How to Start a Cleaning Business in Australia: A Step by Step Guide
Starting a cleaning business in Australia takes seven practical steps: choose a business structure, register your ABN, decide on a business name, sort insurance, get your equipment together, work out your pricing, and set up a way for customers to find and book you. None of it is complicated on its own. It's the number of small decisions that makes it feel bigger than it is.
Key takeaways
- Choose a structure, confirm ABN eligibility and register any required business name.
- Arrange insurance, equipment and compliant working practices before the first job.
- Set pricing and a direct booking, quoting and invoicing workflow from day one.
Starting a cleaning business in Australia takes seven practical steps: choose a business structure, register your ABN, decide on a business name, sort insurance, get your equipment together, work out your pricing, and set up a way for customers to find and book you. None of it is complicated on its own. It's the number of small decisions that makes it feel bigger than it is.
1. Choose a business structure
Most solo cleaners start as a sole trader: it's the simplest and cheapest structure, you keep full control, and you're personally responsible for the business's debts and liabilities. A company structure offers limited liability but comes with more setup and ongoing reporting. If you're starting small with residential clients, sole trader is usually enough to begin with. See sole trader or company for the full comparison.
2. Register your ABN
An Australian Business Number identifies your business to government, customers and suppliers, and is required before registering for GST. Applying through the Australian Business Register is free; straightforward successful applications can be issued immediately, while others require review. See do you need an ABN for the specifics.
3. Decide on a business name
If you're trading under your own legal name, you don't need to register a separate business name. If you want a trading name (most cleaning businesses do, for branding), you'll register it with ASIC. At the time of review, registration costs A$44 for one year or A$102 for three years. Check the current fee and name availability before you commit.
4. Sort your insurance
Public liability insurance is the baseline for almost every cleaning business, covering you if you damage a client's property or someone is injured because of your work. For a sole trader, this typically runs somewhere between A$500 and A$1,200 a year depending on your cover level and revenue. See cleaning business insurance for the full breakdown, including when you'd need more than public liability.
5. Get your equipment together
You don't need commercial-grade everything on day one. A reliable vacuum, a mop and bucket system, microfibre cloths, a solid set of general and bathroom-specific chemicals, and basic PPE covers most residential jobs. See the equipment checklist for a full list broken down by job type.
6. Work out your pricing
Decide upfront whether you're charging hourly or flat rate, and price each job type before you're quoting live in front of a customer. See how to price cleaning jobs for current market rates and how to structure your own pricing.
7. Set up a way to be found and booked
This is the step that gets skipped most often, and it's the one that actually gets the phone ringing. A Google Business Profile, some way to show reviews, and a simple way for someone to book or enquire without waiting days for a reply all matter more early on than a polished logo. See how to get more cleaning clients for where to start.
What to set up on day one versus what can wait
ABN and insurance shouldn't wait: they protect you from the first job. A polished brand, a full website, or advanced software features can come later once you have some income to justify them. The one exception is having a basic way to take bookings and quotes properly from the start, since redoing that process after you already have customers is more disruptive than setting it up right the first time.
The bottom line
ABN and insurance shouldn't wait: they protect you from the first job. A polished brand, a full website, or advanced software features can come later once you have some income to justify them. The one exception is having a basic way to take bookings and quotes properly from the start, since redoing that process after you already have customers is more disruptive than setting it up right the first time.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about this topic.
Realistically somewhere between a few hundred and a couple of thousand dollars for a solo operator, covering registration, insurance, equipment and basic software. See [the full cost breakdown](/resources/cost-to-start-a-cleaning-business-australia) for specifics.
Sources and further reading
We prioritise official, primary, and current sources. Links were last checked on the dates shown.
- Guide to starting a business — Australian Government business.gov.au. Checked 27 July 2026.
- Applying for an ABN — Australian Business Register. Checked 27 July 2026.
- Register a business name — Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Checked 27 July 2026.
- Types of business insurance — Australian Government business.gov.au. Checked 27 July 2026.
About the author
Tidyly Editorial Team
The Tidyly Editorial Team creates practical guidance for Australian cleaning businesses using product experience, first-party examples, and current primary sources.
Related resources
Do You Need an ABN to Start a Cleaning Business in Australia
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How Much Does It Cost to Start a Cleaning Business in Australia
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