Expect roughly £15 to £30 an hour for a standard clean, £135 or more for a one-off deep clean, and 2 to 2.5 times a standard rate for an end-of-tenancy job. For specific current prices, check cleaning providers' websites. The single best move you can make is simple: get a written scope of work and at least three comparable quotes before you book anyone. Some services price upfront so you know the total before a cleaner sets foot in your home.
TL;DR:
- Most cleaners charge between £12 and £30 per hour, with weekly three-hour visits typically costing around £75 and prices higher in London and the South East.
- Standard cleaning services cost roughly £40 to £130 depending on home size, while deep cleans are about 1.5 to 2 times more expensive and end-of-tenancy cleans are 2 to 2.5 times the standard rate.
- Flat per-visit pricing suits one-off jobs like deep or end-of-tenancy cleans, with prices generally known upfront, unlike hourly quotes that can vary if the job runs over.
- Reputable providers offer itemized quotes, verifiable insurance, and a re-clean guarantee, whereas suspiciously cheap quotes often lack transparency and accountability.
- When comparing quotes, clarify scope, ask for details on any extra costs, and prefer providers who give transparent, upfront pricing with clear task breakdowns.
Table of Contents
- Cleaning service pricing guide: typical hourly and per-visit costs
- How are cleaning prices calculated: hourly, flat rate or per square foot?
- What does each type of cleaning service actually include?
- What factors affect cleaning costs the most?
- What do add-ons and extras typically cost?
- How to get and compare cleaning quotes fairly
- What are the red flags in a cheap cleaning quote?
- How we think about cleaning prices
- Book a transparent, upfront-priced clean with Cleanny
- Sources
- FAQ
Cleaning service pricing guide: typical hourly and per-visit costs
Independent cleaners generally charge less than cleaning companies, though the gap narrows once you factor in vetting and insurance. UK price guides put standard hourly rates at roughly £25 per hour for a company-backed clean, with a typical weekly three-hour visit landing around £75. Independent cleaners may charge less, but might not offer the same level of backup coverage.
Broader consumer research puts the full market range wider still. MyBuilder's pricing data shows UK cleaners typically charging between £12 and £30 an hour depending on region, experience and whether you're booking direct or through an agency. London and the South East usually sit at the top of that band.
Per-visit pricing looks different once you flatten the hourly rate against home size:
- Studio or one-bed flat: roughly £40 to £70 for a standard clean, £100 to £160 for a deep clean.
- Two-bed house or flat: roughly £60 to £100 standard, £150 to £220 deep.
- Three-bed house: roughly £80 to £130 standard, £200 to £300 deep.
- End-of-tenancy clean (any size above): typically 2 to 2.5 times the standard per-visit rate, reflecting the extra scope.
Frequency changes the maths more than most people expect. A weekly clean costs less per visit than a one-off, because the cleaner isn't starting from scratch each time and the provider is securing recurring income rather than a single job. Fortnightly sits somewhere in between. If you're only after a single deep clean before a house move or a big event, budget for the top of the range.
How are cleaning prices calculated: hourly, flat rate or per square foot?
Cleaning companies quote in one of three ways, and each suits a different job.
- Hourly pricing. The cleaner (or team) is paid for time on site, typically billed in whole or half-hour blocks. This works well for recurring domestic cleans where the scope is stable and predictable, but it can leave you exposed if a job runs long. Ask what happens if the clean overruns the booked slot.
- Flat per-visit pricing. You agree a fixed price for a defined scope, regardless of how long it actually takes. This is the fairest model for one-off jobs like a deep clean or an end-of-tenancy clean, because you know your total cost before you commit.
- Per square foot pricing. Rare for domestic work but common for large properties, offices and post-construction jobs, where the provider needs a quick way to size a quote without a home visit. Treat any square-foot-only quote with a little caution unless it comes with a scope breakdown.
Operators commonly price the very first clean of a recurring plan higher than later visits, since an initial deep clean is needed to bring the property up to a maintainable standard. After that, pricing tends to settle into a flat maintenance rate, often 10% to 25% lower per visit than a one-off booking of the same scope.
What does each type of cleaning service actually include?
