What to bring to the conversation
- Property, dimensions or quantities you know
- Existing condition and items to retain
- Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints
FREE PREPARATION RESOURCE
House cleaning scope checklist and service comparison worksheet
Free fillable house cleaning worksheets to organize rooms, tasks, access, product preferences, service questions and comparable proposals.
View the checklist and download the fillable PDF ↗FIND HELP. COMPARE OFFERS. YOU CHOOSE.
Move-in cleaning
Tell us what you need. Pros can review your request and send you offers. You decide who to hire.
Confirm whether cabinets and appliances will be empty.
Start my requestFree to request. No need to hire anyone.
What information helps?
Share what you know. You do not need to know every detail.
- The problem or the result you want
- Where you need the service
- When you would like help
- Your budget, if you have one
Do not guess measurements or costs. You can ask a pro to check them.
Want to learn more before you start?
Open the guide for costs, useful questions and planning tools. You can start your request without reading it all.
Home · THE PROJECT GUIDE
Move-in cleaning.
Get the details right.
Confirm whether cabinets and appliances will be empty.
Define rooms, tasks and frequency so an initial deep clean is not confused with recurring upkeep. Clarify supplies, access and exclusions before booking.
Explore freely · Compare thoughtfully · You choose the professional
THE WORK BEHIND THE WORDS
Make this particular service clear.
Start with the distinction below, then define the deliverables and boundaries. If something is unknown, ask the provider to assess it.
Move-in cleaning · the key conversation
Confirm whether cabinets and appliances will be empty.
What to ask for in return
A written description of move-in cleaning, the assumptions behind the price and which items need further assessment. Ask the provider to explain room and task list, frequency, supplies and access, excluded tasks in the context of your request.
| Detail | Get this in writing | Keep the comparison fair |
|---|---|---|
| Rooms and tasks | List the included rooms and specific surfaces or tasks. | Compare checklists rather than package names. |
| Time and staffing | Clarify worker-hours, team size or completion basis. | Do not compare elapsed time without staffing. |
| Supplies and extras | Separate appliances, windows, laundry and special products. | Identify provider-supplied and client-supplied items. |
| Access and follow-up | Agree entry, cancellation and missed-task handling. | Compare the same visit frequency and terms. |
UNDERSTAND THE PRICE
See the parts. Then compare the total.
A useful budget explains what the money covers. Keep these cost areas visible rather than relying on a package name or headline figure.
Preparation and investigation
Products and installation
Access, disposal and reinstatement
Approvals, testing and handover
What changes the scope?
Define rooms, tasks and frequency so an initial deep clean is not confused with recurring upkeep. Clarify supplies, access and exclusions before booking.
Ask providers to explain how room and task list and frequency affect their assumptions. Separate confirmed information from items still awaiting assessment.
What does the chart show?
The planning tool compares amounts you enter over the same period. Fixed charges, rate × quantity, monthly charges and extras stay separate. Its cumulative-cost graph makes different upfront and recurring arrangements easier to understand.
Published references, where available below, show their own units, source and period. They remain separate from your calculator inputs. Employee wages and producer-price indexes are context, not the price a provider will charge. Ask for current proposals for your actual scope.
Explore employee wages by state
Related occupation: Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. These are employee wages, not contractor billing rates, business fees or an installed-project estimate.
$13.29U.S. · 10th percentile
$17.07U.S. · Median hourly wage
$23.35U.S. · 90th percentile
The median divides employees into two equal groups. The percentile figures describe the wage distribution; they are not minimum and maximum prices. Unpublished or suppressed estimates remain “Not published.”
Mean wages and interpretation
| Area | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $17.07 | $17.83 |
A provider’s charge also covers costs such as nonbillable time, supervision, vehicles, equipment, insurance, administration and profit. The selected occupation may cover only part of a multitrade project. OEWS does not measure self-employed contractors’ fees. No wage-to-quote multiplier is applied, and these snapshots do not establish a current labor-price trend.
BLS national and state source tables ↗ · SOC 37-2012 · Reviewed October 8, 2026.
YOUR PLANNING DESK
A clearer brief. A better starting point.
Build your request, compare entered costs and download a branded planning pack. Your selections stay here until you choose to continue.
Start with the details that matter.
No account needed to plan. Keep private documents, account numbers, credentials and sensitive case details out of this brief.
Also consider: Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints. Leave unknown details for the provider to assess.
Review your starting brief
Review before continuing. You can edit the wording below. Manual edits stay in place until you choose to regenerate from your answers.
363 characters
Next, review the request in PickYourPro.ai. An account is required to complete it. This step does not send invitations or commit you to a provider. Service availability and provider participation vary.
Opt-in saves form answers only. Manual brief edits, comparison values and checklist selections are not saved. Download a copy to keep them; avoid saving on shared devices.
FROM FIRST QUESTION TO HANDOVER
Know what happens next.
- 1
Define
Describe the outcome and current condition. Mark unknown measurements rather than guessing.
- 2
Assess
Agree any visit or diagnostic fee. Ask what must be checked before the price can be final.
- 3
Compare
Use the same drawings, selections and boundaries for each proposal.
- 4
Complete
Approve changes in writing and collect the agreed completion records.
A planning sequence, not a promised duration. Actual timing depends on the service, the information available and the provider's agreed scope.
WHEN YOU WANT THE DEEPER VIEW
The details worth resolving early.
