Guides / Pricing
How much should you charge for cleaning in the UK?
Work out the minimum hourly rate your business needs from your target profit, costs and real billable hours, then check it against local rates. Don't start from what others charge.
The formula
Minimum hourly rate = (target profit + yearly business costs) ÷ (weeks worked × billable hours per week).
Billable hours are hours spent cleaning for a paying client. Travel, quoting and admin aren't billable, which is why your real rate is usually lower than it looks.
An example
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Target profit before tax | £28,000 |
| Yearly business costs | £3,000 |
| Weeks worked | 46 |
| Billable hours per week | 25 |
| Minimum hourly rate | £26.96 |
Illustrative figures. Use the price calculator with your own.
Then check your area
If your minimum is below what established local cleaners charge, price near the local rate. If it's above, you need more billable hours, lower costs or higher-value work such as deep cleans.
The full detail, worked examples and templates are in The Clean Start. Or work out your rate with the free price calculator.
The methods on this page are the book's own, not legal rules.
Related
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Everything a UK cleaning business needs in place before the first paid job, and before the first employee. One page, each item linked to its official source.
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