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How to Price a Standard House Clean (2026 Cleaner Guide)

Standard cleans are how you fill the calendar — but only if you price them by sqft + bathrooms, not by 'feel'. Most solo cleaners undercharge 2-story homes by $40+ every visit.

2026 range$90–$280per clean

Standard cleans are the bread-and-butter product in residential cleaning, but they are the most pricing-fragmented because every solo cleaner ends up quoting them slightly differently. Without a sqft + bathrooms + zone formula, you will reliably underprice larger homes and overprice smaller ones. This 2026 guide breaks down the rates, the variables, and the recurring-discount logic that locks in client lifetime value.

What moves the price

Home size (sqft)
Primary driver. <1000 = entry. 1000-2000 = standard. 2000-3500 = premium. 3500+ = needs custom quote.
Number of bathrooms
Add $20 per bathroom beyond 2. Bathrooms are the time-sink, not square footage.
2-story vs 1-story
Add 10-15% for stairs + extra-bathroom likelihood. Most underquote this.
Pets in home
Hair adds 15-25 min per visit. Add a flat $15-$25 for pets. Mention in quote so it does not feel like an upcharge.
Travel zone
Free under 10 mi. $25 for 10-20 mi. $55 for 20-35 mi. Tiered, not per-mile.
Recurring frequency
Discount monthly 5%, bi-weekly 15%, weekly 25%. Locks in LTV.

2026 pricing tiers

Small home — under 1000 sqft

$90–$140

  • · Kitchen + 1 bath
  • · Living areas
  • · Floors

Standard — 1000-2000 sqft, 2 bath

$140–$200

  • · Kitchen + 2 baths
  • · Living + bedrooms
  • · Floors + dusting

Large — 2000-3500 sqft, 3+ bath

$220–$300

  • · All living spaces
  • · 3+ bathrooms
  • · Stairs + 2 stories

Why the bathroom count matters more than sqft

A 2000-sqft home with 2 bathrooms takes you ~2.5 hours. The same sqft with 4 bathrooms takes 3.5 hours. Sqft is a rough proxy; bathrooms are where the labor actually lives. Build your formula on both — Quotably's calculator does this automatically.

The recurring-client math

A one-time client at $160 = $160 LTV. A weekly client at $120 (25% off) = $6240 LTV per year. The discount is not a discount — it is a customer-acquisition lock-in. Aim to have 70%+ of bookings on recurring schedules within 90 days of launch.

The 'small home' trap

Cleaners undercharging small homes is the most common pricing mistake. A 900-sqft apartment with 1 bath still takes 1.5 hours minimum (drive, setup, clean, pack). A $90 floor on small homes is non-negotiable — anything less and you are paying the client to clean their place.

Frequently asked

How much should I charge for a standard house clean in 2026?

US 2026 market: $0.08-$0.12/sqft baseline. Most solo cleaners land at $140-$200 for a 1500 sqft, 2-bath home.

Should I charge by hour or flat rate?

Flat rate. Hourly punishes you for getting faster and confuses clients. Flat rate by sqft + bath + zone is the standard.

Do I charge more for 2-story homes?

Yes — 10-15% extra. Stairs add real labor; 2-story usually also means more bathrooms.

What's a fair travel zone fee?

Tiered: free under 10 mi, $25 for 10-20 mi, $55 for 20-35 mi. Avoids per-mile math fights with clients.

How much should I discount recurring clients?

Monthly: 5%. Bi-weekly: 15%. Weekly: 25%. Locks in LTV and removes the price negotiation each visit.

Do I charge for pets?

Yes — $15-$25 flat. Hair adds real time; mention in quote so it does not feel like a surprise upcharge.

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