A house cleaning business is one of the few you can start with a car, a few hundred dollars of supplies and the skills you already have. The cleaning is not the hard part. The hard part is getting enough recurring homes, close together, at prices that actually pay. Here is how to start a cleaning business in the right order.
1. Decide what you will clean first
Start with residential recurring cleaning: weekly, every two weeks and monthly visits to the same homes. That is the base of almost every successful home cleaning business, because the same 25 homes pay you every week or two for years.
Add deep cleaning and move-in or move-out cleaning as one-time jobs. They pay more per visit and they often turn into recurring clients. Leave offices, post-construction and Airbnb turnovers for later, once you know your numbers and have help.
2. Handle the paperwork
- Register the business with your state. An LLC costs between $50 and $500 to file depending on the state and keeps your personal savings separate from the business.
- Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and takes ten minutes online. You can get one with an ITIN, you do not need a Social Security number.
- Check local licensing. Many cities and counties ask for a business license or a local business tax receipt, usually under $100 a year.
- Get general liability insurance. Expect $400 to $900 a year for a small cleaning business. Clients will ask, and one broken vase or scratched floor without insurance can cost more than a year of premiums.
- Consider a janitorial bond, often $100 to $300 a year. It covers theft claims and makes people more comfortable handing you a key.
- Open a business bank account from day one, so taxes are simple at the end of the year.
3. Supplies: what you need to start
You do not need much. A starter kit for one cleaner runs $300 to $800:
- A good vacuum with a HEPA filter, plus a hand vacuum for stairs and upholstery
- Microfiber cloths in several colors (one color for bathrooms, never used in kitchens)
- A mop system, buckets, scrub brushes, a grout brush and a squeegee
- An all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, degreaser and a disinfectant
- A caddy to carry everything, gloves, shoe covers and a step stool
Some clients will want you to use their products. Write that in the notes for each home.
4. Figure out your prices before your first call
Know what an hour of your time has to earn: your pay, gas, supplies, insurance, phone and software. Then price each home by its size and condition, not by guessing. Most new owners undercharge by $30 to $50 per visit and only notice six months later when they are exhausted and still broke.
Read how much to charge for house cleaning before you quote your first home, and house cleaning prices per hour if you think in hours.
5. Get your first clients
- Start with people you know and ask each happy client for one neighbor
- Pick two or three neighborhoods and stay there, so your days are not spent in the car
- Create a Google Business Profile with photos, your service area and your hours
- Get a simple website with prices, so people who find you at night can see what a cleaning costs and contact you
- Answer every call and message fast. People call two or three cleaners and book the first one that answers
Our guide on how to get house cleaning clients goes deeper.
6. Sell recurring plans from the first quote
Every time someone asks for a price, offer weekly, every two weeks and monthly next to the one-time price. A biweekly client at $160 a visit is worth about $4,100 a year. Twenty of them is a full week and an $80,000 a year business. Here is how to sell weekly and biweekly cleaning plans.
7. Set up simple systems early
Write down every client, their address, entry instructions, pets, price and day. Send an invoice after every cleaning and let clients pay by card. Send a reminder the day before so nobody forgets to leave the key. It is much easier to start with a system than to fix the mess at 40 clients.
How long until it pays
A solo cleaner can usually do 2 homes a day, 8 to 10 a week, and many fill that in three to six months by staying in a few neighborhoods and replying to every lead within minutes. The owners who grow fastest look professional from the first day: a real website with prices, quick replies, insurance and invoices paid online.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business?
Most solo owners start with $1,000 to $2,500: state registration, insurance, a bond, supplies and a simple website. A car you already own keeps the cost down.
Do I need a license to start a house cleaning business?
There is usually no special cleaning license. You need a business registration, and many cities or counties require a local business license or tax receipt. Check your city and county rules.
How much can a house cleaning business make?
A solo cleaner with 9 recurring homes a week at $160 earns about $75,000 a year before costs. With a team of two or three, owners commonly reach $150,000 to $300,000 in revenue.