Should I charge hourly or a flat fee for house cleaning?

Flat fee, for residential cleaning.

Why a flat fee works better

It converts better. When a customer asks “how much?”, they want a number. A flat price gives them one they can plan around. An hourly rate gives them a guess, and a guess makes people nervous about letting a stranger into their home.

It lets you quote online without a phone call. With flat prices, a customer can get a quote and book from a form, at any hour. That’s the biggest advantage you can have over the competition, because a lot of cleaning companies still make people call for a price.

When hourly still makes sense

Keep hourly for the odd job you genuinely can’t estimate: something unusual where neither you nor the cleaner can know how long it will take until you see it.

What happens when the house doesn’t match the quote

A flat price is based on what the customer told you. When the cleaner arrives, they do a quick walk-through first. If a “standard” cleaning turns out to need a deep clean (trash everywhere, built-up dirt, soap scum), the cleaner stops, takes photos and contacts us before getting far into the job.

Then I call the customer, show them what we’re seeing, and we agree on the next step together. Photos prevent all the he said, she said. You don’t want a cleaner quietly doing hours of extra work, or a customer surprised by the result.

Common questions

Do I need to visit the house to give a quote?

I don’t. I did in-home quotes when I first started, before I had the technology set up. Now customers choose: book online, a phone quote, or a video call. You’re not driving across town to give a quote that may never turn into a booking.

Should I call customers who book online?

I do. Even when someone books without talking to us, we call to introduce ourselves and go over arrival windows, the satisfaction policy, how to prepare the home, access and pets. A two-minute call prevents a lot of problems on cleaning day.

Should my prices match the market?

Mine don’t. Our prices are about 30% to 40% higher than the local market, because that’s what makes the work worth it for the cleaners as well as the business. If you charge what everyone else charges, there isn’t enough in each job for both sides.