Yesterday, as I stood in my kitchen staring at a mountain of dishes and a mysterious sticky spot that absolutely wasn’t there the night before, I caught myself wondering, “What’s the Average Hourly Rate for House Cleaning?” Honestly, moments like these remind me why staying on top of cleaning matters — not just for the sake of a tidy space, but for our sanity, our health, and the precious time we’d rather spend doing… literally anything else.
I’ve definitely been in that overwhelmed place before, and hiring a little help has saved me more times than I can count. Here’s what I’ve learned — and what can help you decide if it’s worth it too.
Image by englishmaids
The Real Numbers in 2025 (Not the Outdated Blog Spam You Usually See)
Here’s what I’m seeing on the ground right now, November 2025:
- Professional cleaning companies (the ones with insurance, uniforms, and commercial-grade products): $50–$65 per cleaner per hour, and they almost always send two people. So your invoice usually says $100–$130 per hour total, but the job gets done in 1½–2½ hours for a 3-bed/2-bath house. Typical bill: $180–$280.
- Experienced independent cleaners (the good ones who have reviews and references): $35–$45 per hour. They come alone, take longer (3–4 hours for the same house), total bill $120–$180.
- Budget independents or new cleaners on TaskRabbit/Care.com: $25–$32 per hour. You get what you pay for—sometimes it’s fine, sometimes you’re re-cleaning after they leave.
Thumbtack’s January 2025 data shows the national average fixed price per visit is $209, with hourly rates averaging $50–$55 when companies do charge hourly. Angi and HomeGuide are showing similar numbers: $25–$80 per hour per cleaner, but the realistic sweet spot most of my colleagues and I charge is $55–$60.
Why Your Neighbor Pays $160 and You Got Quoted $320 for the Same Size House
Location is everything.
In big cities and high-cost states, you’re looking at the higher end.
Real examples I’ve seen this month:
- San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Boston, NYC, DC: $70–$90 per hour for companies, $45–$55 for good independents.
- Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte: $50–$65 company, $35–$45 independent.
- Midwest and South (Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, etc.): $45–$55 company, $30–$40 independent.
- Rural areas: sometimes as low as $28–$35, but good luck finding someone reliable though.
Home size and condition matter more than people think. A 1,200 sq ft townhouse that’s reasonably tidy? Two cleaners, 90 minutes, $200–$220. A 3,000 sq ft house with dogs, kids, and three months of neglect? Three hours with two people, $300–$380. I’ve walked into both this week.
Frequency drops the price dramatically. Weekly or biweekly clients pay 15–25% less than one-time cleanings. My weekly clients pay effectively $45 per hour total labor instead of $60.
Hourly Rate vs Flat Rate — Which One Actually Saves You Money?
Here’s the part most blogs don’t tell you.
Most reputable companies quote flat rates now, not hourly. Why? Because hourly encourages slow work. Flat rate encourages efficiency.
I switched to flat rates ten years 투자 ago and my clients love it.
Example of what I charge for a 3-bed/2-bath, moderately lived-in house:
- One-time standard clean: $229–$279
- Biweekly: $179–$219
- Weekly: $159–$199
If someone quotes you hourly and sends two people at $55 each, you’re paying $110 per hour. If they take three hours, that’s $330. My team does the same house in 1.75 hours at a $239 flat rate. You save money, we make more per hour. Win-win.
Watch out for companies that low-ball with hourly then “it took longer than we thought.” That’s how you end up with $450 surprise bills.
What “Standard Cleaning” Actually Includes (So You Can Compare Apples to Apples)
Every company is different, but this is what good $229–$259 clean looks like from my checklist:
Kitchen: counters, sink, stove top, microwave inside, cabinets fronts, floors
Bathrooms: everything scrubbed, mirrors, toilets, showers/tubs
All rooms: dust, vacuum/mop, beds made, trash out
Light tidying (not organizing your junk drawer)
Deep clean adds oven inside, fridge inside, baseboards, blinds, interior windows — usually $349–$449 for the same house.
Move-out/move-in is the most expensive because we clean inside every cabinet and drawer. $400–$650 depending on condition.
