How to Price a Move-Out Cleaning (With Checklist)

A move-out is one of the hardest cleans to price from a phone call. The home is empty, every surface is exposed, and the condition can be anything. This guide shows you how to ask the right questions, time the job, and price it from your own costs. The checklist at the end works for anyone cleaning a home after moving out.

Why move-outs take longer than a standard clean

• The home is empty. No furniture hides anything. Floors, corners, and walls are all on show.
• Inside cabinets and drawers. Every one gets wiped, inside and out.
• Appliances. Inside the oven, fridge, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher often come into scope.
• Baseboards and trim. Every run, every room.
• Walls. Spot cleaning marks and scuffs where furniture was.
• Inside windows. Glass, sills, and tracks.
• Condition varies. A home cleaned weekly and a home not cleaned in a year are different jobs at the same address size.

What to ask before you quote

1. How many bedrooms and bathrooms, and about how many square feet?
2. Will the home be fully empty when you clean?
3. Which appliances stay, and should their insides be cleaned?
4. When was it last cleaned well?
5. Were there pets?
6. What is the deadline, and how do keys or codes get handed off?
7. Is there a landlord or property manager checklist? Can you see it?
8. Is there a garage, patio, or basement in scope?
9. Is there power and water on the day?

Ask for a few photos of the kitchen, bathrooms, and floors. They tell you more about condition than any description.

Time it by room

Your own timings are the only ones that count. Time your crew on a few move-outs and note what changed the time in each area:

The cost formula

Once you have the hours, the math is the same as any job:

1. Hours (crew size times hours on site).
2. Times your loaded labor cost per hour: wage plus payroll costs.
3. Plus supplies for this job.
4. Plus your overhead share and driving.
5. That is break-even. Then add the margin you choose. That is your call.

The guide to how much to charge for house cleaning explains each line of the formula in more detail.

Example: one move-out

Example only, placeholder numbers, not market data or a suggested price.

Swap in your own numbers. The structure is what matters.

Flat price vs hourly, and handling surprises

A flat price is easy for the client to approve and compare. Hourly protects you when you cannot see the condition first. Many owners quote a flat price with a clear scope line that says what condition it assumes, for example: “Move-out clean, 3 bed / 2 bath, empty home, inside oven and fridge included, normal wear.”

If you arrive and the home is far beyond that, stop before you start the extra work. Show the client, agree the added work and price in writing, then continue. A text with the add-on and a reply of “yes” is better than nothing. The cleaning quote template has a scope line and an included and not included section for exactly this.

Add-ons to list

Price each one from its own time and supplies, and list it separately so the client can say yes or no:

• Inside the oven
• Inside the fridge and freezer
• Inside the dishwasher and microwave
• Garage sweep out
• Blinds, slat by slat
• Washing walls, not just spot cleaning
• Patio or balcony
• Inside the washer and dryer

Oven cleaners and other heavy-duty products need care. Read the labels and keep the safety data sheets on hand. OSHA's Hazard Communication page explains labels and safety data sheets. If a client asks about product labels, the EPA's Safer Choice program explains what its label means.

Move-out cleaning checklist

Kitchen

• Empty, wipe inside and outside of all cabinets and drawers
• Clean counters and backsplash
• Scrub and shine the sink and faucet
• Clean outside of all appliances, including tops and handles
• Inside oven, fridge, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher if in scope
• Pull out appliances where safe and clean behind and beneath if in scope
• Wipe light switches, outlet covers, and the range hood
• Sweep and mop the floor, including edges

Bathrooms

• Scrub tub, shower walls, and doors or tracks
• Clean toilet inside, outside, and around the base
• Clean sink, faucet, and counter
• Wipe inside and outside of the vanity and medicine cabinet
• Clean mirrors and glass
• Wipe the exhaust fan cover, light fixtures, and switches
• Sweep and mop the floor, including behind the toilet

Bedrooms and closets

• Wipe closet shelves, rods, and doors
• Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures
• Wipe baseboards and door frames
• Spot clean walls
• Clean inside windows, sills, and tracks
• Vacuum or mop floors, including closets

Living areas, halls, and stairs

• Dust vents, ledges, and light fixtures
• Wipe baseboards, trim, and door handles
• Spot clean walls and switch plates
• Clean inside windows, sills, and tracks
• Vacuum stairs and wipe railings
• Vacuum and mop all floors

Last walk through

• Check every cabinet and drawer is empty and wiped
• Check for anything left behind
• Take photos of each room if the client wants them
• Empty all trash, and remove it if agreed
• Lock up and hand off keys or codes as agreed

Put it on your price list and in the calculator

Once you have timed a few move-outs, put a move-out line on your cleaning service price list, built from your own break-even and the margin you choose, with the add-ons listed beside it. Then each new move-out starts from a known number and the walkthrough adjusts it.

The house cleaning price calculator runs the same math on the page: enter the crew and hours for the move-out, your supplies and driving, and see break-even and the price at your margin.

Send the quote

Binderlane organizes your pricing math: answer a few questions, see your break-even and your price, then text the client a branded quote with your logo and an Accept button. It does not set or recommend rates. First 3 quotes are free to send, no card.