House Cleaning Prices: What a Clean Really Costs
House cleaning rates by home size and frequency, what's included in a standard clean, and the add-ons that quietly inflate the bill.
Updated 2026-08-01
House cleaning is priced by home size and by frequency. Recurring clients pay meaningfully less per visit because the home never falls back to a deep-clean state.
A standard clean means surfaces, floors, kitchens and bathrooms. Inside the oven, inside the fridge, windows, baseboards and blinds are add-ons almost everywhere.
The first visit is nearly always more expensive than the ones after it, and that is normal rather than a bait and switch.
Typical price
A 3-bedroom home on a biweekly plan usually settles at $150–$190 per visit.
Price breakdown
| Item | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1 bedroom | $90 – $140 | About 2 hours for one cleaner. |
| 2 bed / 1–2 bath | $120 – $180 | The most common booking. |
| 3 bed / 2 bath | $150 – $230 | Usually a two-person team. |
| 4+ bed home | $220 – $350 | Scales with bathrooms more than bedrooms. |
| First-time / initial deep clean | 1.3× – 1.8× standard | Baseline reset visit. |
| Weekly recurring | -20% – -30% | Best per-visit price. |
| Biweekly recurring | -10% – -20% | Most popular cadence. |
| Inside oven / inside fridge | +$25 – $50 each | Time-intensive add-ons. |
| Interior windows | +$4 – $8 per window | Tracks and sills included. |
What drives the price
- Number of bathrooms — they take the longest per square foot.
- Pets, especially shedding breeds.
- Clutter level, which reduces reachable surface area.
- Floor types: grout, natural stone and hardwood need different treatment.
- Frequency — the biggest single lever on per-visit price.
How to pay less
- Commit to biweekly instead of booking one-offs.
- Do a 10-minute pre-tidy so the cleaner spends the hour cleaning, not sorting.
- Drop add-ons you don't need every visit and rotate them quarterly.
- Provide your own supplies if you have preferences — some cleaners discount for it.
- Book weekday mornings, which are the easiest slots to fill.
Questions to ask before you book
- What exactly is on your standard checklist?
- Is this a solo cleaner or a team, and how long will you be here?
- Do you bring supplies and a vacuum?
- Are you insured and bonded?
- What is your cancellation and re-clean policy?
Red flags
- A flat quote given without asking how many bathrooms you have.
- No written checklist of what's included.
- No insurance in a home with expensive floors or fixtures.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I tip a house cleaner?
- It's optional. $10–$20 per visit, or one visit's cost around the holidays, is a common approach for recurring service.
- How long does a standard clean take?
- Roughly one hour per bedroom-plus-bathroom pair for a solo cleaner; teams cut clock time roughly in half.
- Does the price include laundry or dishes?
- Usually not. Both are commonly offered as add-ons rather than being part of a standard clean.