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House Cleaning Cost Per Hour

House cleaning cost per hour runs $25 to $50 for a single independent cleaner and $40 to $75 for a professional company sending a team, according to industry pricing data. The workers actually doing the cleaning earn a national median wage of $17.07 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, so the retail hourly rate covers overhead, supplies, insurance, and profit on top of that wage.

The short answer

Typical hourly rates by provider type

Provider typeTypical hourly rateNotes
Independent or solo cleaner$25 to $40 per hourOften not licensed, bonded, or insured
Small local cleaning company$30 to $60 per hourUsually sends 1 to 2 cleaners
National franchise or larger company$45 to $75 per hourHigher overhead, more consistent vetting and insurance
$17.07/hour
National median wage for maids and housekeeping cleaners, BLS, May 2025
$25 to $75/hour
Retail hourly rate range customers actually pay, across provider types
1.5 to 3 hours
Typical time to standard-clean an average 3 bedroom home
Most jobs are flat-rate
Most companies price the job itself, not a straight hourly rate, once a home's size is known
Cost factors

What changes the hourly price

Provider type
Independent cleaners charge the least per hour but carry the most risk, since most are not licensed, bonded, or insured. Established companies charge more per hour to cover overhead and insurance.
Number of cleaners sent
A 2-person team costs more per hour combined but finishes in roughly half the time, so the total job cost often lands close to what a single cleaner working twice as long would charge.
Job size
Most companies quote a flat per-visit price once they know square footage and bedroom count, rather than billing a straight hourly rate, because hourly billing gives a company less incentive to work efficiently.
Region
Labor cost varies by state. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a gap of more than $26,000 in annual wages between the highest and lowest paying states for this occupation, which flows directly into the hourly rate a company has to charge.
Frequently asked

Questions people ask before booking

How much do house cleaners charge per hour?

Independent cleaners typically charge $25 to $40 per hour. Small local companies run $30 to $60 per hour. Larger franchises and companies with more overhead charge $45 to $75 per hour. These are retail rates paid by the customer, not what the cleaner personally earns.

How much do house cleaners actually get paid per hour?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median wage of $17.07 an hour for maids and housekeeping cleaners as of May 2025. The gap between that wage and the retail hourly rate covers a company's overhead, supplies, insurance, and profit margin.

Is hourly or flat-rate pricing better for house cleaning?

Flat-rate pricing is more common and usually better for the customer, since it gives the cleaner no incentive to work slowly. Hourly billing is more typical for small or unpredictable jobs, like a single room or an add-on task, where a flat quote would be hard to size accurately.

How many hours does it take to clean an average house?

A standard clean of a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home typically takes 1.5 to 3 hours for a single cleaner, or roughly half that with a 2-person team. Deep cleaning and move-out cleaning take considerably longer, often 3 to 8 hours depending on size and condition.

Why do cleaning companies avoid pure hourly billing?

Hourly billing can create a mismatch of incentives, since a slower job earns the cleaner more money. Most established companies quote a flat price for the visit instead, based on home size and scope, precisely to avoid that problem.

If a quote comes in as a pure hourly rate with no estimated total, ask for an expected time range up front. A company confident in its own efficiency will usually give you one without hesitation.

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