Deep cleaning and move-out cleaning prices
A deep clean is not a routine clean with more effort; it is a longer job with a
different checklist, more supply cost, and a higher chance of a callback. Move-out
cleaning is a third product again, because the home is empty and the scope is set by
someone else's inspection. Price all three from measured minutes and an explicit
scope, and you stop losing money on the jobs that look biggest on the calendar.
This guide assumes you already know how to convert hours into a flat price; if not,
read house cleaning prices per hour first,
then come back for the multipliers. For the task detail behind each, use the free
deep cleaning checklist and the
move-in / move-out checklist.
The one number that separates the three products
Start with the routine-clean estimate for the home, then apply a scope factor:
routine minutes = 30 + (25 x bathrooms) + (12 x bedrooms) + (square feet / 20)
deep clean minutes = routine minutes x 1.75
move-out minutes = routine minutes x 1.5, plus listed inside-cabinet and appliance work
Both factors are MaidPilot estimates for planning, not published market
averages. They exist so a first quote is not a guess, and they should be replaced by
your own timed jobs as soon as you have twenty of them in one size band.
The table below runs the formula for common homes. Treat the hours as planning
figures and the notes as the scope that justifies them.
| Home | Routine (h) | Deep clean (h) | Move-out (h) | What the extra time buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bed / 1 bath, ~600 sq ft | 1.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 | Baseboards, door frames, inside microwave, grout scrub |
| 2 bed / 1 bath, ~900 sq ft | 2.1 | 3.6 | 3.1 | Plus inside oven, blinds, vents |
| 3 bed / 2 bath, ~1,600 sq ft | 3.3 | 5.7 | 4.9 | Plus interior windows reachable without a ladder |
| 4 bed / 2 bath, ~2,000 sq ft | 3.8 | 6.6 | 5.7 | Plus closets, shelves, behind movable furniture |
| 4 bed / 3 bath, ~2,400 sq ft | 4.6 | 8.0 | 6.8 | Plus second bathroom grout and heavy kitchen degrease |
| 5 bed / 4 bath, ~3,200 sq ft | 5.8 | 10.2 | 8.8 | Consider two cleaners; plan a second day for windows |
A deep clean of a 2,400 sq ft home is a full day for one cleaner. That is the point
of writing it down: it makes the price obvious and the staffing decision easy.
What a deep clean adds to the routine scope
Customers cannot compare two prices unless the difference is named. A deep clean
usually adds:
- Baseboards, door frames, and light switches.
- Inside the oven, inside the microwave, and the fridge exterior.
- Grout and tile scrubbing in bathrooms.
- Vents, blinds, and ceiling-fan blades within reach.
- Behind and under movable furniture.
- Limescale removal on glass and fixtures.
A move-out clean goes further, because the next occupant's inspection is the test:
- Inside all cabinets and drawers.
- Inside the oven and fridge, fully.
- Inside closets and wardrobes.
- Interior windows and sills where reachable.
- Marks on walls removed where paint allows.
- Garage, patio, or balcony sweep when they are part of the handover.
Anything on that list that you do not want to include should be written as an
exclusion in the quote. "Deep clean" means different things to different companies,
and the customer's definition will be the most expensive one available.
Pricing the supplies and the risk
Deep cleans carry real consumable cost. Allocate it explicitly:
supplies line = estimated consumable cost x 1.2 (waste and rework allowance)
The 1.2 factor is a MaidPilot estimate for planning; replace it with your own
average once you track supply spend per job. A supplies line of a few dollars per
deep clean is normal and defensible, and it prevents a heavy-condition job from
being subsidised by the light ones.
Risk deserves a line too. Heavy-condition jobs have a higher callback rate, so
either fold a small contingency into the price or hold the scope tight with a
written acceptance step at the end of the visit. What you should not do is promise a
free return trip of unlimited length; promise an inspection window and a bounded
fix.
How to price a move-out when a landlord is involved
The buyer for a move-out clean is often a tenant under pressure, and the real
stakeholder is a landlord or property manager whose approval they need. That
changes the sale:
- Sell against the checklist, not the hour. Ask what the handover inspection
covers, then quote that list. - Confirm access and utilities. An empty home with no water or power cannot be
cleaned. Ask before the day. - Price the empty-home advantage honestly. No clutter means fewer minutes on
surfaces, but the inside-cabinet and appliance work offsets it. Do not discount a
move-out just because the rooms look bare. - Book the timing that protects the tenant. If the inspection is on a set date,
the window is fixed and the price reflects it — same-day or next-day turnaround
costs more to staff.
Two pricing mistakes that show up every month
Discounting the deep clean to win the recurring client. A deep clean at a routine
price to "get in the door" only works if you know the recurring job will actually
follow and the margin will be recovered. Track it: if you discount, sell the
recurring plan at the same time, in writing.
Quoting a deep clean without seeing the home. Photos help, a video walkthrough
helps more, and a written condition question ("are there pets, smokers, or areas you
would describe as heavy build-up?") helps most of all. If the customer cannot send
anything, quote the deep clean as a range with a stated condition assumption, and
confirm on arrival before the work starts.
Put the scope where everyone can see it
The cheapest fix for margin on deep and move-out work is documentation. Put the
room-by-room list in the quote, attach the checklist PDF, and keep the job, the
scope, and the invoice on one record so the next quote for that property starts from
what actually happened last time. MaidPilot keeps property notes, job history, and
invoices together, which is what makes a repeat deep clean quicker to price than the
first one.
Ready to stop rebuilding scope from scratch? Look at the
cleaning price calculator for a range, read
how to write a cleaning quote for the
structure, or see the plans if you want the records in one place.