Where these numbers come from
A solo cleaner covers roughly 1,000 square feet an hour on a house that's already on a schedule. Bathrooms are the slow part — figure twenty minutes each on top. Everything above works off that, then multiplies for deep cleans and divides for houses you see often.
The result is the price. Not a range, not "it depends" — the number you say out loud when they ask.
Charge more for the first clean
The first time in a house, you're cleaning months of buildup that isn't yours. Charge about 40% more for that visit and say why: "First clean is $250 because it takes longer. After that you're at $180 every two weeks."
People accept this every time. What they don't accept is a surprise.
Add these on top
- Inside the oven — $35 to $50
- Inside the fridge — $30 to $45
- Interior windows — $6 to $10 a window
- Finished basement — count the square feet, same as upstairs
- Pets — add 15% for two or more shedders
- More than 20 minutes away — add $1 a mile past that
Don't discount to win the job
Dropping $180 to $150 to beat someone feels like it costs you $30. It costs you $780 a year on a biweekly house, and you still do the same work. If the price is the problem, take something out of the job instead — skip the basement, skip the windows. Same rate, smaller job.
Questions people actually ask
Should I charge by the hour or by the job?
By the job. Hourly punishes you for getting faster, and every customer watches the clock. Quote the house, then beat your own time.
What if it takes way longer than the calculator says?
Finish the job, then raise the price for next time and tell them at the door: "This one runs closer to five hours than four, so I need to move it to $215." Do it that day, not three months later.
When do I raise prices on people I already clean for?
Once a year, in writing, 30 days ahead, 5 to 8%. Almost nobody leaves. The ones who do were your worst-paying customers.
When you're past doing this by hand
This calculator is fine for one house at a time. What it can't do is remember that the Tuesday 10am is a deep clean with two dogs, text them the night before, and take the card on file when you're done.
At around ten regular customers, the tracking becomes the job. That's the point where scheduling software pays for itself — not before. If you're at three customers, close this tab and go get four more.