One of the most important decisions you’ll make as a house cleaner is how much to charge for your services. But picking a price point or setting an hourly rate can be tricky. You want to keep your cleaning rates competitive while still making enough to cover your labour, supplies and overhead costs. There’s no magic formula that will tell you what to charge, but there are some things you can keep in mind, including the going rate for house cleaning and how long it will take to clean the space.
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Factors that affect how much you charge for house cleaning services
How much you should charge for your house cleaning services can depend on a wide range of factors, including where your client is located and how much work you’re being asked to do. Here are some things to think about when setting your rates.
1. Location of the home
Before setting your hourly rate, first take a look at the going rates for house cleaning services in your area. While the base rate for cleaners who are just starting out is fairly consistent across Australia ($22–$23/hour), the scope for increasing prices based on other factors, such as the amount of experience you have, varies somewhat across the country. For example, providers working in regional areas tend to charge up to a few dollars more per hour than cleaners in major cities like Melbourne and Sydney.
Average hourly pay rate comparison for house cleaners on Care.com
| Location | 0–1 years of experience | 2–5 years of experience | 6–9 years of experience | 10+ years of experience |
| Melbourne | $22.80 | $25.08 | $27.36 | $29.64 |
| Sydney | $22.98 | $25.28 | $27.57 | $29.87 |
| Wagga Wagga | $24.28 | $26.71 | $29.14 | $31.57 |
| Alice Springs | $26.02 | $28.62 | $31.23 | $33.83 |
2. Size of the space being cleaned
The size of the home or office can be a good indicator of how much time, effort and (in some cases) cleaning products you’ll need to clean it. Some providers calculate their charges by square metres, while others simply set their rates based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms a home has – which is often a good approximation of the size of the house.
However you choose to make your calculations, bear in mind that the larger the space, the longer you’re likely to need to clean it – and that should be reflected in the cost.
3. Type of fee
Some house cleaners charge an hourly rate, while others prefer to ask for a flat fee – it’s all based on preference. The benefit to charging an hourly rate is that you have a guaranteed amount you’ll make for each hour you’re working. That can be helpful when you take on a client whose home or office space needs more time than you originally estimated. With an hourly rate, you don’t eat those extra costs.
But hourly rates are also limiting. The more efficient you get at cleaning, the less you get paid to do the same job. And clients can get upset if cleaning takes longer and you charge more than they expected.
Charging a flat fee makes it easier for you to take on more clients as you get more efficient, and it means your client knows exactly what they’ll be paying each time. The risk of a flat fee is underestimating how much time you need to do a specific job. However, this can be balanced out by other spaces taking less time.
4. Type of cleaning
There’s a big difference between routine cleaning and a deep clean, and your prices should reflect the extra work that more intensive cleaning entails. You decide what your various levels will be, but cleaning is generally divided into three categories with an increasing price scale:
- Routine cleaning: routine cleaning involves basic cleaning tasks like vacuuming, mopping and wiping down benchtops. These generally don’t take as much time to complete, so cleaners don’t charge as much for them as, say, a deep clean. This type of cleaning, however, assumes the home is cleaned regularly and is in fairly good condition.
- Deep cleaning: a deep clean is typically needed when the space hasn’t been cleaned in a while and involves doing things not included in routine cleaning, such as scrubbing off soap scum and wiping down blinds and skirting boards. House cleaners might do a deep clean on their first visit, before or after an event (such as a new baby) or on a seasonal basis (a “spring clean”, for example).
- End of tenancy cleaning: end of tenancy cleaning is often required by landlords before a tenant moves out of a property. It is an even deeper clean that includes everything you might do during a routine and deep clean, as well as scrubbing more obscure areas like inside kitchen cabinets, vent grates or underneath big appliances. Because this type of cleaning is so involved, housekeepers typically charge the most for this type of service.
5. Condition of the space
If a new client is interested in recurring cleaning services, many providers will do a deep clean first and charge accordingly. Some spaces can be in rough shape, and doing a deeper clean on the first visit can make regular cleaning go more smoothly.
Viewing the space beforehand can give you a better idea of what state it’s in and how much time you’ll need before agreeing to a regular/routine cleaning price.
6. Occupants
A space with only one occupant is generally easier to clean than one with multiple people, and the messier the inhabitants, the more work it will take to clean on a regular basis. As a result, many cleaners typically charge a little more if a home has small children or a messy pet. The floors and surfaces will get dirtier between cleans and take more time to scrub each visit.
7. Extra services
Decide what you’ll do as part of a standard clean and what services you’ll charge extra for. For example, cleaning the fridge or changing bed sheets aren’t normally included in a standard routine clean, but you can offer to do them for an additional fee. Services that might warrant additional fees include:
- Cleaning inside large appliances like the fridge or oven
- Cleaning skirting boards
- Washing windows inside and/or outside
- Doing laundry
- Washing and/or putting away dishes
- Changing bedding
- Spot-cleaning carpets
- Cleaning outdoor spaces, like patios and patio furniture
How much you charge for these tasks is typically based on how much time you think it will take to do them. For example, you might charge a flat fee for cleaning fridges but have a range of prices when it comes to cleaning windows. Similarly, you might charge more to do laundry for a family of four than you would for a single individual.
Whatever you choose, however, be clear with your client about what is included and what isn’t, and understand the long-term consequences of what you decide to include during your initial visits.
8. Overhead costs
Your time and labour isn’t the only cost associated with providing cleaning services. You might have other expenses, too. And those costs should be taken into consideration when setting your prices. Some overhead costs you might want to think about include:
- Public liability insurance. Some commercial properties might require you to have this
- Time spent travelling to and from the client
- Petrol and maintenance costs for the vehicle you take to and from the job
- Additional labour costs if you need to hire extra help to manage your workload
- Materials, such as vacuum cleaners or cleaning products
- Any marketing materials to promote your services
- Inflation (when you’re considering a rate increase)
- Taxes – this income tax calculator tells you how much tax you can expect to pay on your wages
Know the bare minimum you’re required to be paid
Clients often expect experienced, high-quality cleaning services at the minimum possible price. But make sure the fee you’re paid reflects your needs – and the legal requirements. The minimum wage – sometimes referred to as the “National Minimum Wage” – as of 1 July 2021 is $20.33 per hour in Australia.This is reviewed yearly by the Fair Work Commission.
Know how much you need to make a living
While the minimum wage is a requirement, experts agree that for many people, it not enough to live on. The wage workers actually need to make ends meet and support their families is referred to as the living wage.
It’s helpful to know the minimum wage so you can figure out if it’s going to be enough to cover your own personal costs of living and lifestyle. The tools below can show you the estimated pay rates for cleaners and help you calculate your own salary requirements:
- Look up the average cleaning and housekeeping rates for your area
- Check out this budget planner from moneysmart.gov.au to find out how much you should realistically be charging to meet your needs
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