What you’ll get from this guide
- A standard 3-bedroom clean runs $120 to $300 depending on the state; the national average sits at $150 – $250.
- Hourly labour is billed at $35 – $85 per cleaner, but should be sold as a flat rate.
- The same job pays up to 45% more in a high-cost state than in a low-cost one.
- Charging your city's rate rather than the national one is the single biggest lever on your margin.
Who This Guide Is For
If you clean homes in the US and want to know what to charge where you actually operate, this is the page. For the pricing formula, margin maths and add-on rates, see the full house cleaning pricing guide.
The expensive mistake is rarely underpricing in general. It is charging the wrong rate for your market — running Phoenix prices in Boston, or defending New York prices in a rural county. Both cost you jobs, for opposite reasons.
Rates by Metro Area (2026)
| Metro | Standard Clean (3 Bed) | Deep Clean (3 Bed) | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York / New Jersey | $220 – $300 | $320 – $450 | $55 – $85 |
| Los Angeles / Orange County | $200 – $280 | $300 – $420 | $50 – $80 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $210 – $300 | $310 – $440 | $55 – $85 |
| Boston | $200 – $270 | $290 – $410 | $50 – $78 |
| Washington DC / Maryland / Virginia | $190 – $260 | $280 – $400 | $48 – $75 |
| Seattle | $185 – $255 | $275 – $390 | $48 – $75 |
| Miami / South Florida | $180 – $250 | $270 – $380 | $45 – $75 |
| Chicago | $160 – $220 | $240 – $340 | $45 – $70 |
| Denver | $155 – $215 | $235 – $330 | $42 – $68 |
| Atlanta | $145 – $205 | $225 – $315 | $40 – $65 |
| Austin / Dallas / Houston | $140 – $200 | $220 – $310 | $40 – $65 |
| Phoenix / Las Vegas | $130 – $180 | $200 – $280 | $38 – $60 |
| Orlando / Tampa | $135 – $190 | $205 – $290 | $38 – $62 |
| Charlotte / Nashville | $135 – $190 | $205 – $290 | $38 – $62 |
| Midwest & South, smaller metros | $120 – $170 | $180 – $260 | $35 – $55 |
Per-visit pricing for a 3 bed / 2 bath home. The hourly figure is per cleaner and represents loaded labour, not employee wage. These are consistent with the city table in our main pricing guide.
The Three US Market Tiers
| Tier | Typical states | Adjustment vs national | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — high cost of living | CA, NY, NJ, MA, WA, DC, HI | +25% to +45% | Rent, parking, drive time and client expectations are all higher. Clients here rarely blink at a flat rate. |
| Tier 2 — large metros | IL, CO, GA, FL, TX, AZ, NV, VA, MD | national average | Competitive but deep. Pricing power comes from reliability and reviews, not from being cheapest. |
| Tier 3 — smaller metros and rural | Most of the Midwest and South | -15% to -25% | Lower rates, but shorter drives and cheaper insurance. Margin can be as good or better. |
If you work the boundary between two tiers, quote at the higher one and let the customer negotiate down. Raising a number you already gave is far harder than lowering it.
Why the Same Job Pays Differently
It is not only cost of living. Four things move your real cost between states:
- Wage and labour burden. Minimum wage, workers' comp and payroll taxes vary sharply by state. California and New York cost meaningfully more per worked hour than Texas or Florida.
- Drive time and parking. In Manhattan or San Francisco you can lose 45 minutes between parking and the front door. That time is real cost and belongs in the price.
- Client expectation. Expensive markets expect specific products, flexible scheduling and provable insurance. That is service, and service costs.
- Local competition. Big metros have more competitors but far more clients willing to pay for reliability. Competing on price in a deep market is the worst available strategy.
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If You Work More Than One Area
Plenty of teams cover two or three cities. Quoting them identically loses money in the expensive one and loses jobs in the cheap one.
What works: set a base rate for your primary market and apply a zone adjustment — base $170 at home, +15% for the expensive county 40 minutes out, -10% for the cheaper area. Write the adjustment into your price list so you are not improvising it on the phone.
Bill travel separately. Define a no-charge radius (20-25 miles is typical) and bill per mile beyond it. A $170 job an hour away is not the same business as a $170 job ten minutes away.
Related Resources
House Cleaning Price Calculator — quote by bedrooms, bathrooms, clean type and frequency.
House Cleaning Pricing Guide 2026 — the full guide with the floor-price formula and margin maths.
Cleaning Price List Template — the client-ready format.
Commercial Cleaning Rates per Hour — when the job is an office, not a home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do house cleaners charge in the US?▼
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Quote in Seconds, Not on a Napkin
Use the free house cleaning price calculator to quote by bedrooms, clean type and frequency — at your market's rates.