Updated November 2026 US, UK, Canada and Australia Free calculator
Most new house cleaners start from an hourly wage that sounds fair, then find that supplies, driving between homes and the unpaid gaps in the day eat a third of it. The cleaners who last quote a flat price per visit, built from the size of the home, the number of bathrooms and how often they come.
For $150–$240 you can clean a typical 2,000 sq ft American home every two weeks and be priced like the working pros around you. In the UK a three-bedroom house on the same schedule runs £55–£85, in Canada a 2,000 sq ft home runs C$160–C$270 and in Australia a three-bedroom home runs A$155–A$250. The rest of this guide shows how those numbers are built, so you can quote any home without guessing.
Set the job details to get a price to quote, then check what that price leaves you per hour once driving, supplies and tax are counted.
sq ft
Finished living area you will actually clean. Leave out the garage and any unfinished basement.Count bedrooms. A studio or one-bedroom flat counts as 1.Finished living area you will actually clean. Leave out the garage and any unfinished basement.Count bedrooms. A studio or one-bedroom unit counts as 1.
We only publish going rates for the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Enter the price you plan to charge and the calculator shows what it pays you per hour, and the lowest price you should accept.
Charge about
$185
per visit, for 2,000 sq ft
Budget$150Typical$185Premium$240
$
per visit, in your own currency
What you really keep
$36an hour in your pocket at the typical price
Adjust the numbers above to match your job.
The price is built as a base fee plus a rate for the size of the job, then adjusted for the options you pick. Time is an estimate for one person working alone; change it if you know your own pace.
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Price list
House Cleaning prices by job size
Job
United States (USD)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Small apartment
$100–$125about 800 sq ft
£35–£40studio or 1-bedroom flat
$110–$140about 800 sq ft
$105–$135studio or 1-bedroom unit
Small home
$110–$165about 1,200 sq ft
£40–£652 bedrooms
$115–$185about 1,200 sq ft
$130–$1952 bedrooms
Average home
$150–$240about 2,000 sq ft
£55–£853 bedrooms
$160–$270about 2,000 sq ft
$155–$2503 bedrooms
Large home
$200–$340about 3,000 sq ft
£65–£1104 bedrooms
$210–$380about 3,000 sq ft
$180–$3104 bedrooms
Very large home
$250–$430about 4,000 sq ft
£75–£1305 bedrooms
$260–$490about 4,000 sq ft
$210–$3705 bedrooms
Hourly rate
$30–$65what working pros bill
£15–£26what working pros bill
$32–$60what working pros bill
$40–$75what working pros bill
Minimum charge
$100smallest job worth the trip
£35smallest job worth the trip
$110smallest job worth the trip
$100smallest job worth the trip
Prices are per visit in local currency, from a fair budget price to an established operator in a higher-cost area.
United States: Most American cleaners quote by square footage or by bedrooms and bathrooms, not by the hour. Rates follow the city: marketplace data puts the average cleaner at about $39 an hour in Denver and $58 in Boston.
United Kingdom: Domestic cleaning is still mostly sold by the hour, with a two to three hour visit as the norm and a fortnightly or weekly slot. Expect to charge 15% to 30% more in London and the South East, and agree up front whether you bring products or use the customer's, because both are common.
Canada: Toronto and Vancouver sit at the top of the range, with cities such as Halifax, Winnipeg and Regina well below. Quote before tax and add GST or HST on top once you are registered.
Australia: Independent cleaners usually charge 15% to 30% less than agencies, and fortnightly is the standard booking. Inside the oven is almost always a separate charge, not part of a regular clean.
Method
Ways to price house cleaning
01Flat price per visit
The best model for regular customers. You walk the home once, agree what is included, and charge the same amount every visit. The customer knows the cost, nobody watches the clock, and you keep the gain as you get faster in that home.
02By size and bathrooms
A base fee plus a rate for the floor area or the number of bedrooms, adjusted for bathrooms. This is how the calculator on this page works. It lets you give a firm range over the phone and keeps your prices consistent from one customer to the next.
03Hourly
Common in the UK and for first visits anywhere. It protects you when you cannot tell how long a home will take, but it caps your income and invites customers to count minutes. Use it for the first clean, time the job, then move the customer to a flat price.