A clean comparison starts with rooms, surfaces and tasks. Labels such as standard, deep or premium do not tell you whether appliances, baseboards, interior windows or laundry are included. Use a room-by-room checklist and describe the existing condition honestly.
For this particular project
Confirm when the property will be vacant and whether other work will be finished before cleaning begins. Specify appliance and cabinet interiors, fixtures and surfaces you want ready for use. Ask who supplies products and how sensitive finishes are handled. If contractors return afterward, clarify whether another visit is separately priced.
Use these questions to write my brief ↗- 01List rooms
- 02Set priorities
- 03Confirm supplies
- 04Complete visit
- 05Review checklist
Task list or a time allowance?
Ask whether the price buys a defined checklist, a set number of worker-hours or a visit with stated limits. Two people for two hours is not the same staffing arrangement as one person for two hours. Clarify priorities if the booked time cannot cover every task.
Initial clean versus recurring visits
Separate the first visit from ongoing maintenance. Ask what resets the starting condition and what is maintained afterward. Confirm frequency, skipped-visit pricing and whether the checklist changes seasonally. Compare the same number of visits over the same period.
Products, surfaces and preferences
Identify delicate finishes and explain product or fragrance preferences before the appointment. Ask what products and equipment the provider supplies and how surface compatibility is checked. Specific product information is more useful than an undefined claim that everything used is green.
Access and quality follow-up
Agree entry, keys, pets, parking and areas that are off limits. Ask how breakage, missed tasks and a request for correction are reported. For a recurring arrangement, establish how substitutions, schedule changes and cancellation notice work in the written terms.
What changes with location and conditions?
- Travel, parking and building access can affect visit logistics. Confirm any additional charges before booking.
- Local water conditions and finishes may change suitable products and methods. Ask the provider to assess sensitive surfaces.
- Seasonal occupancy and short-term rental demand can change availability. Confirm schedule commitments rather than assuming a recurring slot.
Documents to collect at completion
- Agreed checklist and exclusions
- Product preferences and surface notes
- Visit record and unresolved tasks
- Recurring schedule and correction/cancellation terms
Compare these promised records before choosing a provider. Keep the originals alongside your planning pack.
PICKYOURPRO.AI · YOUR NEXT STEP
Explain it once.
Compare with more clarity.
Turn what you have learned into a focused request. Give providers the same starting information, review their responses and ask questions about differences in scope, timing and fees.
- 1
Build a clear brief
Describe the service, your priorities and what needs assessment.
- 2
Review responses
Compare what each provider proposes and clarify open questions.
- 3
Choose your provider
Consider relevant experience, scope and terms—not just the lowest number.
Requesting and comparing proposals is free for clients. Provider participation, availability and response times vary. Confirm any separate consultation or inspection charge. Review project unlock terms for later project stages.
GOOD QUESTIONS, CLEARER CHOICES
Before you choose.
What should I include in a move-in cleaning request?
Confirm whether cabinets and appliances will be empty. Include room and task list, frequency, supplies and access, excluded tasks where known. Leave unknowns for the professional to assess.
Can I compare prices before an assessment?
You can compare the stated assumptions, scope and fee basis. Ask what must be checked before an offer is final and whether a consultation, inspection or diagnostic visit has a separate charge. For this service, start by clarifying room and task list.
How should I handle a lower price?
Ask which tasks, deliverables and terms differ. Use the cost tool to compare the same period and quantities, then review exclusions and professional fit. The smallest calculated number is not a recommendation.
Does the planning pack create an agreement?
No. It records your brief and entered scenarios. You still need to review and agree the provider’s actual proposal and terms. Keep original documents and approvals.
What happens after I continue to my request?
Your reviewed brief enters the existing PickYourPro.ai request process. You will need an account and can confirm the remaining details before completing the request. Provider participation and availability vary.
Are these live market prices?
The planning calculator uses your entered figures. Published references elsewhere on the page are separate, dated observations with their own sources and limitations. Neither is a live provider quote. Employee wages are not billable labor rates, and a producer-price index is not an installed project price.
TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN
Sources and editorial notes.
Prepared by PickYourPro.ai with AI assistance · Framework published October 7, 2026. Expanded research review: October 8, 2026. These service-planning questions have not been independently reviewed by a licensed specialist. Local requirements and professional suitability need individual verification.
- FTC: hiring a contractor ↗
Background on written estimates and checking a contractor. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- EPA: Safer Choice label ↗
Background on a defined product label; it is not a certification of an entire cleaning company. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- EPA: identifying greener cleaning products ↗
Background on evaluating specific product claims instead of vague marketing terms. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
Methodology and updates
Scope questions are organized by service and buying process. The planning calculator uses only entered values. Separately labelled reference charts use public source observations; no private PickYourPro project history is used. A permanent page address does not make a dated reference permanently current. Substantive changes should update the editorial record.
October 7, 2026: initial guide, service-specific scope, planning worksheet and cost-comparison tools published.
October 8, 2026: expanded option comparisons, project-specific buying questions, regional considerations and completion records.
KEEP EXPLORING
More house cleaning guides.
Recurring cleaning
Agree on the routine checklist and rotating tasks.
Explore ↗Deep cleaning
Identify buildup and detail work beyond normal maintenance.
Explore ↗Move-out cleaning
Use the landlord or buyer checklist where available.
Explore ↗Post-construction cleaning
Describe dust, debris and remaining construction activity.
Explore ↗Vacation-rental turnover
Include laundry, restocking, damage reporting and timing.
Explore ↗