Overview: House Cleaning Services
A house cleaning company is who you call for a clean that has a start and a finish. The move-out clean before the keys go back. The move-in clean before the furniture arrives. The fine dust that settles on everything after a renovation, or a spring clean of rooms nobody has touched properly in years.
A deep clean is not a longer version of a regular visit. It reaches cabinet fronts, baseboards, door frames and switch plates, light fixtures, window sills and tracks, and the hard water film on faucets and shower glass. The inside of the oven, the refrigerator and the cabinets is part of some packages and an add-on in others. Get that scope in writing, room by room, with the exclusions named.
Ask who is coming and what they bring. Most firms supply their own vacuums, cloths and products, and a few expect you to have them. Ask whether the cleaners are employees or subcontractors, whether the company carries liability insurance and is bonded, and how keys, a lockbox or an alarm code get handled while the house is empty.
Listings show what each company states on its own website: the cleans it names, whether it offers free estimates, its hours, and what customers say in public reviews. Work down the state list, then open the city page that matches your address.
Cost of house cleaning
Use the same home size and cleaning checklist for every quote. Deep cleaning, move-out cleaning, and post-construction cleanup should not share one undifferentiated price.
| Service or scope | Planning range | What this covers |
|---|---|---|
| One-time standard cleaning | $200–$300per visit for a 1,500-sq.-ft. home | One ordinary cleaning of an occupied 1,500-sq.-ft. home with accessible surfaces.Bathroom count, clutter and accumulated dirt still affect the quote; appliance and cabinet interiors need an explicit allowance.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Listed rooms and surfaces; Supplies and equipment Outside this estimate: Inside appliances; Heavy buildup |
| Deep cleaning | $270–$400per deep-clean visit for a 1,500-sq.-ft. home | Expanded detail cleaning of an occupied 1,500-sq.-ft. home, with oven and refrigerator interiors excluded.The label “deep clean” does not guarantee appliance interiors. Ask for the actual checklist and separately priced extras.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Expanded agreed detail-cleaning checklist; Accessible interior surfaces Outside this estimate: Oven and refrigerator interiors; Inside cabinets unless listed; Biohazard or heavy restoration cleaning |
| Move-out cleaning, varying home sizes | $300–$675per empty-home clean; home size varies | Clean an empty home after moving; this broad band spans differing home sizes and move-out checklists.For 1,500 sq. ft., published package examples are about $395–$400 before checklist adjustments. Confirm inside cabinets, appliances and windows.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Agreed empty-home cleaning checklist Outside this estimate: Repairs; Hauling furniture or debris; Unlisted appliance and cabinet interiors |
| Post-construction final clean | $0.20–$0.60per sq. ft. of cleaned floor area | Perform a final clean after contractors remove debris from a completed renovation.Final dust/detail cleaning after the contractor’s debris removal. Heavy debris, stickers, paint removal and hazardous dust require a separate scope.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Agreed dust and surface cleaning; Listed fixtures Outside this estimate: Bulk construction debris removal; Hazardous residue; Specialist duct or carpet cleaning |
| Inside-oven cleaning add-on | $15–$50per oven during a booked visit | Clean the inside of one emptied oven during an already booked cleaning visit.This is an add-on, not a separate minimum visit. Heavy carbon buildup, disassembly and self-cleaning-cycle exclusions should be confirmed.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Specified appliance interior Outside this estimate: Appliance repair; Separate visit charge |
What changes the price
- Bathrooms, occupied rooms, clutter, and initial condition.
- Inside cabinets or appliances versus accessible surface cleaning.
- Pet hair, renovation dust, and special-access requirements.
Ask before you book
- Can you confirm the exact checklist for this quoted clean?Service names alone do not define the work.
- Which condition changes would increase the price on arrival?Photos and an approval process reduce unexpected charges.
- Are supplies, equipment, and any return visit included?Check the full service and the remedy for missed items.
Check the scope
Room counts and labor hours do not guarantee the same cleaning scope. A one-time deep-clean price should not be presented as a recurring maintenance rate.
Compare quotes wisely
Send current photos and clear accessible surfaces before the appointment; agree on a fixed checklist and total.
How to read these estimates
These ranges combine published U.S. prices and cost guidance for the stated work. They are budgeting estimates, not offers from listed companies or a statistical national average. Confirm the total, included work and additional charges in writing.
U.S. planning estimates. Local quotes vary by location and the scope of work.
Frequently asked questions
What does a deep clean actually include?
More than a routine visit: baseboards, door frames, switch plates, light fixtures, window sills and tracks, and the hard water film on faucets and shower glass. The inside of the oven, the refrigerator and the cabinets may be included or charged as an add-on. Every company draws the line somewhere different, so ask for the list in writing before you book. If the quote is one sentence long, the argument afterwards will be about what each side assumed.
What decides the price of a one-off clean?
Size and layout, how many bathrooms there are, the state of the kitchen, and how long it has been since anyone cleaned properly. Pet hair, heavy grease and mineral buildup all add hours. Most companies quote the job after a walkthrough or a set of photos rather than charging by the hour, which keeps the bill from running open ended. Ask what happens if the house turns out worse than the photos suggested.
Do cleaners bring their own vacuum and products?
Usually yes, and that is the answer you want. A crew with its own commercial vacuum, microfiber and chemicals works faster and does not blow a breaker with a machine it has never used. Some smaller outfits ask you to provide supplies, which is fine if you know in advance. Say up front if a surface needs a specific product, such as stone counters or an unsealed wood floor.
Why ask about insurance and bonding?
Because strangers are alone in your home with your things. Liability insurance covers damage the crew causes; a bond is what a company buys against theft by its own staff. Ask whether cleaners are employees covered by workers compensation or subcontractors who are not, since that decides who pays if someone falls on your stairs. A company that answers quickly has been asked before.
Can they clean up after building work?
Many can, but it is a different job and should be quoted as one. Construction dust is fine enough to settle back down for days, so the work runs in passes: gross debris first, then wet wiping of every horizontal surface, then floors and vents last. Paint spots, adhesive and grout haze may need scraping that a standard crew will not take on. Ask whether filters and ducts are included.
