How Much Does Housekeeping Cost?

Cost Factors

Many housekeepers charge by the hour, but costs can vary depending on the size of your house, the number of people (and pets) living there, and extra service requests, like laundry or dish-cleaning.

House Size

Some housekeepers charge by the square foot, at $0.05 to $0.15 per square foot. Alternatively, housekeepers may also charge based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, with a 1-bedroom home costing less to clean than a 5-bedroom house.

Pets

Housekeepers may charge an additional $25 to $50 per cleaning session for homes with pets. Pets tend to shed, track in dirt and mud after a walk, or have occasional accidents on the floors. Plus, if your pets are roaming freely during the cleaning session, the housekeeper will need to work around them.

Additional Services

Housekeeping services typically include tidying up any clutter, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping floors, and taking out the trash. Deeper cleanings or additional services will cost more. 

Some common add-ons include:

• Laundry: $5 to $20 per load

• Clean the refrigerator: $10 to $40

• Clean the oven: $20 to $40

• Changing the bedsheets: $12 to $18 per bed

• Clean the windows: $4 to $10 per window, interior only

Family Size

Larger households tend to accrue more clutter and dirt, so housekeepers will charge more to clean up after larger families. Plus, larger families may require a full-time or live-in housekeeper, costing more than a housekeeper who visits weekly or monthly.

Cost of Housekeeper By Service Level

Housekeepers offer a wide range of services outside of cleaning the house. Some housekeepers live in residence and help with everyday tasks, like watching the kids or running errands, while others come by once a week for general cleaning.

Live-In

Hiring a live-in housekeeper includes a salary of about $30,000 to $60,000 per year or $2,500 to $5,000 per month plus food, utilities, and room and board. These costs also scale if hiring more than one housekeeper.

Since the housekeeper lives in your home, you can negotiate on-call hours and working hours. This arrangement provides the most flexibility for people with unstable schedules. While it costs more to hire someone to live in your home, they often have a more comprehensive list of duties including:

• General cleaning

• Laundry

• Cooking

• Shopping

• Errands

• Childcare

Full-Time

Hiring a full-time housekeeper costs about $2,000 to $5,000 per month, but without the additional costs associated with a live-in housekeeper. They'll also have a more rigid schedule and responsibilities that you can negotiate at the time of hiring, including general cleaning, errands, cooking, childcare, and more.

Daily

A daily housekeeper costs $50 to $200 per day. Daily housekeepers are also considered part-time housekeepers, and they visit once per day to complete general cleaning, cooking, and sometimes shopping. Added services may cost extra, like cleaning the oven or doing the laundry. Part-time housekeeping makes sense for people without children or with fewer home care needs.

Weekly

Weekly housekeeping typically costs about $160 per week, with costs ranging from about $75 to $260 or more. For weekly housekeeping, you can expect them to complete the following tasks, and any other responsibilities agreed upon at hiring.

• Clean floors: Housekeepers will sweep, mop, and/or vacuum floors throughout the home.

• Clean bathrooms: The housekeeper will wipe down mirrors, counters, cabinets, and toilets.

• Clean the kitchen: The housekeeper will do a general cleaning of the kitchen, including wiping down counters and appliances. Washing dishes and cleaning the oven or fridge will cost more.

Hourly

Housekeepers generally charge $15 to $40 per hour, depending on location, experience and duties. Keep in mind that more in-depth services, like move-in or move-out, will cost more than the typically hourly rate.

Housekeeping Cost by Service Type

Housekeepers responsibilities vary based on the service level and type. You’ll want to confirm the details in the contract before you hire a housekeeper, but expect to budget for the costs of the following housekeeping service types:

• General Cleaning: Housekeepers will charge their standard rates of $15 to $40 per hour for general cleaning.

• Laundry: Housekeepers charge $5 to $20 to wash, dry, fold, and iron a load of laundry.

• Childcare: Childcare is usually negotiated for full-time or live-in housekeepers, costing about $2,000 to $5,000 per month.

• Cooking: Daily, full-time, or live-in housekeepers may include cooking services for about $15 to $40 per hour.

• Shopping/Personal Assistance: Housekeepers may charge a standard hourly rate, but expect higher fees based on distance, traffic, fuel, and errand time.

What Housekeeping Services Can I Get on My Budget?

Since housekeeping services vary so widely, you can save or splurge on housekeeping services depending on your budget and needs. Here’s what housekeeping services you can get based on a monthly budget.

$50

For $50 a month, you may be able to hire a housekeeper for a one-time service. But keep in mind that less frequent services mean the housekeepers need to perform a deeper cleaning, which comes at a higher rate than general cleaning. If you keep your home pretty clean but could use a break once or twice a month, you can hire a housekeeper for a quick, one-hour cleaning session for $15 to $40.

$100

Depending on the housekeeper’s rate, you could hire them for general cleaning services two to six times per month, as most housekeepers charge $15 to $40 per hour. Alternatively, you may hire a local housekeeper once or twice a month with added services, like laundry or washing dishes.

$500

With a $500-per-month budget, you can hire a weekly housekeeper for general cleaning, with a budget to add more services, such as cleaning the fridge or cooking.

$1,000

Housekeepers charge about $160 for a once-per-week service, so $1,000 per month will afford weekly services and plenty of additional services. This type of service is ideal if you want a break from folding the laundry or scrubbing out the oven.

$5,000

With a budget of $5,000 per month, you can afford to hire a full-time or live-in housekeeper to handle general cleaning and other agreed-upon services that can range from running errands and cooking to providing childcare and performing regular deep-cleanings.

FAQ

Do I need to hire a housekeeper?

You may not need to hire a housekeeper, but you might benefit from it. People who can especially benefit from a housekeeper include:

• People with very busy schedules

• A person with a physical disability

• Frequent travelers

• Senior citizens

What questions should I ask when hiring a housekeeper?

There are some important questions to ask either on the phone or during the in-home consultation. If you're still unsure, you can find more questions and tips to choose a cleaning service.

• What services do you offer?

• Can you provide references?

• Would you agree to a background check?

• Do you provide the cleaning supplies?

• Will it be the same housekeeper each time?

• Who do I call if there's a problem with my service?

• Are you okay with pets?

• Do I have to be home while you’re cleaning?

• Are you fully licensed, bonded, and insured?

How much does it cost to deep clean a house?

Home deep cleaning costs$200 to $400 on average. But for serious grime or large homes, you might pay up to $700.

What's the difference between a maid and a housekeeper?

While some people use the terms interchangeably, maids or house cleaning services only clean the home while housekeepers take on additional responsibilities. Housekeepers are often hired independently or through a referral service. They also tend to take on more tasks than a maid, such as cooking, shopping, or childcare. When hiring a maid or a housekeeper, be sure both parties agree on what the position entails and what term fits best.