In short
Price cleaning jobs by working out the hourly rate you need after costs, unpaid time and tax, then charging by the hour for regular cleans and by the job for deep and end-of-tenancy cleans, which are priced higher. Set a minimum charge, allow for travel and supplies, and review your prices every year.
1. Work out the hourly rate you need
Start from what you need to earn, not from what the cheapest cleaner nearby charges. As a self-employed cleaner your rate has to cover things an employer would normally pay for:
- Holidays, bank holidays and sick days, which are unpaid
- Travel time between homes, which nobody pays for
- Supplies, insurance, your phone and any platform or card fees
- Income Tax and National Insurance on your profit
For example: if you want £20,000 profit a year before tax, and you expect to fill 25 paid hours a week for 46 weeks (1,150 hours), you need about £17.40 an hour before any costs — and more once supplies, travel and fees are added. Put your own numbers into the earnings calculator.
2. Choose hourly or per-job pricing
| Hourly | Per job | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Regular weekly or fortnightly cleans | Deep cleans, end-of-tenancy, carpets, windows |
| Customer sees | A rate and an estimate of hours | One fixed price |
| Your risk | Low — longer jobs pay more | Higher — if you underestimate, you lose out |
| Your upside | Limited to your hours | Get faster, earn more per hour |
Many cleaners use both: hourly for regulars and a fixed price for one-off work, based on the property size and condition.
3. Estimate how long each job takes
Fixed prices are only as good as your time estimates. Before quoting, ask for the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, whether there are pets, when it was last cleaned properly, and what is included — inside the oven, inside cupboards, windows.
Time your first few jobs of each type and keep notes. The cleaning price calculator gives a starting estimate by home size.
4. Charge more for deep and end-of-tenancy cleans
Deep cleans and end-of-tenancy cleans are harder, slower work: built-up grease, limescale, inside appliances, skirting boards and behind furniture. They often need extra products or kit, and an end-of-tenancy clean has to meet an inventory check.
Price them higher than your regular rate — either a higher hourly rate or a fixed price per property size — and be clear in writing about what is included and what costs extra (carpets, oven, inside windows).
5. Set a minimum charge
A one-hour job across town can cost you more in travel and time than it earns. A minimum charge — for example, a minimum of two or three hours per visit — makes sure every trip is worth it. State it up front so it is never a surprise.
6. Allow for travel and supplies
- Travel — either build an average trip into your rate, or add a travel charge for jobs outside your usual area
- Supplies — if you bring your own products and equipment, your price should cover them. Using the customer’s products keeps costs down but is worth saying clearly
- Parking and congestion charges — say who pays before the job
- Fees — if customers book through an app or pay by card, include those fees in your price
On Holler you set your own prices and the customer sees the full price up front before booking. Holler takes a flat commission on completed jobs, plus Stripe’s card fee — the earnings calculator shows what is left.
7. Review and raise your prices
Your costs go up every year, so your prices should too. A small yearly rise is easier for customers to accept than a big jump after several years.
- 1Pick a set time each year to review
- 2Give regular customers written notice — a month is a common courtesy
- 3Keep the message short: the new price, when it starts, and thank them
- 4Charge new customers your new rate straight away
If you are fully booked, that is a strong sign your prices are too low.
Questions people ask
Should cleaners charge by the hour or by the job?
Hourly pricing suits regular cleans because longer visits pay more. Fixed per-job prices suit one-off deep and end-of-tenancy cleans, where customers want to know the total — as long as you estimate the time carefully.
How much more should I charge for a deep clean?
There is no fixed rule. Deep cleans take longer and need more product, so most cleaners charge a higher hourly rate or a fixed price based on property size and condition. Time a few jobs and price from your real hours.
Should I charge for travel as a cleaner?
Either build average travel into your hourly rate or add a travel charge for jobs outside your usual area. A minimum charge also stops short jobs costing you money.
How do I tell customers I am raising my prices?
Give regular customers written notice, keep it short and friendly, and say when the new price starts. Charge new customers the new rate from the start.
What is a minimum charge for cleaning?
A minimum number of hours or a minimum price per visit, so a short job still covers your travel and time. Tell customers about it before they book.
Keep reading
Cleaning price calculator
Free cleaning price calculator: pick regular, deep or end-of-tenancy, add bedrooms and bathrooms and your hourly rate to estimate time and price.
How much do self-employed cleaners earn?
What a self-employed cleaner really takes home: worked examples of rates, hours, travel, supplies, fees and tax, plus the things that push your earnings up.
Earnings calculator for self-employed pros
Free earnings calculator for self-employed cleaners and tradespeople: enter your price and jobs per week to see your take-home per job, week and year.
How much does a cleaner cost?
What decides the price of a cleaner in the UK: size, type of clean, how often, supplies and where you live, with worked examples and how Holler shows prices.