How to price move-out cleaning: a step-by-step method for cleaning businesses

Move-out cleans can be some of the best-paying jobs a cleaning business books, and some of the riskiest to quote. The home is empty, the deadline is fixed, the client may be a tenant, a landlord or a seller, and someone else (often a landlord or a buyer) will judge the result. This guide shows how to price a move-out clean from your own time and costs so the quote covers the real work. It doesn't give you a going rate, because that depends on your area, your costs and how fast you work.

Ask these questions before you quote

• Who is the client? A tenant, a landlord or property manager, or a seller or their agent. It tells you who will judge the clean and who pays.
• Will the home be empty? Cleaning around boxes and furniture takes longer and is less thorough. Price for an empty home and say so.
• Size and layout: bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, and anything extra like a basement or a garage.
• Condition: when it was last cleaned, pets, smoking, and the state of the oven and fridge. Ask for photos of the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Utilities and access: water and power need to be on. Confirm how you get the keys and the deadline, such as a final inspection or a closing date.

Step 1: define the scope

A move-out clean covers the places a normal visit doesn't reach: inside every cabinet and drawer, inside the oven and fridge, closets, baseboards, door frames, switches and window tracks. Write the scope down and list what isn't included, such as wall repairs, carpet shampooing or hauling away trash. Our move-out cleaning checklist guide has a full list by area that you can send with the quote.

Step 2: estimate the hours

Estimate the job in cleaner-hours, then multiply by your rate. If you have done move-outs before, your own past times for similar homes are the best guide. If you're new, start from your standard-clean estimate and scale it up. Our free cleaning quote calculator uses 1.8 times the standard-clean hours for a move-out clean (and 1.6 times for a deep clean). Those are simple starting weights we chose, not industry data, so replace them with your own times as soon as you can.

Step 3: apply your rate and add-ons

Multiply the hours by an hourly rate that covers your labor, overhead and profit. Our how to price house cleaning guide walks through building that rate. Then add line items for anything outside your standard move-out scope: a heavily soiled oven, a garage, interior windows, or a second trip. Listing them separately keeps the base price clear and lets the client choose.

Step 4: set your terms

• Flat price, written scope: quote one number for the scope in writing, based on the photos or walk-through, and say the price may change if the home is very different on the day.
• Deposit and payment timing: because move-outs are one-time jobs on a deadline, many cleaners take a deposit to hold the date and collect the balance on completion.
• Re-clean policy: decide what happens if a landlord or buyer flags something. A common approach is to come back and fix items on your written checklist within a set window, at no charge, but not to clean things that were outside the scope.
• Photos: take dated photos of each room when you finish. With a signed checklist, they show the condition you left the home in.

Worked example

Here is the free calculator's formula applied to one apartment. The $50 rate is only an example input, not a recommended price; use your own.

• Home: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 900 sq ft, empty, no pets.
• Standard-clean estimate: 0.5 + 0.3 × 2 + 0.5 × 1 + 0.5 × 0.9 = 2.05 hours.
• Move-out clean at 1.8 times: about 3.7 hours.
• Labor at $50 per cleaner-hour: $184.50, which rounds to a $185 estimate.
• If the photos show the oven needs heavy degreasing, add your own price for that as a separate line item.

Move-out cleans are one-time jobs, so no recurring discount applies. For a similar method applied to deep cleans in occupied homes, see how much to charge for deep cleaning.

Mistakes to avoid

• Quoting from square footage alone. The inside of cabinets and appliances drives the time, so ask about the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Promising a deposit back. You control the clean, not the landlord's decision. Promise the scope on your checklist instead.
• Leaving the deadline loose. Confirm the date, key handover and inspection time in writing.
• Skipping the photos. Without them, it is your word against someone else's if the clean is questioned.

The Cleaning Business Starter Kit is a spreadsheet for quoting jobs the same way every time. You enter your own rates per square foot, room and bathroom, add-ons, hourly labor cost, supply cost and frequency discount, and it works out the quote, profit and margin %. It also includes a job tracker and an income and expense tracker, plus a getting-started guide, for Excel or Google Sheets. The calculator doesn't suggest prices; it calculates from the numbers you enter. Want a quick estimate first? Try the free cleaning quote calculator.

Get the Cleaning Business Starter Kit - $29

FAQ

How do you price a move-out cleaning job?

Ask about the size, condition and whether the home will be empty, estimate the cleaner-hours, multiply by an hourly rate that covers your labor, overhead and profit, add any extras as line items, and quote a flat price for a written scope.

Why does a move-out clean cost more than a regular clean?

It includes work a regular visit skips, such as inside every cabinet, drawer, oven and fridge, so it takes more hours for the same size home.

Should I quote a move-out clean without seeing the home?

Ask for photos of the kitchen and bathrooms at least, and say in the quote that the price is based on them and may change if the home is very different on the day.

What if the landlord says the clean was not good enough?

Set a re-clean policy in advance, for example returning within a set window to fix items on your written checklist, and keep dated photos of each room.