How do you quote a deep cleaning job? Walk the property, or at least get a detailed video call through it, before naming a price. List every room plus any extras such as ovens, fridges, windows or grout, then set either an hourly rate with a realistic time estimate or a fixed price based on what you actually find. A deep clean takes longer than a routine visit and often needs stronger products, so build that extra time in before you quote, and tell the client plainly whether the number you are giving is a firm quote or a rough estimate.
Scope the job before you price it
A deep clean covers ground a weekly visit skips: inside the oven, behind and under appliances, skirting boards, extractor fans, light switches, window frames, and limescale that has built up over months rather than days. Pricing from a short text message or a couple of photos usually means guessing, and guessing tends to go one of two ways. You undercharge and end up losing money on a job that runs long, or you overcharge because you priced for the worst case and lose the booking to someone who actually looked first.
Ask when the property was last properly cleaned, not just tidied. A first deep clean after a house sale, a long tenancy, or months of neglect takes noticeably longer than a home that gets a routine clean every week and only needs the extras done occasionally. That single question does more to narrow your estimate than almost anything else you can ask.
A checklist for scoping a deep clean before you quote
- Ask when the property was last properly cleaned, and whether it has ever had a deep clean before.
- Walk through every room in person or by video call, including cupboards and under furniture if the client wants those included.
- List extras separately from the core clean: oven, fridge, windows, upholstery, grout, mattress.
- Check access: parking, stairs, whether you need keys, and whether anyone will be home during the visit.
- Confirm who is supplying products and equipment, since carrying your own kit costs you time and money.
- Ask if pets or children will be around, which can add time and limits which products are sensible to use.
Going through this list with a client takes a few minutes and turns a vague request into something you can actually cost. It also gives you a record to refer back to if the property turns out different from what was described on the day.
Pricing common deep-clean extras
Ovens, fridges and grout usually need stronger degreasers or descalers than a standard weekly clean, and stronger products mean more care, not just more time. Before using a product you do not normally carry, check its label and safety data sheet rather than assuming it behaves like something similar. The Health and Safety Authority notes that a safety data sheet sets out the ventilation and personal protective equipment a product needs and how to dispose of it correctly, information that is easy to skip when you are trying to finish a job quickly. Build the time for proper ventilation and any drying or airing period into your quote rather than treating it as a free extra.
How to quote a deep cleaning job: firm quote or rough estimate?
Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission draws a clear line between the two words people often use interchangeably: a quote is a fixed price for agreed work, while an estimate is a rough guide that can still move once the job is under way. Clients generally prefer a firm quote for a deep clean, since it is a bigger, less routine job than a weekly visit and they want to know the final number before you start. If you genuinely cannot size the job without seeing it, say so and offer a provisional estimate with a clear note on what would change it, such as an oven in worse condition than described. Our guide on pricing cleaning jobs in Ireland goes further into hourly versus fixed pricing generally, if deep cleans are only one part of your work.
Keep a record of what you quoted and invoiced
Once you have agreed a price, note down what was included and send the client something in writing, even a short message, so there is no confusion later about what the quote covered. As a self-employed sole trader, Revenue requires you to keep the records behind your income and expenses, including invoices and receipts, for six years in case your affairs are ever reviewed. Citizens Information's guidance on becoming self-employed covers the wider basics of registering and reporting income, which is worth reading early rather than after your first few bookings. Carrying the right kit also matters for pricing extras accurately: our cleaning supplies checklist for cleaners starting out covers what is worth having on hand before you take on deep-clean work.
Once you have quoted a handful of deep cleans, keep a simple note of how long each one actually took against what you estimated. That record is more useful than any general rule of thumb, because it reflects the kind of properties and extras you actually get asked to clean. If deep cleans are not yet a steady source of bookings, our guide on finding cleaning jobs in Ireland covers where this kind of work tends to come from.