How to Pay Your Cleaners: Hourly, Per Job, or Percentage?
Compare hourly, flat-per-job, and percentage pay for cleaners, see what the same job pays under each, and set up a payday that takes minutes, not a Sunday night.
· 4 min read
The best way to pay cleaners depends on what you want them to optimize for: hourly pay rewards reliability, a flat rate per job rewards speed, and a percentage of the job rewards quality and keeping the price right. None is wrong, but each shapes how your crew works, so it is worth choosing on purpose. This guide compares the options, shows the same job under each, and covers the parts owners usually get wrong.
What are the common ways to pay cleaners?
| Model | How it works | Rewards | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | A set rate for every hour worked | Reliability and thoroughness | No built-in reason to speed up; needs honest hour tracking |
| Flat per job | A fixed amount per home, regardless of time | Speed and efficiency | Rushing, or resentment on a slow, messy home |
| Percentage of the job | A share of what the customer pays, such as 35–45% | Quality that keeps customers and good pricing | Pay swings with job size; needs a clear rule when two cleaners share a job |
| Hybrid | An hourly base plus a bonus, or a flat rate with a minimum | Reliability and efficiency together | Slightly more to explain and calculate |
How does the same job pay under each model?
Take a $230 job that takes one cleaner 3.5 hours, including setup. Here is what that cleaner earns:
| Model | Calculation | Cleaner earns |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly at $20 | 3.5 × $20 | $70 |
| Percentage at 40% | 40% × $230 | $92 (about $26/hr) |
| Flat per job | Set amount | $85 |
Illustrative numbers. Your rates and job lengths will differ.
A newer team that is still learning usually does better on hourly. A tight, experienced crew you trust often does better on a percentage or flat rate, because they earn more for being good at the job. If you are still working out the price side, our guide to pricing a house cleaning shows how pay fits into a job’s cost.
Decide how shared jobs work before they happen
If two cleaners work one $230 job, does the percentage apply to the whole job for each person, or does the job split between them? Either can be fair, but make the rule explicit and write it down. Unclear team pay is one of the fastest ways to lose a good cleaner.
Are my cleaners employees or independent contractors?
Many cleaning owners pay their crews as contractors, and many of those crews should be employees. The deciding factors are about control: who sets the schedule, who provides supplies and equipment, whether the person can work for other companies, and how much you direct how the work is done. The IRS lays out its test at independent contractor (self-employed) or employee. Misclassifying someone can lead to back taxes and penalties, so this is a conversation for an accountant, not a guess.
If you do use contractors, collect a Form W-9 from each one before you pay them and keep it on file. Paying a contractor above the IRS reporting threshold means filing a Form 1099-NEC for them after year end.
How should I handle travel time and overtime?
For employees, time spent traveling between job sites during the workday is generally paid work time under federal rules, as described in 29 CFR 785.38, and many states add their own requirements. Owners who pay only for time inside a home often run into trouble here. If you pay by the hour, decide how you will record drive time, and confirm your state’s overtime rules before a cleaner works a long week.
How do I make payday take minutes?
- Pick a fixed schedule (weekly or every other week) and never move it. Cleaners plan their rent around it.
- Record time as it happens. Have cleaners check in and out of each job instead of reconstructing hours from memory on Sunday night.
- Keep tips separate and pass them through in full. Mixing tips into wages causes confusion and tax headaches.
- Keep a paper trail. Paying in cash with no record makes tax season painful for you and your cleaner.
- Review before you pay. Check each person’s hours and jobs for the period and make any adjustments, like a bonus or a correction, before money moves.
Where The Cleaners Place fits, and where it doesn’t
Cleaners check in and out on each job, and a pay run builds everyone’s pay for the period from those hours, whether you pay hourly or by percentage of the job. You review it, add adjustments, and pay. If a cleaner has set up their bank details with Stripe, you can send their pay straight to their bank; Stripe’s processing fee, published on its pricing page, is added to your charge and shown before you confirm, and paying from a bank account costs less than a card. The Cleaners Place does not withhold or file payroll taxes, so if you have employees you still need an accountant or a payroll service for that. If you have one helper and pay cash on Fridays, you may not need software for this yet.
FAQ
What is the best way to pay house cleaners?
It depends on what you want to encourage. Hourly suits newer cleaners and keeps pay predictable, flat per job rewards speed, and a percentage of the job rewards quality and pricing. Many owners start hourly and move experienced cleaners to a percentage or flat rate.
How much commission should I pay a cleaner?
Percentage pay for cleaners commonly falls somewhere in the 35–45% range of the job price, but it varies by market and by who supplies equipment and products. Work backward from your costs and margin so the percentage leaves you profitable, and write down how shared jobs split.
Are cleaners employees or independent contractors?
It depends on how much control you have over the work, such as setting schedules, providing supplies, and directing how jobs are done. The IRS publishes a test for this, and misclassification can be costly, so talk to an accountant or your state labor department before deciding.
Do I have to pay cleaners for driving between jobs?
For employees, travel between job sites during the workday is generally paid work time under federal rules, and some states require more. Check your state’s rules and decide how you will record drive time.
How often should I pay my cleaners?
Weekly or every other week are the most common. What matters most is a fixed schedule you never move, so cleaners can plan around it, and that you review hours before each payday.
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