I spent the first several years of my cleaning career charging hourly. It seemed logical, clean for X hours, charge for X hours. Simple math.
Then one day I realized I was punishing myself for getting better at my job.
The faster I got, the less I made. The more efficient my systems became, the less money I took home. And clients started watching the clock like hawks, questioning every minute.
That's when I switched to flat-rate pricing based on square footage and room counts. It changed everything about how I ran my business, and how much I actually made.
The Problem Nobody Talks About With Hourly Rates
I see this pattern play out constantly in cleaning forums. Someone starts their business charging hourly because that's what they know from having a job. Then six months in, they're frustrated and confused.
One operator recently shared their experience: they got faster at cleaning, finished a job in under 3 hours instead of 4, and the client wanted to pay less because "it didn't take as long."
Think about that. They got better at their job, and the client thought they should make less money for it.
That's the efficiency penalty built into hourly pricing.
What Hourly Pricing Actually Does to Your Business
When you charge hourly, three things happen:
1. You create unpredictability for clients
Clients hate not knowing what they're going to pay. "How long will it take?" becomes the entire conversation instead of "What's included?" They're anxious about the final bill, which makes them watch you work, which makes everyone uncomfortable.
2. You punish your own efficiency
Let's say a 2,000 sq ft house takes you 4 hours at first. You charge $35/hour, so that's $140.
Six months later, you've optimized your process. Better equipment, refined systems, more experience. Same house now takes 3 hours.
If you're still charging $35/hour, you just gave yourself a pay cut. You're now making $105 for the same result. Your reward for getting better? Less money per job.
3. It financially encourages scope creep
When clients are paying by the hour, they feel entitled to squeeze every minute out of you. "Oh, while you're here, could you just..." becomes a constant refrain.
The Square Footage Method: How It Actually Works
After trying various approaches, I landed on square footage combined with bedroom and bathroom counts.
Here's why this combination works:
Square footage captures the total work area. A 2,000 sq ft house has more floor to clean, more surfaces to dust, more space to vacuum than a 1,200 sq ft house. That's straightforward.
Bedroom and bathroom counts capture complexity. Three bedrooms means three beds to make, three closets to check, three sets of surfaces. Two bathrooms means double the tubs, toilets, mirrors, and tile work.
Together, these two factors give you a realistic picture of the actual work involved.
The Real Calculation (No Guessing Required)
Step 1: Know your hourly equivalent
Even though you're not charging hourly, you need to know what you actually need to make per hour to cover your costs and profit goals. Let's say that works out to needing $50 per hour.
Step 2: Estimate your production rate
For standard cleaning, typical ranges:
- • New operators: 800-1,000 sq ft/hour
- • Experienced operators: 1,200-1,500 sq ft/hour
- • Very efficient operators: 1,500-2,000 sq ft/hour
Step 3: Calculate your base per-square-foot rate
If you need $50/hour and you can clean 1,200 sq ft/hour:
$50 ÷ 1,200 = $0.042 per square foot
Round that to $0.04-$0.05 per sq ft depending on your market.
Step 4: Add room-specific pricing
- • Bedroom: +$15-25 each (bed making, closet check, surfaces)
- • Full bathroom: +$20-35 each (tub, toilet, sink, mirrors, tile)
- • Half bathroom: +$10-15 each
Example Calculation
2,000 sq ft house, 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, standard clean
Base: 2,000 sq ft × $0.04 = $80
Bedrooms: 3 × $20 = $60
Bathrooms: 2 × $30 = $60
Total: $200
At your production rate of 1,200 sq ft/hour, this house takes about 3.5-4 hours. You're making $50-57 per hour, right where you need to be.
Calculate Your Square Footage Pricing
Use the calculator to see your flat-rate pricing based on square footage and room counts. Stop punishing yourself for getting efficient.
Try the House Cleaning Calculator (Free)What This Really Comes Down To
Hourly pricing might seem simpler at first. But it creates problems that get worse as you grow:
- • Unpredictability stresses your clients
- • Efficiency penalties hurt your income
- • Time-watching kills the professional relationship
- • Scope creep eats your margins
Flat-rate pricing based on square footage and room counts solves all of these. Clients know what they're paying. You're rewarded for getting efficient. The relationship stays professional. The scope stays clear.
Stop charging for your time. Start charging for the result.
Caleb has completed IICRC journeyman training and has operated in the cleaning industry for 20+ years. The square footage pricing method in this guide comes from successfully pricing thousands of jobs across residential, commercial, and specialty cleaning services.