What cleaning services should charge in California.
Fair billed labor here runs about $36–$59/hour, about 23% above the median US state. Every number below comes from what maids and housekeeping cleaners actually earn in California; the math is on this page, in the open.
How much should cleaning services charge in California?
In California, maids and housekeeping cleaners earn $17.79–$23.72 per hour (median $20.51, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), about 23% above the median US state for this trade. A legitimate business bills 2–2.5× wages to cover payroll taxes, insurance, equipment, overhead and profit, so fair billed labor in California runs about $36–$59 per hour. For example, standard clean (3 bed / 2 bath) is about $105–$300 in fair labor, before materials.
Fair price by job
Standard clean (3 bed / 2 bath)
That assumes a recurring clean of a lived-in home; first visits run longer.
Typical labor: 3–5 hours at $36–$59/hr billed.
Deep clean or move-out clean
That assumes baseboards, appliances, inside cabinets. This is the clean landlords check.
Typical labor: 5–9 hours at $36–$59/hr billed.
Before you hire in California
Any job of $1,000 or more (labor and materials) requires a CSLB license. The lookup shows classification, bond, workers' comp and disciplinary actions — check all four.
How to verify a California license · how to get comparable bids · track your quotes side by side (free, no account).
Find cleaning services near you in California
Other fair price checks in California
Compare cleaning services rates across all states · all fair price checks