How to Start a Cleaning Business: Step-by-Step Guide for 2026

The Cleaning Business Opportunity

The cleaning industry is a $90+ billion market in the US alone, and it's one of the few businesses where you can start with almost nothing and build a seven-figure operation. But here's what most "start a cleaning business" guides won't tell you: the barrier to entry is low, which means the barrier to success is high.

Anyone can buy supplies and start cleaning. The businesses that thrive are the ones that operate like real companies from day one—with systems, positioning, and a clear path to profitability.

This guide will show you how to build that kind of business.

Choosing Your Niche

The biggest mistake new cleaning business owners make is trying to serve everyone. "We clean homes and offices!" sounds flexible, but it's actually a strategic disaster.

Residential vs. Commercial: The Real Tradeoffs

Residential cleaning:

• Lower barrier to entry—you can start solo
• Emotional buyers—they value trust and personal connection
• Higher per-hour rates ($35-75/hour)
• But: unpredictable schedules, cancellations, and you're always selling

Commercial cleaning:

• Larger contracts ($1,000-10,000+/month)
• Predictable schedules (often after-hours)
• Logical buyers—they care about reliability and compliance
• But: longer sales cycles, requires insurance and often bonding, competitive bidding

High-Margin Specialty Niches

The real money is in specialization. These niches command premium rates:

• Move-out/Move-in cleaning: $300-800 per job, urgent timeline means less price sensitivity
• Airbnb/vacation rental turnover: Recurring, predictable, and hosts will pay for reliability
• Post-construction cleaning: $0.15-0.50/sq ft, requires specific knowledge but low competition
• Medical/dental office cleaning: Premium rates due to compliance requirements
• Green/eco-friendly cleaning: 15-30% premium for the right market

Legal Foundation

Choosing Your Business Structure

Sole Proprietorship: Free to set up, but your personal assets are at risk. One slip-and-fall lawsuit and you could lose everything. Not recommended.

LLC (Limited Liability Company): The standard choice. $50-500 to form depending on state. Protects personal assets, simple tax treatment (pass-through), professional credibility. This is what you want.

S-Corp: Consider this once you're consistently making $60,000+ in profit. Saves on self-employment taxes but adds complexity.

Insurance: Non-Negotiable

You need three types of insurance:

1. General Liability ($500-1,500/year): Covers property damage and injuries. Get at least $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate. Many clients will require a certificate of insurance (COI) before hiring you.

2. Workers' Compensation (varies by state): Required in most states once you have employees. Typically 3-8% of payroll for cleaning businesses.

3. Bonding ($100-500/year): Protects clients against employee theft. Not legally required but builds trust and many commercial clients require it.

Real Startup Costs

Ignore the articles saying you can start for $500. Here's what it actually costs to start properly:

Bare Minimum (Solo Residential)

• LLC formation: $50-500
• General liability insurance: $500-800
• Basic equipment: $300-500
• Supplies (3-month stock): $200-400
• Marketing (initial): $200-500
• Total: $1,250-2,700

Professional Start (Recommended)

• All of the above, plus:
• Bonding: $100-300
• Professional website: $500-2,000
• Uniforms/branding: $200-500
• Software (first year): $300-600
• Business cards/materials: $100-200
• Total: $2,950-6,800

Ready to Scale (With First Employee)

• All of the above, plus:
• Workers' comp insurance: $500-2,000
• Additional equipment sets: $300-500 each
• Training materials: $200-500
• Payroll setup/software: $300-500
• Total: $4,250-10,300

Setting Your Prices

Most new cleaners price by copying competitors or guessing. Both approaches fail. Your prices need to be based on your costs and goals.

Calculate Your Minimum Hourly Rate

Here's the formula:

Step 1: Add up monthly expenses (insurance, software, marketing, vehicle, supplies) = $X

Step 2: Determine billable hours per month (realistically 60-80 hours starting out)

Step 3: Divide expenses by hours = your break-even hourly rate

Step 4: Add 30-50% profit margin = your minimum rate

If you can't sell at that rate in your market, you either need to reduce costs or improve your value proposition—not lower prices.

