Cleaning Services

How to Start a House Cleaning

To start a house cleaning business you need cleaning supplies, a vehicle, bonding and liability insurance, and a client acquisition strategy. Most house cleaning businesses launch in 1–2 months with $1,000–$10,000.

Startup cost: $1,000 – $10,000 Timeline: 1–2 months 8 steps

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Register your business

Form an LLC or operate as a sole proprietor; obtain a business license and an EIN for tax and banking purposes.

2

Purchase cleaning supplies and equipment

Invest in professional-grade vacuums, mop systems, microfiber cloths, cleaning chemicals, and a reliable vehicle for transportation between jobs.

3

Obtain bonding and insurance

Purchase a surety bond (protects clients against theft by employees) and general liability insurance ($300–$1,000/year); bonding builds trust for in-home services.

4

Define your service packages

Offer standard clean, deep clean, and move-in/move-out clean; price per square foot or flat-rate per room/hour ($25–$50/hour per cleaner).

5

Set up scheduling and invoicing

Use cleaning business software (Jobber, ZenMaid, Launch27) for scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, recurring billing, and customer communication.

6

Build your client pipeline

List on Google Business, Yelp, and Angi; use platforms like Handy or TaskRabbit initially; invest in local SEO and run neighborhood Facebook ads.

7

Hire and train cleaners

Recruit reliable cleaners, conduct background checks, train on cleaning standards and customer service, and provide all supplies and equipment.

8

Build recurring routes

Focus on weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly recurring clients for predictable revenue; group clients by neighborhood to minimize drive time and maximize profitability.

Find vetted providers for your house cleaning

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Frequently Asked Questions

Startup costs range from $1,000 for a solo cleaner with basic supplies to $10,000+ for a vehicle, equipment, insurance, bonding, and initial marketing.

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