How to Price a Move-Out Cleaning Job
Move-out cleans can be some of the best-paying jobs a solo cleaner books, or some of the worst. The difference is almost always in the quote. An empty home looks easy, but every drawer, shelf, and appliance is now part of the job.
What a move-out clean usually includes
Move-in and move-out cleans are typically more detailed than a deep clean, because the goal is a home ready for the next person (and, often, a landlord inspection). A common checklist:
- Inside all kitchen cabinets and drawers
- Inside the oven, fridge, dishwasher, and microwave
- Inside closets, including shelves and rods
- Baseboards, doors, door frames, and light switches
- Interior windows, sills, and tracks
- Bathrooms scrubbed top to bottom, including inside vanities
- All floors vacuumed and mopped
Put your checklist in writing. If the client or landlord has their own, ask for it before you quote.
Estimate the time first
Move-outs often take 1.5 to 2 times as long as a regular clean of the same home, sometimes more if appliances haven't been cleaned in years. Ask questions before you quote:
- Will the home be completely empty?
- When was it last professionally cleaned?
- Any pets? Any smoking?
- Are walls, carpets, or outside windows expected? (Many cleaners exclude these.)
Photos or a quick video walkthrough help a lot.
Price it: multiplier plus extras
Start from your regular price for the home's size, apply a move-out multiplier, then add anything unusual:
Move-out price = (regular price × move-out multiplier) + extras
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Regular clean, 3 bed / 2 bath | $140 |
| Move-out multiplier (×1.75) | $245 |
| Interior windows, 12 × $5 | $60 |
| Heavy oven buildup | $25 |
| Quote | $330 |
These are example numbers. Use your own rates and your own time data.
Protect yourself on move-outs
- Confirm the home will be empty. Cleaning around boxes and furniture takes much longer. Note in your quote that the price assumes an empty home.
- Take a deposit for one-time jobs, especially with clients you've never met.
- Get paid on completion. Movers are busy and hard to reach after they've left town.
- Take before-and-after photos. They protect you if a landlord disputes the cleaning.
Turn move-ins into regulars
A move-in clean is the start of someone's life in a new home, which makes it the perfect moment to offer recurring service: "Would you like me to keep it this way every other week?"
Price every job the same way, every time
The Cleaning Price Calculator applies your deep-clean and move-out multipliers, add-ons, and recurring discounts automatically, then shows your real hourly pay before you send the quote.