the going rate for residential cleaning services in our area.

Answer 4

I would start at $15-$20 per hour depending on your quality of work.
Reestablish your rep
And start by going to real estate offices.
Offer to do cleaning in houses being prepared for sale.
You will also find a lot of Realtors who need a housekeeper for themselves as they work almost constantly and entertain a fair amount.
They can also give a lot of good leads as they know a lot of people.
Then as your rep becomes established you can raise your rates.
I would think the $25-$30 would be the max.
But you must make them need you.
Be willing to do extra things like errands and such.
Become as much of an in home personal assistant as a housekeeper.
Be prepared to help with parties etc.
That's how you get to the big bucks baby.
I started as a housekeeper her in CA.
I started a $20 and capped out at $30-$50.
I have since moved on to personal organizing.
The key is to make it so they can't live without you.
Part of you pitch should be that with a maid service they never really know who is coming into thier house.
Crews often change and they are never as thorough as someone on her own. You are very big on quality control.
Make sure your work is always exceptional.
Be a god when it comes to cleaning.
Also do a little extra when you can for goodwill.
People like selfstarters just don't be invasive.

Answer 5

There are other maid services and house cleaning services in your area. Call like you are a customer and ask what they offer for what price.Then think of things you can offer that they don't and charge 10-20%less.I live on the border and can get 1700 square feet cleaned for 35 dollars.This is very cheap. Your area will be higher.An extra would be cleaning the windows for a limited time only, or even exterior car wash for free for a limited time.I know you will do very well. Have a great mopping Christmas.