Start with a person-by-person time record
For an illustrative turnover, suppose one cleaner works from 10:00 to 12:15 and a second works from 10:30 to 12:00. The first contributes 2.25 cleaner-hours and the second contributes 1.5. Together they contribute 3.75 cleaner-hours, although the visit spans 2.25 clock hours. These times are a worked example, not a benchmark for a particular home.
In the quote calculator, put total person-hours for the on-site clean into the on-site cleaner-hours field. You do not need to enter crew size again. Multiplying 3.75 by two would charge for the crew twice.
Keep overlapping work in one category
A cleaner may fold linen during the time already recorded on site. Include those minutes either in on-site cleaning or in additional laundry labor, once. A washing machine running for an hour does not automatically mean another hour of paid work. Count the hands-on minutes and any waiting time that the job actually requires you to pay for.
Travel follows the same rule. If the on-site input excludes the drive, use the travel-hours input for paid travel. If you track a single paid shift that already includes the drive, separate that shift before entering it into the calculator.
Load the hourly cost deliberately
The base hourly cost is your own input. For a solo operator, enter the value you assign to your labor rather than assuming your own time is free. For an employer, a wage can omit employer costs. The optional burden percentage adds the costs you choose to represent, but it does not determine local payroll obligations.
At an illustrative base rate of 20 currency units and an illustrative burden of 15%, the loaded rate is 23. For 3.75 cleaner-hours, labor cost is 86.25. A statutory tax rate, benefits estimate or insurance figure should come from your actual records or appropriate local advice, not from this example.
Calibrate from a completed job
Record cleaner-hours alongside bedrooms, bathrooms, number of beds and the agreed scope. Those property counts help explain the work, but they do not prove how long it should take. Access problems, condition and linen handling can change the outcome.
After the job, compare estimated and actual cleaner-hours. Investigate the reason for the difference before changing your next quote. A newly discovered task may require a scope change; a one-time delay should not silently become a permanent assumption.
How this guide was prepared
Written with AI assistance and checked against the published calculation method and worked examples. StayReady does not claim field research or local cleaning-rate expertise. Read our method and limitations.