How to Raise One Underpriced Cleaning Client's Rate
Reprice one unprofitable cleaning client using actual time, scope and costs without turning it into a dramatic business-wide announcement.
Key takeaways
- Confirm the job is underpriced using actual time and scope.
- Choose the new amount before writing the message.
- Give reasonable notice and a clear effective date.
- Do not negotiate against yourself before the customer responds.
One underpriced recurring client can quietly cost thousands across a year. The clean may feel familiar and easy, which makes the conversation tempting to postpone. The new price should come from the time and scope now being delivered, not from an apology about how long the old price has existed.
Confirm the problem first
Review the last several visits.
Record:
- actual cleaning time
- travel and parking
- tasks now included
- products or equipment used
- cancellations or skipped visits
- current invoice value
- when the price was last reviewed
A client is not underpriced simply because another cleaner charges more. The job is underpriced when its current price no longer covers the work and return the business requires.
Work out the annual effect
A fortnightly client receives about 26 visits a year.
If each visit is A$25 below the sustainable price, the annual gap is about A$650.
If the job also runs 30 minutes over at every visit, the owner gives away about 13 hours a year before travel or admin.
Looking at the annual effect removes the temptation to dismiss each individual visit as “only a little low.”
Decide whether the scope or the price needs to change
The customer may have three reasonable options:
- Keep the current service at a new price.
- Keep the current price with a smaller scope.
- Change frequency or timing to create a more workable service.
Do not offer all three if only one is operationally realistic. The business is allowed to set the service it can sustainably provide.
Give notice without writing an essay
A useful message contains:
- the date the new price begins
- the new amount
- the service it applies to
- a short reason if needed
- an invitation to discuss the scope before the effective date
Example:
> Hi Sam, from 1 September the price for your fortnightly clean will be A$185. The current service has been taking longer than the original scope and the price has not been reviewed for some time. Everything currently included can stay the same at the new amount. Please let me know before the next booking if you would prefer to review the scope together.
Do not add paragraphs apologising for running a business. Keep the tone calm and respectful.
What if the customer pushes back?
Listen for the real objection.
They may:
- want to understand what changed
- need a smaller service
- compare the amount with another cleaner
- be unable to afford the increase
- simply test whether the old price is negotiable
You do not need to win an argument. Restate the service and options clearly.
If the price only works when the cleaner gives away time, keeping the client is not automatically the successful outcome.
Avoid surprise increases
For future clients, set the expectation that prices may be reviewed periodically when scope, frequency or operating costs change.
That does not lock the business into an automatic annual rise. It makes price review a normal business process rather than a personal confrontation.
Keep the old and new record
Store the previous quote, agreed scope, new amount, effective date and customer response together. Months later, the business should be able to see why the price changed without searching through text messages.
The bottom line
Confirm the job is underpriced using actual time and scope. Choose the new amount before writing the message. Give reasonable notice and a clear effective date. Do not negotiate against yourself before the customer responds.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about this topic.
Use the service agreement and the nature of the relationship as the starting point. For regular residential work, enough notice for the customer to consider the change before the next affected booking is sensible. Contracted work may require a specific process.
Sources and further reading
We prioritise official, primary, and current sources. Links were last checked on the dates shown.
- Choose a pricing strategy — Australian Government business.gov.au. Checked 2 August 2026.
- Price displays — Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Checked 2 August 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
How to Price Cleaning Services in Australia
Build a defensible cleaning price from labour, travel, overhead, scope and margin, then quote it clearly and review it against actual job data.
How to Manage Recurring Cleaning Jobs
Set recurring work once, keep permanent property details attached and handle skips, assignments, invoicing and price reviews consistently.
How to Calculate the True Cost of One Cleaning Job
Calculate the true cost of one cleaning job using labour, travel, products, payment fees, equipment wear, admin time and fixed business overhead.
Which Cleaning Clients Are Actually Profitable?
Score each cleaning client using annual revenue, labour, travel, admin, cancellations, rework, payment behaviour and the total owner time the relationship uses.