04First clean plus a regular rate
Quote two prices on day one: a higher one for the first visit, which is always slower, and the ongoing rate for each visit after that. Customers accept the higher first price easily when they can see the regular price next to it.
Price factors
What changes the price
01Bathrooms and the kitchen, more than floor area
A spare bedroom takes ten minutes. A bathroom takes thirty to sixty, and the kitchen is the slowest room in the house. Two homes of the same size can be an hour apart because one has three bathrooms, so always ask for the bathroom count before you give a number.
02How often you come
A home cleaned every week never gets properly dirty, so each visit is quicker and earns a small discount. Monthly visits mean four weeks of soap scum and dust, which is closer to a light deep clean. One-off cleans have no repeat income behind them, so charge about 30% more.
03The first visit
The first clean in any home takes one and a half to two times as long as the visits that follow. You are removing build-up the last cleaner, or nobody, left behind, and you do not know the house yet. Price it separately and say so.
04Pets, children and clutter
Pet hair doubles your vacuuming, and you cannot clean a surface that is covered in toys, laundry or paperwork. Decide whether tidying is part of your service. If it is, charge for the time. If it is not, ask customers to clear surfaces before you arrive.
05Whose products and equipment
Bringing your own vacuum, cloths and products costs a few dollars or pounds per visit and adds wear on your gear, but it lets you work faster with tools you know. If the customer supplies everything, a small discount is fair. If they want specific eco or fragrance-free products, they pay the difference.
06The gaps in your day
A cleaner can fit two average homes into a day, or three small ones. A forty-minute drive between them turns three jobs into two. Group customers by area and by day, and quote higher for the home that sits on its own across town.
07Your local market
House cleaning rates track local wages closely. Check what three or four established local cleaners charge for a three-bedroom home, then set yourself in the middle and compete on reliability, not on being the cheapest.
Worked examples
Real quotes, step by step
United States
Weekly clean of a small one-bathroom home
A tidy 1,500 sq ft home with one bathroom, owned by a retired couple who want the same cleaner every Tuesday.
Weekly customers pay the least per visit and are worth the most. Fifty-two visits a year from one address is the kind of job you build a schedule around.
Base price, 1,500 sq ft
$152
Weekly
× 0.92
1 bathroom
× 0.9
Quote, rounded
$125
Going range
$105–$160
Time, with 15 min driving
2.5 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $9
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $29
You keep
$35 an hour
United Kingdom
First clean of a busy family house, with the oven
A four-bedroom house with two bathrooms that has not had a cleaner for six months. The family wants the oven done on the first visit, then a regular slot every two weeks.
Quote the first visit and the regular visit as two separate prices. If you charge the regular rate on day one, you work the hardest visit of the year at a loss.
Base price, 4 bedrooms
£80
First visit, not cleaned for months
× 1.5
Inside the oven
+ £45
Quote, rounded
£165
Going range
£140–£210
Time, with 15 min driving
7.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− £6
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− £40
You keep
£16 an hour
Australia
Monthly clean with three bathrooms and a dog
A three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a labrador. The owners only want a clean once a month.
Monthly, extra bathrooms and pet hair each add time on their own. Together they make this home cost about half as much again as a tidy fortnightly one of the same size.
Base price, 3 bedrooms
$197
Monthly
× 1.12
3 bathrooms
× 1.12
Busy home: kids, pets or clutter
× 1.15
Quote, rounded
$280
Going range
$220–$360
Time, with 15 min driving
5.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $10
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $68
You keep
$39 an hour
Canada
Large home every two weeks, plus the fridge
A 2,800 sq ft detached home with three bathrooms, cleaned every two weeks. This visit the customer also wants the inside of the fridge done.
Extras like the fridge are priced on top, every time. Customers who get one free extra come to expect it on every visit.
Base price, 2,800 sq ft
$259
3 bathrooms
× 1.12
Inside the fridge
+ $40
Quote, rounded
$330
Going range
$260–$440
Time, with 15 min driving
5.5 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $10
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $80
You keep
$44 an hour
Your costs
What it costs you to do the work
House cleaning is cheap to start, and many cleaners begin with what is already in their cupboard. These are the usual costs once you bring your own kit and treat it as a business.
