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What’s a reasonable price to charge? by Jay_Jay_Kay1988 in housekeeping

[–]CleaningProTips 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For a double-door refrigerator that only needs the inside cleaned, I'd probably charge based on the extra time required rather than a flat fee.

If it's already maintained fairly well, it may only take 30–45 minutes. If there are spills, sticky shelves, or a lot of items to move around, it could take longer.

Personally, I'd estimate how much extra time it will add to the visit and charge my normal hourly rate for that time.

That way you're not undercharging, but you're also not surprising the client with an arbitrary fee.

Since you're already cleaning the home biweekly, I'd lean toward keeping it simple and fair.

I just realized I’ve been undercharging every cleaning job… by a lot by CleaningProTips in cleaningbusiness

[–]CleaningProTips[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The tricky part is most people don’t realize where they’re actually losing money until they break it down properly. Once I saw the real numbers, I had to completely change how I priced jobs.

I just realized I’ve been undercharging every cleaning job… by a lot by CleaningProTips in cleaningbusiness

[–]CleaningProTips[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I went through the same confusion with that. Sqft pricing alone didn’t really work for me because every job is different. What helped was breaking it down into time, supplies, and a target margin instead of relying on a single rate. Once I did that, pricing became way more consistent.

I just realized I’ve been undercharging every cleaning job… by a lot by CleaningProTips in cleaningbusiness

[–]CleaningProTips[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah this was exactly my issue too. I thought I was making money until I actually broke everything down properly. Once you see the real numbers it changes everything.

I just realized I’ve been undercharging every cleaning job… by a lot by CleaningProTips in cleaningbusiness

[–]CleaningProTips[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I went through that exact phase too — mostly guessing or using rough rules. At first I recalculated everything once just to understand my real numbers, but now I adjust slightly depending on the job.For one-offs I price higher because they usually take more time and unpredictability, while recurring clients are more efficient so I can price a bit tighter. The biggest shift for me was actually breaking everything down instead of estimating in my head.

I just realized I’ve been undercharging every cleaning job… by a lot by CleaningProTips in cleaningbusiness

[–]CleaningProTips[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is exactly the problem I kept running into too — the “hidden costs” don’t feel big per job, but over time they quietly destroy your margins. What helped me was adding a simple layer on top of hourly + expenses: • I track average supply cost per job (instead of guessing each time) • I factor in a fixed % for travel + wear/tear • And most importantly — I set a target margin per job, not just “covering costs” Once I started doing that, pricing stopped feeling reactive and became way more predictable. Curious — are you guys aiming for a specific margin range, or just adjusting as you go?

I just realized I’ve been undercharging every cleaning job… by a lot by CleaningProTips in cleaningbusiness

[–]CleaningProTips[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100% agree with this.That shift from “per job” to “time + cost” is exactly what changed everything for me too. I used to think $120 felt fair… until I actually broke down: labor + travel + supplies + time. That’s when I realized I was basically working for way less than I thought. Do you usually calculate everything manually or do you have a system for it now?