A cleaning estimate is a written price proposal for a specific scope of work, valid for a specific number of days, that the client accepts before you start. It is not an invoice — no work has happened yet — and it is not a contract, though it becomes one the moment the client signs and pays the deposit. A useful cleaning estimate template has eleven fields: your business name and license or EIN, the client name and property address, a numbered and dated estimate, a specific scope written in plain English, the price broken out by line, the tax line where your state requires it, the total, the validity date, the payment terms, the walkthrough fee credit if any, and a signature block. Get those right and roughly one in three cold estimates and one in two walkthrough estimates convert into paying jobs.

What must a cleaning estimate include?

An estimate is a promise about price and scope. If either is fuzzy, the client either ghosts or picks a fight later. Use the same eleven fields every time:

  • Your business name, address, phone, email, and your license or EIN. This is what makes it look like a company instead of a text message.
  • Client name and full service address. If they have a different billing address (common for property managers), capture both.
  • Estimate number and date. Sequential, for example E-2026-0142, and never reused — the same discipline as invoices.
  • Scope of work in plain English: rooms included, what a 'clean' means for each surface, add-ons like fridge, oven, windows, garage, and what is explicitly out of scope (biohazard, mold, exterior windows above 6 ft).
  • Line items with quantity, unit rate and amount. Break out the base clean, each add-on, and any travel or minimum charge.
  • Sales tax line at your state rate, where the service is taxable.
  • Total, payment terms and deposit — for example 50% deposit on move-outs over $400, balance on completion.
  • Validity date: 'This estimate is valid for 14 days from the date above.'
  • Walkthrough fee, if you charged one, with a note that it is credited toward the job on signing.
  • Signature and date lines for both parties, plus a checkbox to authorize a card on file for the deposit and future recurring charges.
  • A one-line link or paragraph to your terms and conditions — late fees, cancellation, keys and access, damage claims.

How is an estimate different from a quote, invoice and contract?

These four documents get confused constantly, and the confusion costs money at both ends of the job. A quote is a firm price for a specific scope — you cannot legally raise it without a change order. An estimate is a good-faith projection based on what you have seen; if the house is dirtier than described or the crew finds an extra 400 sq ft, the price can move within a stated range (usually 10-15%). An invoice is the request for payment after the work is done. A contract is the signed agreement that governs the ongoing relationship — recurring schedule, cancellation policy, insurance, non-solicit of employees. In practice most residential cleaning companies issue estimates that convert into either a single-service agreement or a recurring service agreement. Commercial bids are usually quotes with a full scope of work attached.

What are typical price ranges by service type in 2026?

These ranges are what customers actually see quoted in the US in 2026. Use them to sanity-check your own estimates and to explain a number to a hesitant client:

  • Standard residential recurring clean: $0.08-$0.15 per sq ft, or $120-$220 for a typical 2 bed / 2 bath, priced lower on a weekly schedule and higher on monthly.
  • One-time deep clean: $0.15-$0.30 per sq ft, or $250-$500 for a 2,000 sq ft home. Never quote a first-time deep clean at recurring pricing — that is the number one reason new companies lose money on their first month.
  • Move-in / move-out: $300-$700 for a 1,500-2,500 sq ft home, plus $50-$120 for inside oven and inside fridge as separate line items.
  • Post-construction (rough / final / touch-up): $0.30-$0.75 per sq ft depending on phase. Rough is the highest because of drywall dust.
  • Airbnb turnover: $75-$180 for a 1-2 bedroom, $150-$350 for a 3-4 bedroom, with linens as a separate line at $10-$18 per bed.
  • Office cleaning: $0.06-$0.18 per sq ft per visit, minimum $120-$180 per visit for small spaces under 2,000 sq ft.
  • Medical office: $0.10-$0.25 per sq ft with additional line items for exam room turnover and biohazard-compliant disposal.

Regional variation is real: coastal metros run 20-40% above these ranges, and rural markets often 15-25% below. Whatever your number is, put it on the estimate with the assumption behind it in one sentence — 'Based on 1,850 sq ft, 3 bed / 2 bath, pets present, standard clutter.' That sentence is what protects you if the reality on job day is different.

Should you charge for the walkthrough?

For anything above roughly $600 or unusual (post-construction, hoarding, move-out with visible damage, medical, large commercial), yes — charge a $50-$150 walkthrough fee that is fully credited to the job on signing. It does three useful things: it filters out tire-kickers, it pays for your time when a client uses you as a free consultant, and it signals professionalism to serious commercial buyers. For a standard residential recurring inquiry, skip the fee and do a 15-minute virtual walkthrough over video call — most companies close 45-55% of those, versus 25-35% on in-person unpaid walkthroughs, because the response is faster. State the walkthrough fee and its credit clearly on the estimate, so there is no argument later.

How long should a cleaning estimate be valid?

Fourteen days is the sweet spot for residential and small commercial. Long enough that a client can talk to a spouse or run it past a property manager, short enough that your labor cost, supplies cost and route capacity have not shifted underneath you. For commercial bids, 30 days is standard because procurement moves slower. For post-construction, 7 days is defensible — the site condition changes daily and dust load doubles overnight. Print the expiration as a real calendar date, not a vague 'valid for two weeks,' and when the date passes send a short 'the pricing has expired, happy to re-quote at today's rates' note. That message alone recovers about one in six stalled estimates.

How do you convert an estimate into a signed contract?

The friction is almost never the price — it is the number of steps between yes and the first job. Companies that close well collapse those steps into one action. On the estimate itself, include the terms and conditions, the recurring schedule if any, and a signature block with a card authorization. The client signs digitally, the card is captured for the deposit, and the job is on the calendar in the same click. Companies that email a PDF, then a contract, then a payment link, then confirm the date lose about 30% of ready-to-buy clients between step two and step four. This is the exact workflow CleanOS is built around: the estimate you send is already the contract, the client signs and pays the deposit in one screen, and the job lands on the crew's schedule with the scope, address and access notes attached — no re-typing, no separate contract PDF, no forgotten deposits.

What close rate should you expect on cleaning estimates?

Benchmark your close rate honestly, by channel, because a bad average hides a good channel. Realistic 2026 numbers for a well-run residential cleaning company: 40-55% on referral estimates, 30-45% on Google Business Profile inbound, 20-35% on cold Google Ads leads, and 15-25% on Thumbtack or similar marketplaces (with a lot more back-and-forth). Commercial walkthroughs close at 25-40% when you follow up within 24 hours, and closer to 10% when the follow-up takes a week. If your overall number is under 20%, the fix is almost never the price — it is response time (respond in under an hour and close rate roughly doubles), scope clarity, or a missing follow-up on day 3 and day 7.

A good estimate is a small sales tool disguised as a document. Use the same eleven-field template every time, quote a specific scope with the assumption in one line, put a real expiration date on it, and make signing and paying the deposit a single action rather than three emails. Companies that do those four things spend less time chasing quotes and more time cleaning — and their close rate climbs into the mid 40s without any change to what they charge.