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specktacularfam's avatar
specktacularfam
Contributor 3
23 days ago
Solved

How to price deep cleaning services without undervaluing your work?

As a small business owner and single mom of three, I’ve learned quickly that pricing isn’t just about covering costs—it’s about knowing your worth and not undervaluing your time.

In the cleaning industry, especially with deep cleaning, it’s easy to underprice just to get the job. But I’ve realized that the type of work we do—the dirty, time-consuming jobs that others avoid—requires not only effort, but skill, consistency, and attention to detail.

One thing I’ve been working on is finding that balance between staying competitive and making sure I’m actually profitable, not just busy.

For those who have been in business longer

 How did you figure out your pricing structure for deep cleaning services?

 Did you base it more on square footage, time, or level of buildup?

 And how did you gain the confidence to raise your prices?

I’m focused on growing my business the right way, building something stable for my family, and I’d really value hearing what’s worked for others.

  • josephsgutters's avatar
    josephsgutters
    15 days ago

    Not sure about the cleaning service or if this will help but try doing 

    material cost + how much you want for labor + overhead (like expenses from gas to the wear and tear of equipment you use)  = Price 

    then do Price X (percentage you want to profit) then add that to the Price you got and that’ll be your overall price 

     

    example 

    M+L+O=Price ($100+$150+$50=$300.00)

    Price x % (300•65% = $180)

    300+180= total job cost $480 

     

9 Replies

  • Ers's avatar
    Ers
    Contributor 2
    22 days ago

    THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD QUESTION OF MY OWN. I still not getting the right answer at this point, because I have NOT figure it yet the best price point for a deep cleaner service. 

  • travisshepherd's avatar
    travisshepherd
    Contributor 4
    18 days ago

    I used to do the same thing — underprice everything just to get the job.

    What helped me was switching from hourly to flat rate pricing. For deep cleans, I mostly go off how bad the place is instead of just square footage. A nasty house takes way longer even if it’s small.

    As far as raising prices, once I actually tracked what I was making after gas and supplies, it got a lot easier to charge more. I was killing myself for no money.

    Figure out what you need to make per hour and stop feeling bad about it. You’re not doing charity work.

    • agentoly's avatar
      agentoly
      Contributor 2
      18 days ago

      So I love flat rate piece work. Both employees and the employer benefit from it. So my window jobs are piece rate. But my 44,000 foot construction clean is hourly. For one I have no idea how to piece that out. And for two it seems never ending its like they think we live there now. I wouldn't mind with the ceilings are made of 24k gold foil. And marble everything and a car museum. I tied to piece the last one out but didn't go so well. Monitoring production and with work constantly getting trashed by painters or just the ac turning on hourly helped save some cost. But one thing though I disagree with you about. I dont want to underbid just to get the job. Quite the opposite. I want to pay my employees more than everyone else. If no one else has the best employees then I'll be the only game in town. Professionalism comes with a premium price tag

  • josephsgutters's avatar
    josephsgutters
    Contributor 2
    15 days ago

    Not sure about the cleaning service or if this will help but try doing 

    material cost + how much you want for labor + overhead (like expenses from gas to the wear and tear of equipment you use)  = Price 

    then do Price X (percentage you want to profit) then add that to the Price you got and that’ll be your overall price 

     

    example 

    M+L+O=Price ($100+$150+$50=$300.00)

    Price x % (300•65% = $180)

    300+180= total job cost $480 

     

  • agentoly's avatar
    agentoly
    Contributor 2
    19 days ago

    Ive been doing construction clean ups for high end residential and I had to eat a job just to get the next one but taught me one thing. Don't undervalue yourself. If you get the job cool If you dont then you probably dont want it anyways.  Your time is money and you dont want Paul taking your time and money and leave Peter hanging. I bid a job thee ways to get my proper bid. Man hour, cost per item, then gut feeling, find the median and there's your answer 

  • Paulo_Fernando's avatar
    Paulo_Fernando
    Contributor 2
    17 days ago

    Pricing is always a challenge. The guru answer is "know your worth, never underprice a service"... BUT the real answer is more nuanced. You have to be aware of competitors in your area, your real costs, the time it'll take to do the job, if you have helpers/employees, if you pay insurance and taxes. So it's not as easy as charge as much as you can and if you get the job, great. 

    In the beginning you need to fill your schedule at the MOST competitive price possible. Then, as you grow, you begin raising prices to eliminate the cheap services that take time and provide little to no return so you can bring in new clients at a higher rate. I've learned, in this field of work, you need to grow your network of clients and referrals. It's the best and cheapest way to acquire new clients and grow consistently. 

    Also, partner with real estate agents that need move in/out cleanings and can rely on a quick turn around from you. 

    Hope this helps! 
    Wanna chat some more, reach me at mailto:paulo@bybmidia.digital 

  • AFHandymanSon's avatar
    AFHandymanSon
    Contributor 2
    5 days ago

    This is a great question. I’m learning that pricing has to include more than just the time on the job. It should also cover travel, supplies, equipment wear, insurance, taxes, admin time, and enough profit to keep the business healthy.

    For deep cleaning especially, I think it helps to avoid pricing only by square footage. Two homes can be the same size but need completely different levels of work. I’d rather explain the value clearly, set expectations up front, and charge enough to do the job properly instead of rushing or feeling underpaid.

    The confidence comes from knowing your numbers and remembering that a fair price protects both the customer and the business.