How to Price Weekend and Public Holiday Cleaning Work
Price weekend and public-holiday cleaning using current Award penalties, employee on-costs, minimum engagements, owner time and the real value of the booking.
Key takeaways
- Employee weekend cost must start with the correct current Award rate.
- A weekend customer price should also cover travel, overhead and margin.
- Sole traders are not paid Award penalties by themselves, but their time still has value.
- Publish any weekend or public-holiday surcharge clearly before booking.
Weekend work only makes sense when the price covers the cost and inconvenience of delivering it. For an employer, Award penalties can push labour far above an ordinary weekday rate. For a sole trader, the question is still economic: is giving up that time worthwhile at the price being offered?
Current Cleaning Award examples
As at 1 July 2026, the Level 1 summary rates include:
| Employment type | Weekday day | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | A$27.08 | A$40.62 | A$54.16 | A$67.70 |
| Part-time | A$31.14 | A$44.68 | A$58.22 | A$71.76 |
| Casual | A$33.85 | A$47.39 | A$60.93 | A$74.47 |
The table is a Level 1 example from the current Award summary. Classification, shift timing, overtime, minimum engagements and other clauses may change the amount owed.
Employee cost is not the customer price
The customer price also needs to carry:
- super
- workers compensation
- travel
- payroll and supervision
- products and equipment
- non-billable time
- business overhead
- a margin for the business
If a casual cleaner costs A$60.93 an hour on Sunday before super and other costs, charging the customer A$65 an hour is not automatically a workable rate.
Use the employee charge-out calculation from Article 23 with the correct weekend wage input.
Sole traders still need a weekend rule
A sole trader is not entitled to Award penalty rates from their own business. That does not mean Sunday and public-holiday work should be priced like an ordinary Tuesday.
Ask:
- Is the booking replacing personal or family time?
- Is demand higher on that date?
- Is another customer willing to book a normal weekday?
- Does the job require urgent or after-hours access?
- Will the cleaner recover after physically heavy work?
A higher price can be a commercial choice rather than an employee entitlement.
Three ways to price it
Separate weekend service rates
Publish a clear Saturday, Sunday or public-holiday rate. This works when the service is otherwise standard.
Percentage or fixed surcharge
A surcharge can be easy to apply across services, but it needs clear display before the customer commits.
Individually quoted premium work
Large holiday turnovers, urgent bond cleans or commercial requests may need a full quote rather than a simple percentage.
Do not stack hidden fees after the customer accepts.
Price displays must be clear
Australian businesses generally need to communicate clear and accurate prices and must not mislead customers about unavoidable charges.
The specific restaurant and cafe display exemption for weekend surcharges should not be assumed to apply to a cleaning service. Display the total or the calculation clearly in the quote and booking process.
Get legal advice if the pricing presentation is uncertain.
Decide whether to offer the slot at all
A high rate does not make every booking worth taking.
The cleaner may choose not to offer public holidays, keep weekends for existing clients only or reserve them for high-value specialist work.
Availability is part of the product. The business does not need to be open whenever a customer asks.
The bottom line
Employee weekend cost must start with the correct current Award rate. A weekend customer price should also cover travel, overhead and margin. Sole traders are not paid Award penalties by themselves, but their time still has value. Publish any weekend or public-holiday surcharge clearly before booking.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about this topic.
No. Award penalty rates apply to covered employees. Sole traders set their own customer prices, subject to normal laws and agreements.
Sources and further reading
We prioritise official, primary, and current sources. Links were last checked on the dates shown.
- Cleaning Services Award 2020 — Fair Work Ombudsman. Checked 2 August 2026.
- Paying employees — Fair Work Ombudsman. 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
Cleaning Services Award Pay Rates and Employment Guide
Most Australian cleaners employed in contract cleaning are covered by the Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022), which sets minimum pay rates across three classification levels, plus casual loading and penalty rates for weekends, public holidays and certain hours. Published dollar figures vary across secondary sources and change annually, so this guide explains the structure and points you to Fair Work's own tools for the exact current rate.
How to Price Cleaning Services in Australia
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