How much does it cost to start a cleaning business?
Your startup cost calculator
Type in the quotes you get. Nothing is pre-filled except what's free, because prices vary a lot by state, city and brand, and a made-up "average" would be worse than no number.
| Item | Category | Your quote ($) |
|---|---|---|
| EIN from the IRS Free from the IRS. | Registration | |
| Business entity filing (if you form an LLC) Your Secretary of State's fee schedule. | Registration | |
| Trade name / DBA State or county. | Registration | |
| Local business license City / county clerk. | Registration | |
| Sales tax permit (if your state taxes cleaning) State tax department. | Registration | |
| General liability insurance (first payment) Quotes from 2–3 agents. | Insurance | |
| Vacuum | Equipment | |
| Mop, buckets, caddy, cloths, brushes | Equipment | |
| Starter cleaning products | Supplies | |
| Gloves and protective gear | Supplies | |
| Scheduling / invoicing software (first month) | Operations | |
| Website and domain | Marketing | |
| Business cards and flyers | Marketing | |
| Total to start | $0 |
The costs, one by one
Registration
| Item | What we've verified |
|---|---|
| EIN | Free from the IRS, issued immediately online if approved.[1] |
| LLC: California | $800 annual tax to the Franchise Tax Board, every year until the LLC is cancelled.[2] |
| LLC: New York | $200 to file Articles of Organization,[3] plus newspaper publication charges and a $50 Certificate of Publication fee within 120 days.[4] |
| Sole proprietorship | No state entity filing: you're a sole proprietor automatically if you don't register another structure.[5] You may still need a DBA if you use a business name.[6] |
| Local license, sales tax permit | Set by your city, county and state. Check your state. |
Insurance
General liability is the core policy for working in clients' homes; it covers financial loss from bodily injury and property damage, among other things.[7] Get two or three quotes before you budget. What the policies cover.
Equipment and supplies
Start lean: a good vacuum, a mop system, a caddy, color-coded microfiber cloths, brushes, a step stool, and the products your service list needs. Add specialist equipment only when jobs pay for it.
Running costs (monthly)
Insurance, phone, software and marketing. These go into your price as a share per job; the price calculator handles that.
Is a cleaning business profitable?
It is when every job is priced to cover your pay, self-employment tax, supplies, driving and a share of monthly costs, with a buffer on top. Self-employment tax alone is 15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings,[8] and it's the cost new cleaners most often forget. Work out your price, then how many jobs a month you need, before you spend on anything beyond the basics.
Free: the Cleaning Business Starter Kit
A one-page launch checklist and a room-by-room cleaning checklist you can hand to clients. PDF, no signup needed.