Cost of Care: How much should I charge for housekeeping services?

The cost of housekeeping services can be based on many factors and varies from one area to another.

It is usually necessary to have an in-home consultation with your prospective employer, so you can get a better understanding of the home, the cleaning requirements, and exactly what you're expected to do, in order to determine the correct price.

Factors involved in assessing the price of a job

• Size of the home (number of bedrooms/bathrooms)
• Frequency of cleaning (weekly, bimonthly)
• Number of people and pets in the household
• Level of clutter (can you access the areas to be cleaned?)
• Number of different surfaces to be cleaned
• Special requirements, such as cleaning windows
• Your level of experience
• Number of people cleaning (an individual or team from an agency)
• Whether you will be paid by the job or by the hour

Rough estimates of what to charge for housecleaning services

• In larger metropolitan areas, for a medium-sized apartment or house, an individual housekeeper can charge about $100 per cleaning.
• In larger metropolitan areas, for a medium-sized apartment or house, a large national cleaning chain might charge about $175 per cleaning.
• In less populated cities or towns, for an average-sized house (2500 square feet), in individual housekeeper might charge approximately $75 per cleaning.

Establishing your fee

• Ask other housekeepers in your area how much they charge for cleaning services.
• Compare their level of experience with yours.
Be prepared to negotiate with prospective employers in order to arrive at a fair price that reflects your skills and experience.