Skip to main content
KnowYourNut. Know your nut. Run your business.

Markup and margin measure the same profit from different angles. Markup is profit divided by cost. Margin is profit divided by price. A 50% markup equals a 33% margin. Confusing the two leads to underpricing: if you need a 40% margin and apply a 40% markup instead, you're actually running at 28.6% margin and leaving money on the table.

Markup & Margin Calculator for Cleaning Service

Pre-filled with real cleaning service industry benchmarks

Pricing cleaning services profitably requires understanding two very different models: residential pricing (flat rate or hourly) and commercial pricing (per square foot). Residential cleaning is typically priced as a flat rate per visit – $120–$250 for a standard home cleaning depending on size, condition, and market. The flat rate model rewards efficiency: if you can clean a house in 2.5 hours instead of 3, your effective hourly rate increases without the client paying more. Commercial cleaning pricing is usually per square foot ($0.05–$0.20/sqft) or per cleaning, with rates varying by facility type, frequency, and scope. A 5,000 sqft office building at $0.10/sqft generates $500 per cleaning – but the margins depend heavily on your labor efficiency. The markup on cleaning supplies is essentially built into your service price: supplies cost 5–10% of revenue, meaning for every $200 residential cleaning, you're spending $10–$20 on products and supplies. Your real margin driver is labor productivity – how many billable hours you get from each paid hour. Cleaning businesses targeting 25–50% margins need to master scheduling (minimize drive time between jobs), standardize cleaning processes (reduce time per job), and minimize callbacks (which are 100% cost with zero revenue). This calculator helps you set pricing that covers your actual costs plus a healthy margin, whether you're bidding residential cleaning jobs or commercial contracts.

Markup & Margin Calculator

Pre-filled with cleaning service industry defaults. Edit any field to use your real numbers.

Markup

400.0%

Margin

80.0%

Profit

$160

Cleaning Service industry average: 80.0% margin (20.0% COGS).

Ready to use your real numbers?

Create a free account to save your calculations, track changes over time, and get tailored insights for your cleaning service business.

Frequently Asked Questions: Markup & Margin Calculator for Cleaning Service

More Calculators for Cleaning Service Businesses

Markup & Margin Calculator for Other Industries

Related Articles