Find out what to charge for move-out cleaning jobs. Includes pricing by home size, what's included vs extra, and how to quote faster with QuotePro.
Move-out cleaning is a high-stakes, high-value service. Tenants need their security deposit back. Landlords need a move-in-ready unit. Real estate agents need a show-ready home. Nobody has flexibility on quality, and most have a hard deadline.
That urgency creates a premium pricing opportunity — if you know how to scope it clearly, price it accurately, and present it professionally. Here's the complete breakdown of what to charge and how to quote it fast.
Move-out cleaning is not a standard residential clean with the furniture moved out. It's a different category of service with a different scope, a higher standard, and significantly more time per square foot.
Why the scope is broader: Standard recurring cleans maintain an already-clean home. A move-out clean must address years of buildup in areas that rarely get touched during routine maintenance — inside cabinets, behind appliances, inside the oven, baseboards, window tracks, grout lines, light fixtures. Every surface must pass a landlord walkthrough or a buyer inspection.
Why the stakes are higher: Tenants face deposit deductions if your team misses anything. Landlords face delayed re-rental. Real estate agents face deal delays. Everyone in the transaction is counting on you to deliver a genuinely clean property — not just a visually clean one.
Why the timeline is compressed: Move-out cleans happen on fixed deadlines: day of key handover, day before listing photos, day of final walkthrough. There's rarely flexibility to come back and touch up. You have one shot.
Because of this expanded scope, higher standards, and time pressure, move-out cleans should be priced 40–60% higher than a standard clean of the same home. If you charge $200 for a standard clean of a 3BR/2BA, your move-out rate should be $280–$320 minimum.
These are 2026 market benchmarks for move-out cleaning. Prices assume standard condition (lived-in but not heavily neglected) and include all standard move-out scope.
Studio / 1BR (up to 700 sqft): $150–$225. 3–4 hours for one cleaner. Strong margins if scheduled back-to-back in the same building or complex.
2BR / 1–2BA (700–1,100 sqft): $200–$325. 4–5.5 hours. The most common move-out job type. Bread-and-butter volume for cleaning businesses servicing apartment complexes.
3BR / 2BA (1,100–1,800 sqft): $280–$425. 5–7 hours, often with a 2-person team. Standard single-family rental home territory.
4BR / 3BA (1,800–2,600 sqft): $350–$550. Larger rentals and owner-occupied homes being listed for sale. Typically require a team of 2–3.
5BR+ or 2,600+ sqft: $500–$800+. Always quote after a walkthrough. Large homes vary too much in condition and scope to bid blind.
Condition modifiers: Heavy condition (extensive buildup, smoke damage, pet odors, heavily soiled surfaces) adds 30–60% to the base rate. Always assess condition before providing a firm quote and include a conditional clause in your written estimate if you can't inspect in advance.
Define your scope in writing on every move-out quote. Scope disagreements — 'I thought inside the oven was included' — are the #1 source of disputes and negative reviews in this category.
Standard move-out clean scope (included in your base rate):
- All floors vacuumed and mopped
- All surfaces wiped and disinfected
- Baseboards wiped
- Kitchen cabinets and drawers — exterior surfaces and interior empty cavities
- Refrigerator — exterior only (inside is an add-on)
- Oven — exterior only (inside is an add-on — see below)
- Range hood and drip pans
- All bathrooms: toilet, tub, shower, sink, vanity, mirror, tile grout scrubbed
- Window sills and interior window tracks
- Light switch plates and outlet covers wiped
- Door frames and door hardware
- Wall spot cleaning (visible marks and scuffs)
- All light fixtures and ceiling fans (accessible without a tall ladder)
Not included by default (quote as add-ons): Inside oven, inside refrigerator, interior windows, carpet shampooing, full wall washing, garage, exterior surfaces.
Having a clear written scope does two things: it protects you from scope creep, and it makes you look professional to the landlords and property managers who send repeat business.
Add-ons are where move-out cleaning gets very profitable very quickly. Clients in move-out situations have the lowest price sensitivity in the entire cleaning market — they're protecting a security deposit that may be worth $1,000–$3,000. A $50 add-on is a trivial cost compared to a $500 deposit deduction.
Inside oven cleaning: $35–$65. Time-consuming, requires specialized degreasers, and most tenants desperately need it. Always offer this. Landlords always check it.
Inside refrigerator cleaning: $35–$55. Similar situation — if the tenant left food residue or spills, this needs to be done before move-in.
Interior window cleaning: $5–$12 per window (both panes). For a standard 3BR home with 12–16 windows, that's $60–$192 added to the job.
Carpet shampooing / extraction: $50–$150 depending on total carpeted sqft. This is often required by landlords and is frequently requested by tenants who want their deposit back.
Full wall washing: $75–$150. For homes with heavy scuff marks, crayon, or smoke residue. Not wall spot cleaning — full wipe-down of all painted wall surfaces.
Garage cleaning: $75–$150. Often overlooked in scope and then argued about. Define garage inclusion explicitly.
Rush fee: 20–35% premium for jobs booked within 48 hours. Move-out deadlines frequently create last-minute demand. Price it accordingly.
Present add-ons as a Good/Better/Best proposal so clients can choose their scope. Good: standard move-out scope. Better: adds inside oven and fridge. Best: full package with interior windows and carpet. Use QuotePro to build and send these tiered proposals in under 60 seconds.
Move-out clients are decision-fatigued. They're in the middle of a move, dealing with landlords, utilities, forwarding addresses, and a dozen other things simultaneously. If you send them a flat price with a paragraph of scope details, they'll either not read it or ask a dozen clarifying questions.
Good/Better/Best pricing solves this. Instead of one price, you present three clearly defined packages:
Good (Essential Move-Out): Standard scope — all rooms, surfaces, bathrooms, kitchen exteriors, baseboards, window tracks. Everything needed to pass a standard landlord walkthrough.
Better (Enhanced Move-Out): Good + inside oven and inside refrigerator. This is what most tenants actually need and will upgrade to when they see it clearly priced alongside the base option.
Best (Full Package): Better + interior windows + carpet shampooing. Complete deposit-protection package. For clients who want zero risk on their deposit, this is the obvious choice.
When clients choose between your three options instead of comparing your single price to a competitor's, your close rate goes up significantly. You've framed the decision as 'which package suits you' rather than 'should I hire you or someone else.'
QuotePro generates branded Good/Better/Best move-out proposals automatically — clients can view and accept them on any device, and you get notified the moment they approve. Start your free trial — no credit card required.