How to quote a cleaning job

A cleaning quote wins when the client can see which tier they’re buying, what it covers room by room, and what the price assumes about the state of the home.

Scope: size, tier and condition

Start from the home’s size, its bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage, and see it, in person or in photos, before you commit to a number. Then name the tier:

• Standard: upkeep on a schedule, covering surfaces, floors, the kitchen and the bathrooms.
• Deep: everything in a standard clean plus the built-up work, such as baseboards, doors, light fixtures and grout.
• Move-out or move-in: an empty home, with the inside of cabinets, closets and appliances.

Attach the checklist for the tier, so both sides agree on what “clean” means. State what the price assumes, such as average condition and clear surfaces, and what happens if the home needs more: heavy buildup, pet hair or clutter gets re-quoted or billed by the hour. Exclusions belong on the quote too, like outside windows, walls, biohazards or moving heavy furniture. Say whether you bring the supplies and equipment or use the client’s.

How cleaning is priced

Charge	Priced as	Show on the quote
Standard clean	Per visit, by home size	Rooms and tasks included
Deep or move-out clean	Per job	The checklist beyond standard
Hourly clean	Per cleaner-hour	Team size and estimated hours
Office cleaning	Per visit or month, by area	Schedule and areas covered
Add-ons	Each	Which appliance, window or room
First clean	One-time price	Why it costs more than later visits

Quote hourly work in cleaner-hours: a team of two working three hours is six hours, and a client who expected three will balk at the total. On a new recurring account, price the first visit as a deep clean or at a higher first-visit price, because a home that hasn’t had regular cleaning takes longer, and the recurring price assumes upkeep.

Fees: cancellations, lockouts and minimums

Write the policy into the quote before the first visit:

• how much notice you need to skip or move a clean, and the fee for less;
• a lockout fee for when the cleaner arrives and can’t get in, from a missing key to a door code that doesn’t work;
• a minimum charge for small jobs;
• anything else priced on its own, such as pets, parking or supplies.

Add-ons the client can choose

Offer extras as optional items the client can tick, which count toward the total only once chosen: inside the oven or fridge, interior windows, inside cabinets, blinds or a load of laundry. The client sees the whole menu at once, and a standard clean can grow without another trip to re-quote it.

Valid-until and the recurring rate

Put a valid-until date on the quote. For recurring work, say what the rate is after the first clean, whether it changes with the schedule (weekly against monthly, for example), and when you review prices, so a raise at the anniversary doesn’t come as a surprise.

Deposits and how the client will pay

For one-time cleans booked ahead, such as move-outs, set a deposit that holds the date and say whether it comes back if the client cancels. For recurring clients, say how they’ll pay: a card charged after each clean, or an invoice with a due date.

Signing at home: the Cooling-Off Rule

Have the client sign and date the quote, with the tier, the add-ons and the cancellation policy they accepted.

A recurring plan signed in the client’s home after a walk-through can fall under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule. It covers consumer services of $25 or more when the seller solicits the sale face to face and the buyer agrees at home, even if the buyer asked for the visit; the rule also lists sales it doesn’t cover (16 CFR 429). The client may then cancel before midnight of the third business day after the sale, counting every day except Sundays and federal holidays. What the rule asks of you at signing: an oral explanation of that right; a completed copy of the agreement, dated, with your business’s name and address; the rule’s cancellation statement next to the client’s signature, in bold type of at least 10 points; and a completed cancellation notice form in duplicate. After a timely cancellation, the rule gives you 10 business days from receiving the notice to refund everything paid.

California: janitorial registration for commercial work

California’s Labor Commissioner says anyone who meets the law’s definition of a janitorial employer must register with the Labor Commissioner’s Office every year. The definition takes in anyone who employs at least one covered worker, or otherwise engages by contracts, subcontracts or franchise arrangements for janitorial services performed by one or more covered workers; a covered worker is anyone working predominantly as a janitor, whether as an employee, independent contractor or franchisee. The Labor Commissioner’s examples of businesses that must register include a provider that cleans commercial establishments, such as office buildings, and employs no one. A person or business that only cleans residential dwellings, such as private homes, condos or mobile homes, isn’t required to register. Any person or entity that contracts for janitorial services with an employer who wasn’t registered when the contract was executed, extended, renewed or modified is subject to a civil fine (Labor Commissioner). If the rule reaches you, keep your registration current before you bid, sign or renew commercial work there, since your client carries that risk.

Three cleaning quoting mistakes that lose the job or the margin

1. Pricing from the bedroom count alone. Two three-bedroom homes can be hours apart in work; see the home, or photos of it, first.
2. The first clean at the recurring price. The first visit is the hardest one, and priced like the tenth it eats the margin.
3. No written cancellation policy. Without one, a lockout or a same-day cancellation is a lost slot you can’t bill.