Hiring a house cleaning service
How cleaning services are priced, what standard and deep cleans usually include, and the questions that prevent a mismatch.
By Elijah Canfield, Founder, Hire Best Pros · Updated August 27, 2026
Elijah Canfield is the founder of Hire Best Pros. He writes and edits the site's consumer guides, with a focus on how home service and moving projects are priced, scoped and compared.
Define the scope before comparing prices. A standard recurring clean, a deep clean and a move out clean are different jobs with different times attached. Confirm what is included room by room, who supplies products and equipment, whether the company is insured, and how access and scheduling are handled.
Key points
- Price without a defined scope tells you nothing.
- Insurance and background screening are fair questions to ask directly.
- Interior of appliances, windows and baseboards are usually add ons.
Types of clean
- Standard recurring: surfaces, floors, kitchen and bathrooms on a schedule
- Deep clean: detailed work including build up, baseboards and fixtures
- Move in or move out: empty home, including inside cabinets and appliances
- Post construction: dust removal after renovation work, a specialist job
Questions worth asking
- Is the company insured, and are cleaners employees or subcontractors
- Who supplies products and equipment, and can you request specific products
- Is it the same team each visit
- What is the cancellation and rescheduling policy
- How is access handled, and how are keys or codes secured
Getting a fair comparison
Give every company the same information: square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, pets, and anything unusual such as high ceilings or delicate surfaces. Ask for the scope in writing so the first visit matches the expectation you paid for.
Costs vary based on location, project size, materials, complexity, access and the provider you hire.
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