The Housekeeping Job Guide: How Much to Charge for Housekeeping

Now that you've decided to look into work as a housekeeper, you will want to figure out how much you would charge for your services.

Housekeepers generally need to look at the home to be cleaned in order to assess how much to charge. They set up an in-home consultation with prospective employers to get a better understanding of the home, the cleaning requirements, and exactly what they will be expected to do, in order to determine the correct price.

What to consider when figuring out how much to charge

• 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

Estimating what to charge for housecleaning services

• To check what hourly rates are for comparable services in your area, go to Care.com and enter your zip code to see what other housekeepers are charging. Rates may vary greatly from one area of the country to another.
• Ask other housekeepers in your area how much they charge for cleaning services
• Compare their level of experience with yours, and then charge accordingly

Be prepared to negotiate with prospective employers in order to arrive at a fair price that reflects your skills and experience. As you negotiate, you will have to be clear about how much you want the work versus the price that a client is willing to pay. When starting out, it may be helpful to charge a lower rate than others and to build up a group of clients who will give you good recommendations. This will then enable you to raise your rates as your become known for your high quality work.

Once you have figured out how much to charge, and that you want to move forward to get a job as a housekeeper, you will want to advertise your services on Care.com and then prepare for a job interview.