Item
USA (USD)
UK (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Vacuum cleanerA sealed, bagged machine with a HEPA filter lasts longer on daily use and is the one clients with allergies ask about.
$150–$500
£120–£400
$200–$650
$250–$800
Mop system, buckets, brushes and a caddy
$50–$200
£40–£150
$70–$260
$80–$300
Microfiber cloths, starter setColor-code them so a bathroom cloth never reaches a kitchen.
$20–$75
£15–£60
$25–$100
$30–$110
Cleaning products and consumables, per month
$50–$200
£40–£150
$60–$260
$70–$300
Liability insurance, per yearCovers breakages and damage in a customer's home. In the US, a janitorial bond adds about $100 to $300 a year.
$400–$900
£60–£300
$450–$1,000
$300–$850
Avoid these
Pricing mistakes that cost beginners money
Selling hours instead of a clean house
When you bill by the hour, getting faster earns you less, and customers start watching the clock. Time your first visit, then switch to a flat price for a defined list of rooms and tasks.
Charging the regular rate for the first clean
The first visit is the slowest you will ever do in that home. Charge about half as much again, or bill it hourly, and show the lower regular price beside it so the customer sees where it is heading.
Pricing by bedrooms and ignoring bathrooms
A three-bedroom home with one bathroom and one with three are different jobs. Add or take off roughly 10% per bathroom, as the calculator does, or you will dread the big one every fortnight.
No minimum charge
A studio still costs you the drive, the setup and a slot in your day. Set a minimum, such as $100 in the US or £35 in the UK, and hold it.
Doing extras for free
Ovens, fridges, inside windows, laundry and ironing are not part of a standard clean. Keep a short priced list of extras and offer it. Saying yes for nothing once makes it part of the job forever.
No rule for lockouts and late cancellations
A cancelled visit is a hole in your day that you cannot fill at short notice. Put a fee for same-day cancellations and lockouts in writing before the first clean. Many companies charge a fixed amount or half the visit price.
Questions
Common questions about house cleaning prices
How much should I charge to clean a house?
For an average home on a two-week schedule, charge $150–$240 in the US, £55–£85 in the UK, C$160–C$270 in Canada and A$155–A$250 in Australia. Go higher for extra bathrooms, pets, monthly or one-off visits, and always more for the first clean.
How much should I charge to clean a 2,000 sq ft house?
On a two-week schedule, $150–$240 in the US and C$160–C$270 in Canada, assuming two bathrooms and a home that is kept reasonably tidy. US cost guides quote $0.10 to $0.20 per square foot for a standard clean. A one-off or first clean of the same home should cost roughly a third to a half more.
How much should I charge per hour for house cleaning?
Working cleaners bill about $30–$65 an hour in the US, £15–£26 in the UK, C$32–C$60 in Canada and A$40–A$75 in Australia. Independent cleaners sit in the lower half and insured businesses that bring their own supplies sit in the upper half.
How long does it take one person to clean a house?
A regular clean of a 2,000 sq ft or three-bedroom home takes one person about three to four hours. A one-bedroom apartment takes about two hours, and each extra bathroom adds around half an hour. A first visit takes up to twice as long.
Should I charge by the hour or by the job?
By the job for regular customers. A flat price rewards you for working efficiently and gives the customer a fixed cost. Keep hourly billing for first visits and messy one-off jobs where you cannot predict the time.
How much discount should I give for weekly cleaning?
About 5% to 10% less per visit than an every-two-weeks customer, because the home stays cleaner and the work is steadier. Monthly customers should pay about 10% more per visit, and one-off cleans about 30% more.
How many houses can one person clean in a day?
Two average homes, or three small ones if they are close together. Plan your week around that limit when you set prices: ten regular homes a week is a full schedule for a solo cleaner, so each one has to pay properly.
What should I charge to clean an oven or a fridge?
As an extra on a regular visit, cleaners typically charge $30 to $50 for the inside of an oven in the US and £45 to £90 in the UK. A fridge runs $30 to $100 in the US and £20 to £40 in the UK, depending on size and whether you empty it.
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Where these numbers come from
The rates on this page were set in November 2026 from the published price guides below, then checked so that the calculator, the price list and the examples all agree. How we work out prices.