The Dirty Secrets Some Companies Don’t Want You to Know
Some franchises (you know the big names) charge $120–$140 per hour total but pay their teams $16–$18 each. They pocket the difference for “overhead.” Perfectly legal, but you’re paying premium for average work.
Some independents charge $30/hour but cancel last minute or do a rushed job. I’ve cleaned up after plenty of them.
The sweet spot is usually is small local companies or vetted independents with 50+ five-star reviews. You get better work than the franchise and better reliability than the cheap Craigslist person.
How to Get the Best Price Without Sacrificing Quality
- Book recurring. Even if it’s just once a month, you’ll save 10–20%.
- Be home the first time so we can see the house and give an accurate quote. Nothing worse than showing up to a hoarder situation when we quoted for normal mess.
- Declutter before we arrive. Ten minutes of picking up toys and clothes shaves 20–30 minutes off the job.
- Ask for the “first-time deep + recurring standard” package. Most of us have one. You get the house actually clean once, then it’s easy to maintain.
- Get three quotes. If someone is $100 cheaper than the others, there’s a reason.
Is It Actually Worth It? My Honest Answer After Two Decades
Yes. Full stop.
The average American spends 6–10 hours a week cleaning. At $50–$60 per hour for professional help, you’re buying back your weekends.
One of my clients is a surgeon. She makes $250/hour. She told her, “You’re literally losing money cleaning your own toilets.” She laughed and signed up for weekly service the next day.
Another client is a stay-at-home mom with three kids under five. She said the $200 every two weeks is the best money she spends all month because she finally has energy left for her kids at the end of the day.
If your household income is over $100k combined, hire the damn cleaner. You’ll make the money back in productivity and sanity.
If money is tight, do biweekly or monthly plus maintain in between. Still worth it.
The Cheapest Way to Get a Spotless House (That Actually Works)
Here’s my dirty secret: hire a good independent for $35–$40/hour once a month for a deep clean, then maintain weekly yourself with a solid routine.
Or do what 70% of my clients do: biweekly service from a small local company at $189–$229 per visit.
You get a house that always feels “company ready” without killing yourself every weekend.
Real Quotes from This Week (Anonymized)
- 1,800 sq ft townhouse, lightly lived in, biweekly: $189
- 2,800 sq ft house with two dogs and three kids, weekly: $219
- 1,200 sq ft apartment, one-time deep clean: $249
- 4,000 sq ft house, post-construction mess: $575 (four cleaners, four hours)
These are real numbers from my company in the Midwest. Coastal cities add 30–50%.
Final Truth
The average hourly rate for house cleaning in 2025 is $50–$65 per hour for a reputable company, but what you actually pay per visit is $180–$280 for a normal family home on a recurring schedule.
Anything significantly cheaper is either an amazing independent (rare) or someone cutting corners.
Anything significantly more expensive is either a luxury service or someone taking advantage of you.
You deserve to come home to a clean house without losing your entire Saturday. The right cleaner at the right price changes your life—I’ve seen it hundreds of times.
If you’re ready to stop arguing about whose turn it is to scrub the shower, get a few quotes, pick the one that feels right, and reclaim your weekends.
You’ll thank yourself every single time you walk through the door and it smells like lemon instead of dog and despair.
FAQ – Questions I Get Every Single Week
How much should I pay a house cleaner in 2025?
For a good independent: $35–$45/hour. For a company: $50–$65 per cleaner per hour (usually two cleaners). Expect $189–$280 total for a normal house on recurring.
Is $30/hour too low for house cleaning?
Yes, unless it’s a new cleaner building reviews. You usually get rushed work or cancellations.
Why do some companies charge $400 for the same house others do for $220?
They either send three people instead of two, use “green” products that take longer, or just charge premium prices. Ask for a detailed scope.
Do cleaners expect tips?
Not expected, but $20–$40 for the team on recurring service keeps them happy and keeps your house getting extra love.
Is weekly cleaning worth it?
If you have kids, pets, or both—absolutely. The house never gets bad enough to need a $400 deep clean.