Prices vary so much between providers partly because "a clean" means different things depending on the service. Knowing what's included stops you comparing a basic dust-and-hoover against a full deep clean and assuming one is a rip-off.
Standard or recurring cleaning covers the essentials: hoovering and mopping floors, dusting surfaces, bathroom and kitchen wipe-downs, bin emptying and bed-making. It's built for upkeep between deeper cleans, not for restoring a neglected property. Typical per-visit costs sit at the lower end of the ranges above.
Deep cleaning adds the tasks a weekly visit skips: skirting boards, inside cupboards, light switches, radiators, limescale removal, and detailed kitchen and bathroom work. Consumer and operator guides consistently put deep cleans at roughly 1.5 to 2 times the price of a standard visit for the same property, which tracks with the extra hours involved. A Cleanny deep clean starts from £135 as a one-off.
End-of-tenancy and after-builders cleaning sit at the top of the scale. These are inspection-grade cleans: empty-property access, oven and appliance interiors, inside every cupboard and drawer, window interiors, and often carpet treatment, all done to a standard that satisfies a landlord's checkout inspection or clears construction dust and residue. Industry guidance backs pricing these substantially above routine maintenance, commonly 2 to 2.5 times a standard clean, because the property is empty and every surface needs attention rather than a quick touch-up.
- Standard clean: light maintenance tasks, priced lowest.
- Deep clean: full detail pass, roughly 1.5 to 2 times standard.
- End-of-tenancy or after-build: inspection-grade, roughly 2 to 2.5 times standard.
What factors affect cleaning costs the most?
A quote isn't a random number. It's built from a fairly predictable set of variables, and knowing them means you can ask sharper questions when you're comparing prices.
- Property size and layout. More rooms, more surfaces, more time. Open-plan homes sometimes clean faster than the equivalent square footage split across small rooms.
- Number of bathrooms. Bathrooms take disproportionately long relative to their size, so expect a per-bathroom uplift on most quotes.
- Pets. Pet hair and dander usually add time and sometimes a small surcharge, particularly for deep cleans involving upholstery.
- Buildup and condition. A property that hasn't been properly cleaned in months costs more than one on a tight weekly schedule, even at the same size.
- Frequency. Weekly and fortnightly bookings usually undercut one-off and monthly visits on a per-visit basis.
- Access and parking. Restricted parking, key collection, or narrow access windows sometimes trigger a small call-out or travel fee.
- Extra cleaners for large jobs. Big properties or tight deadlines often need two or three cleaners working together, priced as a team rate rather than a simple hourly multiple.
Franchise and platform-based providers tend to sit above independent operators on price, and that gap isn't always cosmetic. Industry breakdowns show franchise and platform bookings carrying a 25% to 45% premium over direct independents, largely because that premium funds vetting, insurance, replacement cover and customer support that a one-person operation can't always offer.
Pro Tip: Ask any provider exactly how buildup, pets or bathroom count change their quote before you book. A provider who can explain their pricing logic in one sentence is usually pricing you fairly.
What do add-ons and extras typically cost?
Add-ons are where quotes quietly diverge, so ask for them itemised rather than folded into a vague total. Typical UK ranges look like this:
- Inside oven: £25 to £50
- Inside fridge/freezer: £25 to £45
- Interior windows: £4 to £10 per window
- Carpet cleaning: priced separately by room, varies by size and soiling
- Upholstery cleaning: priced per item, sofas and armchairs quoted individually
- Laundry or ironing: usually a separate hourly or per-load add-on
Trip or call-out fees sometimes appear for jobs outside a provider's usual coverage area or for very short bookings. Ask upfront whether one applies. When requesting quotes, give every provider the same brief: property size, room count, bathrooms, pets, access details and the exact extras you want. That's the only way the numbers you get back are actually comparable.
How to get and compare cleaning quotes fairly
A written brief beats a phone-call estimate every time, because it forces both sides to agree scope before money changes hands. Send the same details to every provider you contact.
- State the basics. Property size, room and bathroom count, pets, current condition and desired frequency.
- Ask for an itemised quote. Base price plus any add-ons, broken out line by line rather than bundled.
