Most homeowners pay $120 to $300 for a standard house cleaning, or $30 to $75 per hour per cleaner. A one-time deep clean runs $240 to $500, and a move-out clean runs $250 to $600. In higher-cost Northeast markets like Monmouth County, New Jersey, expect to land in the upper half of those ranges.
Below you will find the price by home size, by hour, and by square foot, plus a simple way to estimate your own cost in about thirty seconds.
Key takeaways
- Standard clean: $120 to $300 per visit. The national average sits near $180 for a three-bedroom home.
- Hourly rate: $30 to $75 per cleaner, per hour. Most visits use two cleaners for about two hours.
- By square foot: $0.06 to $0.14 for standard, $0.12 to $0.25 for deep, $0.15 to $0.35 for move-out.
- Recurring service costs less per visit. Weekly and biweekly plans typically run 15 to 30 percent below a one-time clean.
- The first clean almost always costs more than the visits that follow, because it clears built-up grime the recurring schedule then maintains.
House cleaning cost by home size
Home size is the single biggest driver of price. These are typical ranges for a standard clean versus a deep clean:
| Home size | Square feet | Standard clean | Deep clean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom / apartment | 600 to 900 | $100 to $150 | $180 to $260 |
| 2 bedrooms | 900 to 1,200 | $120 to $180 | $200 to $300 |
| 3 bedrooms | 1,200 to 2,000 | $140 to $230 | $250 to $400 |
| 4+ bedrooms | 2,000 to 3,500+ | $200 to $350 | $350 to $550+ |
Bathrooms move the number more than bedrooms do. Each additional full bathroom typically adds $20 to $40, because bathrooms take the most time per square foot of any room in the house.
Average cost of house cleaning per hour
House cleaners charge $30 to $75 per hour, per person. That range is wide because it covers everything from a solo independent cleaner to a licensed and insured company with background-checked staff and its own supplies.
What matters is the total, not the hourly number. A crew of two working two hours at $40 per person costs $160. A solo cleaner at $30 per hour who needs five hours costs $150. Nearly the same price, very different day.
When you compare quotes, ask two questions: how many cleaners and how many hours. An hourly rate without those two numbers cannot be compared to anything.
How much does a cleaning lady cost?
An independent housekeeper working alone generally charges $25 to $45 per hour. A company charges more per hour, and the difference buys specific things: liability insurance, a bond, workers’ compensation, background checks, a replacement if someone is sick, and a guarantee if a job goes wrong.
If a quote comes in far below the ranges on this page, that gap is usually insurance and payroll tax. It is worth asking directly.
House cleaning cost calculator
You can estimate your own price in one line of math. Multiply your square footage by the rate for the type of clean you want:
| Type of clean | Rate per square foot | Example: 1,800 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Standard / recurring | $0.06 to $0.14 | $108 to $252 |
| Deep clean | $0.12 to $0.25 | $216 to $450 |
| Move-in / move-out | $0.15 to $0.35 | $270 to $630 |
| Post-construction | $0.20 to $0.45 | $360 to $810 |
Then adjust:
- Add $20 to $40 for each bathroom beyond two.
- Add $10 to $30 if you have pets that shed.
- Add $15 to $60 for each add-on: inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, interior windows, laundry, or baseboards.
- Subtract 15 to 30 percent if you are booking recurring service rather than a one-time visit.
That gets you within about twenty percent of a real quote. The remaining variance is condition, which no calculator can see. A 1,800 square foot home that has been cleaned every two weeks for a year and a 1,800 square foot home that has not been cleaned since the spring are not the same job.
Cost by type of cleaning
Standard or recurring cleaning
$120 to $300 per visit. Surfaces, floors, kitchen, bathrooms, dusting, trash. This is maintenance: it keeps a clean home clean. Booking it weekly, biweekly, or monthly lowers the per-visit price, because each visit has less to undo. See what a recurring residential cleaning service includes.
Deep cleaning
$240 to $500. Everything in a standard clean, plus the places a routine visit skips: baseboards, door frames, inside cabinets, behind and under appliances, grout, vents, and light fixtures. Most homes need one once or twice a year, and most cleaning companies require one before starting a recurring plan. More on what is included in a deep cleaning service.
Move-in and move-out cleaning
$250 to $600. Priced higher than a deep clean because the home is empty, which means every surface is exposed, including the insides of closets, cabinets, drawers, and appliances. This is the clean that decides whether a security deposit comes back. See our move-out cleaning service.
