Of course, the larger the house's size, the more the required cleaning, and the more you will charge. The size of the house is determined by either estimating the total square-foot of the area or by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in the place.

By large, you've got two types of cleaning; deep and basic. Basic cleaning would include our usual mopping and sweeping, whereas deep cleaning is more thorough.

How much to charge for deep cleaning a house? As it’s evident, deep cleaning costs you more supplies and time, and maybe employees too. So, you will be charging more for it than basic cleaning.

The farther your client is located, the more it will cost you to reach their home or office. Thus, when deciding how to quote for cleaning services, keep this important factor in mind.

You can also schedule clients living close by on the same day to save fuel. Plan your days according to areas.

Moreover, never reject clients simply because they are far away. Use this as an opportunity to leave your impression. Clients are willing to pay more if they get the promised quality.

Even within basic and deep cleaning, the state of the house can vary. The dirtier the place, the more you will be charging.

Although it’s a bit difficult to know that beforehand, you can take a good hit at reducing any possible losses by asking the right questions.

If you're familiar with economics, you will know that greater demand causes greater supply leading to an increase in prices. And your cleaning service is no different than regular commodities.

People in different areas are willing to pay differently for cleaning services. Thus, when you're thinking about how to estimate house cleaning jobs, remember this pointer.

To make sure you don't undercharge or overcharge, figure out the current average pricing for cleaning services in different areas.

Once you build long-term or regular clients, you will find it's best to charge them a little less than one-time clients. This is because houses that are cleaned regularly require much less subsequent cleaning.

This is also an excellent way to pay back your client's loyalty and have them stay longer.

When it comes to cleaning services, your experience amounts to branding. The more experience you have, the more reliable your knowledge and reputation get. And if you've played the game right, you’ll have a greater number of satisfied clients.

This experience gives you the leisure of charging more just for your name. However, keep a close eye on not lowering quality at all.

Paying by the hour is most preferred now. People realize time is money, and so should you.

What you're trying to find here is how much time it takes you to clean a room.

Now there are various rooms in a house. These include bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, lounge/living area, stairs, foyer, hallways, etc.

So clean every room and record the time it takes using a stopwatch. Do it at your own home, or ask your friends or family if you can do theirs. It sounds a bit itchy, but who would refuse their home to be cleaned for free? Hardly anyone.

Once you're done recording a rough cleaning time for each room, calculate your baseline average. How does this help?

When your client calls, you can give them an estimate of how long it will take you to clean their place. Furthermore, reasonable time estimates will help you price your services better. Read on to find out how.

So, let's say a client calls you for your services to clean their house. You have all your baselines in place. This is how your time estimation goes:

Bedrooms: 20 minutes x 3

Bathrooms: 25 minutes x 4

Kitchen: 35 minutes

Living area: 25 minutes

Stairs: 20 minutes

Total: 4 hours of basic cleaning

A crucial factor to remember here is to try and hit your baseline average as best as you can. Few slips here and there are alright. But, large deviations can be problematic as well as unprofessional.

There are four different pricing models, all of which effectively resolve the problem of how to estimate a house cleaning job. However, each has its way. So, choose your pricing model accordingly.

Per-Hour Rates

The hourly pricing model is best for beginners. Why?

It allows your client to see better why you're charging the way you are. It also allows you to focus on quality and value. And aren't these precisely the things that set your reputation?

When working with the hourly pricing model, you don't want to be cleaning by the clock. Instead, work as efficiently as possible. This is critical for client satisfaction because you don't want them to be assuming you're deliberately taking longer to earn more.

So, be efficient, move quickly, and try to stay as close to your baseline averages as possible.

An example of per-hour rates could be $35/hour for basic cleaning.

Per-Room Rates

This pricing model is adopted by some professionals who prefer to give out average room rates. It comes in handy when clients want some rooms to be cleaned, rather than the entire house.

If you're wondering what to charge for office cleaning, then this model might do the trick.

It also accounts for areas that take you more time to clean, such as attics or hard-to-get stains.

How does this work? You calculate your time per room and price accordingly. The kitchen might take you longer than the bedrooms. Say $80 for the kitchen, $50 for a bedroom, so the average turns out to be $65. That will be your per-room rate.

Flat-Rates

The flat-rate pricing model is the most common and popular method among professionals. It is also a more advanced way and sells better for clients.

Why? It’s easier for customers to know how much they'll be paying.

This also works well for your regular clients because you know the size of their houses and the general state.

With this pricing model, you give a wholesome amount to your client for your full cleaning service.

Example: $200 for one basic cleaning.

However, remember that this model can prove costly for you if you don’t know the house very well or if the home or office requires deep cleaning. For these reasons, you must ask all the right questions before giving your client a flat-rate.

Square-Footage Rates

Square-footage is another pricing method you can use. It’s great if you work on similar size houses, let's say a neighborhood with similar-sized homes.

Using this model, you set a rate per square foot. A rate of $0.25 per square foot would make cleaning a 2000 square foot house priced at $400.

Some experts claim that this model is most profitable and easy-to-sell to houses ranging between 2000-3000 square feet that require weekly services.

Now that you've identified how long it takes you to clean and you've chosen your pricing model, it's time to decide on your pricing list.

It's essential that you keep a reasonable profit. But before that, make sure to identify your overheads.

As with every business, you need to see the cost of your 'raw materials' - in other words, the money flowing in, before expecting a reasonable flow-out. These flow-ins are called overheads.

As a cleaning service provider, your general overheads would include:

• Cost of cleaning supplies
• Employee wages
• Drive time and fuel

These are your baseline flow-ins. When pricing your services, make sure to keep your profit.

As for the employees, if you're working for a new business, you might be wondering that this pointer isn't for you.

But here's the smart trick: consider yourself an employee, even if you're running your business single-handedly initially. Always include employee wages, no matter the number of people. This will help you when you grow.

Example: Let's say you have two employees who work at $35/hour. Driving you to the house costs you $5 worth of fuel, and your supply usage is worth $5.

Then, what to charge for cleaning services? A minimum of $90 per hour. Add your profit, and there you are.

Now, I realize all of this can be a bit daunting to do. All the additions and the multiplications can spin anyone's head. Were you secretly wishing you could find some house cleaning cost calculator? I've got the perfect one for you!