Step 1
Estimate cleaner-hours
Crew size × hours on site = total cleaner-hours. Two cleaners working three hours create six cleaner-hours of labor.
Cost-first cleaning pricing guide
How to price a cleaning job from costs and target margin.
Build the price from the work you expect to perform: estimate cleaner-hours, total the job’s costs, then solve for a selling price that supports your chosen margin.
1 Estimate cost
2 Solve price
3 Check margin
Worked exampleCost-first quote
ILLUSTRATIVECalculated price$300
Total cost$210
Planned profit$90
Margin30%
Example inputs demonstrate the math; they are not suggested market rates.
The pricing method
Start with cost. Solve for the price.
A target margin is a share of the selling price, so it belongs in the denominator. Write the target as a decimal: 30% becomes 0.30.
Step 2
Calculate labor cost
Multiply cleaner-hours by your own fully loaded internal labor cost per hour. Use business records, not the rate you charge a client.
Step 3
Add the other costs
Add supplies, travel, job-specific fees, and a consistent allocation of overhead. Include owner labor if the owner will do the work.
Step 4
Choose and verify margin
Solve the price, apply any client-facing rounding, then calculate the realized margin again. Rounding down can put the quote below target.
Worked example
From six cleaner-hours to a $300 quote.
These inputs are deliberately simple so the arithmetic is easy to audit. Replace every number with your own estimate and records; none of the amounts below is a recommended wage, cost, or selling price.
Labor: $150
2 cleaners × 3 on-site hours = 6 cleaner-hours. At an illustrative fully loaded cost of $25 per cleaner-hour: 6 × $25 = $150.
Other direct costs: $30
Illustrative supplies of $18 plus travel of $12 produce $30 of other direct job cost.
Allocated overhead: $30
Add a documented share of non-job expenses. In this example, the allocation is $30, bringing total estimated cost to $210.
Price: $300
$210 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = $300. Planned profit is $90, and $90 ÷ $300 confirms a 30% margin.
Common pricing error
Margin is not markup.
Margin divides profit by price. Markup divides profit by cost. Applying a 30% markup does not create a 30% margin.
What happens if you add 30% to cost?
$210 × 1.30 = $273. The planned profit is $63, so the margin is $63 ÷ $273 = 23.1%—not 30%.
What price creates a 30% margin?
$210 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = $300. Profit is $90 and $90 ÷ $300 = 30%.
How do margin and markup convert?
Markup = margin ÷ (1 − margin). A 30% margin corresponds to a 42.9% markup. Margin = markup ÷ (1 + markup).
What can still change the result?
Extra time, rework, omitted labor, unplanned supplies, cancellations, and costs tied to the final selling price can all change realized profit. Record the actual result after the job.
Before sending the quote
Cleaning job pricing checklist.
1. Write the scope and exclusions
Record the rooms, surfaces, add-ons, condition assumptions, frequency, access constraints, and tasks that are not included. Price changes should follow scope changes.
2. Estimate total cleaner-hours
Multiply crew size by expected on-site time. Add setup, travel, laundry, disposal, or other paid time when it belongs in your cost model.
3. Use your real internal labor cost
Use current records for wages and the employment costs your business is responsible for. Do not confuse that cost with the hourly rate shown to clients.
4. Add supplies, travel, fees, and overhead
Use a consistent method and avoid counting the same cost twice. If a cost is omitted, the calculated margin will be overstated.
5. Solve price from target margin
Calculate total cost ÷ (1 − target margin). Keep the target below 100%, and use the decimal form in the equation.
6. Recheck after rounding and add-ons
After changing the client price or adding work, calculate planned profit and margin again. Document how add-ons affect time and cost, not just price.
7. Handle taxes and terms separately
Confirm applicable tax, deposit, cancellation, and payment rules for your location and business. This guide does not provide accounting, tax, or legal advice.
8. Compare estimate with the completed job
Log actual cleaner-hours and costs. Use the variance to improve the next estimate; do not treat the target margin as a promised result.
Put the method to work
Calculate once, then keep the assumptions visible.
The free browser calculator gives a quick educational estimate. The editable CleanQuote workbook adds reusable service presets, a client quote, and an actual-versus-quoted job log.
$9USD equivalent in Bitcoin
The workbook is a pricing tool, not accounting, tax, legal, or profit advice. It does not guarantee profit or replace validation of local costs and scope.
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