The Right Way to Price Cleaning Services (Hint: It’s Not Just Hourly or Per Sq Ft)

One of the most common questions cleaning business owners face is: “How should I price my services?”

Hourly? Per square foot? Flat fee? There’s no single “correct” way—but there are smarter ways. At Allison, we’ve seen firsthand how pricing can make or break a business. It impacts revenue, customer expectations, and team morale. The good news? Allison is built to support almost any pricing strategy you can dream up—because we know no two businesses (or homes) are the same.

Let’s break down your options and explain why the most successful cleaners are moving away from outdated pricing methods.

🚫 Why Hourly Pricing Can Hurt You

We get it—hourly pricing seems fair. Charge based on time spent. Simple, right?

But here’s the problem: homeowners start expecting consistency. If the first clean takes 3 hours, they’ll expect every visit to take exactly that long—regardless of whether it’s messier this time, or their dog tracked mud across three rooms.

Worse, if your team gets faster (as they should), you actually earn less for doing better work. That’s not how successful businesses grow.

Hourly pricing also leads to awkward conversations:

• “Why was today’s clean shorter?”

• “Shouldn’t I be paying less if it didn’t take as long?”

You’re a professional service provider, not a clock-watcher. You should be paid for value, not minutes.

🤔 But Every Square Foot Isn’t Equal Either

On the flip side, charging strictly by square footage doesn’t tell the full story either.

Two homes with the same square footage can be worlds apart in effort:

• One has minimal furniture and no pets.

• The other has three kids, a cat, and weekly spaghetti nights.

That’s why Allison lets you add factors—like number of bedrooms, pets, or bathrooms—each with a custom price and time adjustment. It’s not just about square feet. It’s about context.

🎯 The Sweet Spot: Hybrid Pricing with Built-in Logic

The best pricing models combine a structured base rate (hourly, square foot, or flat) with adjustable logic for what makes each job unique.

That’s where Allison shines.

Our flexible service configuration tools let you:

• Choose your base pricing method (hourly, per sq ft, or per job)

• Set your cleaning speed (e.g., 14 sq ft per minute)

• Add factors (e.g., $10 per bedroom +10 min)

• Attach add-ons (e.g., $25 for fridge, +30 min)

• Layer in frequency discounts only on the base price

• Get accurate time and price estimates—automatically

Whether you want to quote jobs precisely, build consistent flat rates, or blend logic with intuition, Allison gives you the framework to stop guessing and start pricing with confidence.

💬 Real Customer Story: 22% Revenue Growth

One Allison customer, Maria, owner of a mid-sized cleaning business in Texas, said it best:

“Before Allison, we were eyeballing every quote. Sometimes I’d undercharge just to win a job, or forget to include time for extra bathrooms or pets. Once we started using Allison’s pricing tool—setting up a base rate and dialing in our factors—we saw an immediate difference. In two months, our average ticket price went up and we increased revenue by 22%. And we’re not working harder—just smarter.”

Maria’s story isn’t unique. Businesses that move from gut-feel pricing to consistent, transparent quoting not only earn more—they build trust with clients and give their teams a clear expectation of each job.

🧼 Allison Supports Your Pricing Strategy

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling to multiple teams, Allison adapts to your model—not the other way around.

You’re not locked into one method. You can:

• Offer flat rates for recurring clients

• Use sqft pricing for move-outs

• Price hourly for unpredictable deep cleans

• Or build a completely custom logic with Allison’s tools

And because our software calculates time estimates for every job, scheduling becomes a breeze. No more wondering if your team can handle that 3-bed, 2-bath + stairs job before lunch.

💡 Our Recommendation

Skip the extremes. Don’t rely solely on hourly or raw square footage. Instead, use a hybrid pricing approach that:

1. Starts with a structured base

2. Adds logic for effort (factors & add-ons)

3. Feels fair to you and the customer

And use Allison to power it all—so quoting becomes consistent, time estimates are automatic, and your business can scale without chaos.

Want to see how your current pricing stacks up? Try it inside Allison or book a quick demo. Let’s turn your gut-feel into a growth engine.