The Home Cleaning Business

How these numbers were built: cleaner wages come from the BLS OEWS (SOC 37-2012 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners) and the labor outlook from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook; owner earnings, sale prices and multiples come from BizBuySell’s cleaning and janitorial benchmarks (797 sales from 2021 to 2025); the worked team economics and ticket ranges come from Jobber’s cleaning business example; survival rates come from BLS Business Employment Dynamics; and financing terms from the SBA. The opening kit is priced line by line from janitorial supply dealers, Housecall Pro’s startup cost ranges, Insureon’s median premiums, the Molly Maid Item 7 table and background-check fees. The margin shown is owner cash flow (SDE), before any pay to you, for a service whose cleaners are paid staff; the office and overhead line carries an office manager but not your own salary. Operator-facing publishers such as Jobber and Housecall Pro are not audited surveys, so treat their percentages as directional. Figures are current as of 2025-2026; your own client count, prices and wages should replace ours.

Cleaner wage data is grounded in BLS OEWS figures for maids and housekeeping cleaners (SOC 37-2012). The margin band is owner cash flow (SDE) before any owner pay, anchored to BizBuySell’s cleaning and janitorial sales (median 31.5% of revenue) and Jobber’s worked two-team example (about 41% before the owner’s salary). Pricing examples come from Jobber and general ISSA industry guidance; these are operator-facing publishers rather than an audited industry census, so treat exact percentages as directional rather than precise benchmarks.