Pricing Strategy by Service Type

• Standard residential clean: $120-200 for average 3BR home
• Deep clean: 1.5-2x standard rate
• Move-out clean: 2-3x standard rate
• Recurring discount: 10-20% off for weekly/bi-weekly

Getting Your First 10 Customers

The first 10 customers are the hardest. Here's how to get them fast:

Week 1-2: Warm Network

Tell everyone you know. Post on personal social media. Ask friends and family to spread the word. Offer a "friends and family" rate for your first 5 customers in exchange for honest reviews.

Target: 2-3 customers

Week 3-4: Local Presence

• Set up Google Business Profile (free, essential)
• Post in local Facebook groups (neighborhood groups, local marketplace)
• Nextdoor posts (highly effective for residential)
• Leave business cards at local businesses (dry cleaners, dog groomers, etc.)

Target: 3-4 more customers

Month 2: Systematic Outreach

• Door hangers in target neighborhoods (500-1000)
• Google Ads with tight geographic targeting
• Partner with realtors (offer move-in/move-out specials)
• Connect with property managers

Target: 4-5 more customers

Build the Referral Engine

The best cleaning businesses grow primarily through referrals. To make this happen:

• Deliver exceptional service (obviously)
• Ask for reviews at the right moment (right after they compliment your work)
• Create a referral program ("$25 off your next clean for every referral")
• Send thank-you notes after the first clean

Operations & Systems

Create Your Standard Checklist

Consistency is everything. Create detailed checklists for each service type. This ensures quality whether you clean or your employee does.

A basic residential checklist should cover:

• Kitchen (15-20 specific tasks)
• Bathrooms (12-15 tasks per bathroom)
• Bedrooms (8-10 tasks)
• Living areas (10-12 tasks)
• Extras (laundry, inside fridge, etc.)

Track Your Time

For the first 20 jobs, track everything:

• Drive time to/from
• Actual cleaning time by room
• Supplies used
• Any issues or callbacks

This data is gold. It tells you which jobs are profitable, where you can improve, and how to price accurately.

Essential Software

• Scheduling/CRM: Start with something simple like EasyCleanQuote to manage quotes and customers
• Accounting: QuickBooks Self-Employed or Wave (free)
• Communication: Separate business phone number (Google Voice is free)
• Payments: Square or Stripe for card processing

Hiring Your First Employee

When to Hire

Hire when:

• You're consistently turning down work
• You have 3+ months of cash reserve
• You have documented systems (not just knowledge in your head)

Don't hire just because you're tired. Hire because you have more demand than capacity.

Where to Find Good Cleaners

• Best: Referrals from current employees or network
• Good: Indeed, Craigslist, local Facebook job groups
• Consider: People reentering workforce, military spouses, students needing flexible work

What to Pay

• Starting wage: $14-18/hour depending on market
• Experienced cleaners: $18-25/hour
• Team leads: $20-28/hour plus possible bonuses

Pay well. Turnover is expensive—recruiting, training, and lost customers due to inconsistency. An extra $2/hour is cheaper than constant hiring.

The Path to $100K and Beyond

Year 1: Foundation ($30-60K revenue)

• Build customer base (20-40 recurring customers)
• Refine systems and processes
• Establish reputation and reviews
• Learn what works in your market

Year 2: Growth ($80-150K revenue)

• Hire first 1-2 employees
• Transition from cleaner to manager
• Add commercial or specialty services
• Invest in marketing that scales

Year 3+: Scale ($200K+ revenue)

• Multiple teams
• Office manager or operations lead
• Systematic marketing (not just referrals)
• Consider franchising or multiple locations

The Bottom Line

Starting a cleaning business is simple. Building a successful one takes intention, systems, and persistence.

The good news? Most of your competition doesn't do the work. They wing it with pricing, skip the insurance, don't follow up with customers, and wonder why they can't grow.

You now have the blueprint. The question is: will you execute it?

Start today. Register your LLC. Get insured. Tell everyone you know. Clean your first home. Get that review. Do it again.

In 12 months, you'll either have a real business or a lot of excuses. Choose the business.