How Much Does House Cleaning Cost? A 2026 Price Guide
House cleaning is one of the most commonly booked home services in the country, and also one of the hardest to price, because almost nobody quotes it the same way. Some cleaners charge by the hour, some by the square foot, some by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Here is how the pricing actually works, so you can tell a fair quote from a padded one.
Typical hourly rates
Most independent cleaners in the United States charge somewhere between $25 and $60 an hour, with $30 to $45 being the range you will see most often. Cleaning companies with employees usually sit at the higher end, because that rate has to cover payroll, insurance, supplies and overhead.
Rates run higher in expensive metro areas and lower in smaller markets. A solo cleaner in a mid-size city and a three-person crew in a major metro can quote the same job at very different numbers, and both can be reasonable.
Typical flat rates by home size
Many cleaners prefer a flat rate once they have seen the home, because it protects both sides. As a rough guide for a standard clean:
- Studio or one bedroom: $90 to $150
- Two bedrooms, one or two baths: $120 to $200
- Three bedrooms, two baths: $150 to $280
- Four bedrooms or more: $220 to $400 and up
What changes the price
Type of clean. A standard clean is upkeep: surfaces, floors, bathrooms, kitchen. A deep clean adds baseboards, inside appliances, grout, window tracks and detail work, and usually costs 1.5 to 2 times a standard clean. A move-in or move-out clean is priced like a deep clean, sometimes higher, because the home is empty and every surface is in scope.
Frequency. Recurring service is almost always cheaper per visit. Weekly and biweekly clients commonly pay 10 to 25 percent less than a one-time booking, because the home stays in better condition and the cleaner can plan their week around it.
Condition. Pets, heavy clutter, post-party cleanup or a home that has not been cleaned in months all add time. An honest cleaner will say so before starting rather than after.
Supplies. Most cleaners bring their own. If you want specific products, eco-friendly or fragrance-free, say so when you book. Some charge a small premium for specialty supplies.
What you should not be paying for
Watch for booking fees, platform service charges, and “trust and support” fees added at checkout. On some national platforms these quietly add 10 to 20 percent on top of the cleaner’s rate, and the cleaner never sees that money. On Neighbor for Hire the rate on the listing is the rate you pay. We do not add a fee to your bill or take a commission from the cleaner.
How to get an accurate quote
- Give square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and whether you have pets.
- Say which type of clean you want: standard, deep, or move-in/move-out.
- Mention anything unusual: exterior windows, inside the oven, a finished basement, stairs.
- Ask what is included and what costs extra, in writing, before the first visit.
- Ask about cancellation terms, and whether the same person comes each time.
Is a cheaper quote a red flag?
Not always. A solo cleaner with low overhead can charge less than an agency and do better work, because you are paying for their time rather than a franchise fee. What matters is whether they are insured for the work, whether the reviews come from real completed bookings, and whether the quote covers what you actually asked for. A low number that balloons on the day is the problem, not a low number that holds.
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