- Request proof of insurance and vetting. Public liability cover and DBS-checked staff are standard for reputable operators, not a bonus extra.
- Ask about the re-clean policy. What happens if you're not satisfied with a specific area?
- Run the 60-second fairness check. Compare the quoted per-visit price against the published bands for your property size and service type; if a number sits well outside that range, ask why before you agree anything.
Some providers build their booking flow around instant online pricing, upfront quotes with no hidden add-ons, vetted and insured cleaners, and a re-clean guarantee if something's missed. You see the full price before you confirm, which is the entire point of comparing quotes properly in the first place.
What are the red flags in a cheap cleaning quote?
A price that looks too good usually is. Cash-only payment, no written scope, and a single square-foot number with no breakdown are the three most common warning signs, and they typically mean no insurance, no payroll and no accountability if something goes wrong or gets broken.
Reputable providers tend to show the opposite pattern: an itemised quote, insurance details you can actually verify, and often a trial clean option before you commit to a recurring plan. Picture two quotes for the same three-bed house: one is a single figure texted through with "cash on the day, no contract," the other lists room-by-room tasks, states the insurer, and quotes a re-clean policy in writing. The second is the one worth paying slightly more for.
- Cash-only, no invoice: hard to dispute if something's damaged.
- No written scope: you have no proof of what was agreed.
- Square-foot-only pricing with no task list: often hides missing detail work.
- Itemised quote plus verifiable insurance: the baseline for a fair, professional job.
How we think about cleaning prices
Most pricing confusion comes down to comparing different scopes as if they were the same product. A £60 quote and a £150 quote for "a clean" aren't competing offers if one is a hoover-round and the other is an inspection-grade deep clean. Many modern services price every service upfront online, so you see the total for your specific property and scope before booking, not after. Professionals may be background-checked, work with eco-friendly products, and be backed by a re-clean guarantee. If you're unsure which frequency suits your home, start with a one-off trial clean and decide on a recurring plan once you've seen the standard.
— CLEANNY
Book a transparent, upfront-priced clean with Cleanny
Some cleaning platforms let you see the exact price online before you book, avoiding phone-quote guesswork and cash-only cleaners.
Whether you need a regular domestic clean, a one-off deep clean from £135, an end-of-tenancy clean that satisfies a landlord inspection, or an after-builders clean once the dust settles, every job comes with vetted, insured professionals, eco-friendly products and a re-clean guarantee if anything's missed. Pricing is instant and upfront on every booking, so the figure you see is the figure you pay.
Check current prices and availability on the full services and pricing page, or book online in a few minutes if you already know what you need.
Sources
- House Cleaning Costs in the UK (2026 price guide)
- House cleaning costs in 2026 (MyBuilder price guide)
- How to price cleaning jobs and recurring plans (Tofu blog)
FAQ
How do I make a price list for cleaning services?
Break your pricing into service types (standard, deep, end-of-tenancy) and set a base rate per property size band, then list add-ons like oven or fridge cleaning separately. Most UK providers price a standard clean lowest, deep cleans at roughly 1.5 to 2 times that, and end-of-tenancy work at around 2 to 2.5 times standard.
How much do most cleaning services charge?
Most UK cleaning services charge roughly £12 to £30 an hour, with a typical weekly three-hour clean costing around £75. Per-visit prices for a two-bed home usually fall between £60 and £100 for a standard clean.
How much should I charge for cleaning in the UK?
Rates depend heavily on region, experience and whether you're independent or working through an agency, but £25 an hour is a common baseline for a company-backed clean. Many operators charge more for the first visit of a recurring plan, then settle into a flat maintenance rate.
Is £20 an hour a lot for a cleaner?
Typical UK hourly rates range from about £12 to £30 depending on region and provider type. It's not unusually high, and in London or the South East it's often below the going rate for a vetted, insured cleaner.
What's included in a typical deep clean?
Cleanny's deep cleaning covers the detail tasks a standard visit skips, including skirting boards, cupboard interiors and thorough kitchen and bathroom treatment. It's priced from £135 as a one-off, with the exact total shown upfront when you book online.