Deposit starts at zero because regular cleaning rarely needs one — turn it up for a bond clean or a first deep clean, which are the two jobs where the customer is moving out and hard to reach afterwards. And if you have never checked what an hour of your time actually has to earn once travel, chemicals and insurance are paid for, start with the charge-out rate calculator.
A worked example: bond clean, three-bedroom unit
Vacated, unfurnished, average condition. Cleaner registered for GST, supplying everything.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond clean — 3 bed, 2 bath, kitchen, living, laundry (base) | 1 | $520.00 | $520.00 |
| Oven — full internal detail incl. racks and trays | 1 | $95.00 | $95.00 |
| Windows — internal and external, tracks and sills | 14 | $14.00 | $196.00 |
| Carpet steam clean — bedrooms and living | 4 | $55.00 | $220.00 |
| Balcony and external areas — sweep, wash, cobwebs | 1 | $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,116.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $111.60 | ||
| Total inc GST | $1,227.60 |
Every add-on is its own line rather than folded into "bond clean". That is what lets a customer on a budget drop the carpets and keep the booking, instead of comparing one opaque number with somebody else's opaque number.
What to put on a cleaning quote
- Business name, ABN, and your public liability insurer if you are quoting commercial or real-estate work — agents ask, and having it on the quote saves an email.
- The inclusions list, room by room. This is the quote. "General clean" means whatever the customer imagines it means.
- The exclusions list, explicitly. Inside cupboards with contents in them, walls beyond spot-cleaning, ceilings, blinds, mould remediation, pest droppings, hoarding, biohazards, anything above safe reach without a platform, and the garage.
- Frequency and price per visit — weekly, fortnightly, monthly — and whether the first clean is priced higher, which it usually should be.
- How long a visit is scheduled for, so nobody expects six hours for a three-hour price.
- Who supplies chemicals, cloths, vacuum and mop. If they supply, say you cannot guarantee results with products you did not choose, and that you will not use anything unlabelled.
- Access — key, lockbox, code, or someone home — and what happens if you turn up and cannot get in.
- Cancellation terms. A stated notice period and what a late cancellation costs. This is the single most valuable line on a cleaner's quote.
- Whether GST is included, and how you are paid — on the day, or invoiced with terms.
- For bond cleans: whether a re-clean is included if the agent picks something up, and how many days that offer stands.
Common mistakes, and what each one costs
- Quoting a bond clean sight unseen. "Three bedrooms" covers a tidy unit and a place with grease on the ceiling. Inspect, or ask for photos of the kitchen, oven and bathrooms before you give a number.
- No cancellation policy. A cancelled Thursday morning is a Thursday morning you cannot resell, every time it happens.
- First clean priced as a regular clean. The first visit is always the longest. Price it as its own job or you fund the catch-up.
- Scope creep with no mechanism. "While you're here, could you just…" is the trade's occupational hazard. The exclusions list is what lets you say yes politely and add a line.
- Travel absorbed. Three suburbs apart at 40 minutes each way is most of a billable hour, unpaid, twice a day.
- No minimum charge. A one-hour job across town costs more to reach than it earns.
Three things that win the job
Send the inclusions list with the price. Most competing quotes are a number in a text message. A one-page list of exactly what gets done makes you the professional option before anyone compares dollars.
Offer the frequency discount honestly. Fortnightly at a slightly better rate than one-off is worth it to you — a booked run is the asset in this business — and it is easy for the customer to say yes to.
Follow up once, warmly. Cleaning enquiries often come at a stressful moment, like a move-out. A gentle message two days later catches a lot of them — wording in the quote follow-up templates.
Yamate keeps your inclusions list, your rates and your cancellation terms, so a quote is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it. Sign up before 30 September 2026 and lock in the Founder plan at $19/mo — forever. It's $29/mo after that. No lock-in, cancel anytime. Prices in AUD.
FAQ
What should a cleaning quote include?
An inclusions list room by room, an explicit exclusions list, frequency and price per visit, who supplies chemicals and equipment, access arrangements, cancellation terms, whether GST applies, and how and when you get paid.
Hourly or a fixed price per clean?
Fixed price per visit for regular work — the customer can budget and you are rewarded for getting faster rather than punished. Keep hourly for first cleans, spring cleans and anything where the time genuinely cannot be estimated.
How do I quote a bond clean?
Fixed price against a written inclusions list, after seeing the property or at least photos of the kitchen and bathrooms. State whether a re-clean is included, for how many days, and on what conditions.
Should I take a deposit?
Usually not for regular work. For bond and one-off deep cleans, yes — they are large single jobs booked by people who are about to move away.
Do I charge GST on a quote?
Only if you are registered, which is generally required once turnover reaches $75,000. See when a sole trader has to register.
Next steps
General information for Australian small businesses, not tax, legal or financial advice. Every figure this page produces is an estimate based on what you type in. Insurance and licensing requirements differ by state and by the kind of work you take on — check yours before relying on this page.