How to Start a Cleaning Business
Short answer
A residential cleaning business can start for $500 to $2,500: register the business, buy liability insurance and a bond, assemble a supply kit, and set flat per-home prices. The hard part is the first ten clients, and most new cleaners get them from local Facebook groups, where people ask for a cleaner almost ten times a day across the groups we watch.
- Typical startup cost
- $500 – $2,500
- Typical price
- $120 – $250
- Standard clean, 2–3 bed home
Step by step
- 1
Pick residential or commercial
Residential gets paying clients fastest and needs only you and a car. Commercial pays more per contract but takes longer to win and usually needs evening crews. Start residential unless you already have a commercial contact.
- 2
Register, insure and bond
Form an LLC or register as a sole proprietor, get general liability insurance, and add a janitorial bond. Clients ask about insurance before they let you in, and having the answer ready wins jobs.
- 3
Build a supply kit you can carry
Microfibre cloths, a HEPA vacuum, mop, caddy and a short list of products you trust. Bring your own supplies; clients notice when a cleaner arrives prepared.
- 4
Price per home, not per hour
Hourly pricing punishes you for getting faster. Quote by bedrooms and bathrooms, with a higher price for the first deep clean, and see the pricing page for typical ranges.
- 5
Get the first ten clients locally
Neighbourhood and parent groups produce cleaner requests every day. Reply within minutes with your area, a price range and availability this week.
What to charge
Most residential cleaners charge a flat price per visit based on home size, with recurring clients paying less per visit than one-offs. Full price list and quoting tips: how much to charge for house cleaning.
Name your business
Pick a name that says the trade and the area, and check the domain and your state's business registry before you print anything. Try the cleaning business name generator.
How to get your first ten customers
People ask for this trade in local Facebook groups all the time. Across the groups HuddleWatch watched over 90 days we counted 862 requests in 177 groups, about 9.6 a day, peaking on Mondays around 10am Eastern. Every one of them is someone ready to book, and the first few replies win.
Join the groups where your customers post:
- Neighbourhood and suburb groups within your drive radius
- "Moms of [City]" and family groups — the highest-volume source of cleaning requests
- Local recommendation and "who does" groups
- Landlord, Airbnb host and property-management groups for turnover cleans
And watch for phrasing like “any recommendations for a house cleaner”, “looking for a cleaner for a move-out clean”, “need someone for a deep clean before”. More in the how to get clients for a cleaning business guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business?
Usually $500 to $2,500 for registration, insurance, a bond and supplies, assuming you already have a car.
Is a cleaning business profitable?
Yes for owner-operators with recurring clients, because supplies are cheap and most of the price is labour. Margin drops when you hire, so price for a team before you build one.
How do I get my first cleaning clients?
Answer recommendation requests in local Facebook groups, neighbourhood apps and parent groups. Those posts come from people ready to book this week.
Get told the moment a neighbour asks for a house cleaner
HuddleWatch reads every new post in the local groups you choose and alerts you when someone is looking to hire, so you can be the first reply.
Start free with 3 groups