Post-construction cleaning
$500 and up. Construction dust is fine enough to settle three times after you think it is gone, and it requires a different process and different equipment. Priced per square foot, usually $0.20 to $0.45. See post-construction cleaning.
What makes the price go up
Six things account for nearly all the variation between two quotes on the same size home:
- Condition. The strongest factor after size, and the one most people underestimate. Time since the last professional clean matters more than square footage.
- Bathrooms. The most labor-intensive room per square foot, by a wide margin.
- Pets. Hair embeds in upholstery and baseboards and adds real time. Expect $10 to $30.
- Frequency. One-time visits carry the highest per-visit price. Recurring plans carry the lowest.
- Add-ons. Inside the oven, inside the fridge, interior windows, and laundry are almost never included in a base price. Each runs $15 to $60.
- Location. Northeast metro markets, including most of New Jersey, run above national averages on labor.
Fees that are easy to miss
- Trip or travel fee: $10 to $25 if you are outside the company’s core service area. Worth asking before you book.
- Supplies surcharge: $10 to $20 if the company brings all products and equipment.
- Eco-friendly products: typically $5 to $10 per job.
- Last-minute or same-day booking: some companies apply a premium.
House cleaning prices in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County sits in a higher-cost labor market than the national average, so local pricing tends to fall in the upper half of every range on this page. A three-bedroom home that would run $140 to $230 nationally more often lands between $180 and $250 here.
Two local factors also matter. Older housing stock along the shore means more original tile, grout, and woodwork, which take longer to clean properly. And salt air near the coast leaves a film on windows and glass that a standard interior clean does not address, which is why window cleaning is priced separately.
Maison Mop Stars serves all of Monmouth County. You can see local pages for Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown, and Colts Neck, or the full Monmouth County service area.
How to lower the cost without lowering the standard
- Switch to recurring. The single largest lever. Biweekly service usually costs 15 to 30 percent less per visit than the same clean booked one time.
- Start with a deep clean, then maintain. Paying once to reset the home makes every visit after it cheaper. Skipping it means paying deep-clean prices for a standard clean, every time.
- Declutter before the visit. Cleaners charge for time. Time spent moving your belongings is time not spent cleaning.
- Prioritize rooms. Many companies will focus on kitchen, bathrooms, and high-traffic areas at a lower price than a whole-home clean.
- Bundle add-ons into one visit instead of requesting them one at a time across several visits.
Should you tip?
Tipping is not required, and most companies do not expect it. Where people do tip, $10 to $20 per visit is common for recurring service, or a larger single tip around the holidays. For a one-time deep clean or move-out clean, 10 to 15 percent of the total is a common gesture.
Is hiring a cleaner worth it?
A useful way to decide: a standard clean of a three-bedroom home takes most people four to six hours to do properly. At $180, that is roughly $30 to $45 per hour of your time bought back. If your time is worth more than that, hiring is the better financial decision before you even count the difference in results.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a standard house cleaning cost?
A standard house cleaning typically costs $120 to $300 per visit, depending on home size, condition, and location. The national average is around $180 for a three-bedroom home.
How much does deep cleaning cost?
Deep cleaning runs $240 to $500 for most homes, or $0.12 to $0.25 per square foot. It costs more than a standard clean because it covers baseboards, inside cabinets, behind appliances, grout, and vents.
What is the average hourly rate for house cleaning?
House cleaners charge $30 to $75 per hour per person. Independent cleaners fall at the lower end; licensed and insured companies with background-checked staff fall at the higher end.
Why is the first cleaning more expensive?
The first visit clears buildup that has accumulated since the last professional clean. Later visits maintain that result, so they take less time and cost less.
How much should I budget per month?
For a three-bedroom home on a biweekly plan, budget roughly $300 to $450 per month. Weekly service on the same home runs about $600 to $900 per month.
Do cleaning companies bring their own supplies?
Most do. Some charge a $10 to $20 supplies surcharge, and eco-friendly products may add $5 to $10 per job. Confirm this when you request a quote, because it is a common source of surprise on a first invoice.
Get an exact price for your home
Every range on this page is an estimate. The only number that means anything is the one written for your home, its size, its condition, and how often you want it cleaned.
Maison Mop Stars provides free, no-obligation estimates across Monmouth County, New Jersey. Call or text (732) 268-0803, or request a free quote online.
