Housecleaning: Is $25/hour unrealistic? Suggestions pls

[goodgraces]

We’ve used a cleaning service for a year now and appreciate their work. It reliably takes one person 5 hours to clean our home 1x/month. What is the going hourly rate for housecleaning? Is it unrealistic to hope to pay $25-30/hour for this type of service? If not, can you suggest folks that we might contact?

Thanks!

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[hammerhead]

That depends if it is one person cleaning or a company with employees. For self employed businesses, taxes are the killer along with the L&I, social security, unemployment, insurance, gas, ect.

Now with 15.00/hr going to happen, just because the minimum wage will increase so does the employers taxes, that does not always mean “we” can pass the buck.

Then with everyone screaming about the “Cost of living” then 25-30/hr is a living wage if one works 40 hrs per week. There are some companies that charge 50.00 per hour.

That sounds about average/reasonable.

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[goodgraces]

Thanks Pam. We have been using a company, but they send one person to do the cleaning.

We love the individual approach (same person each time who gets to know our preferences and quirks). But we’re hoping to find a sole proprietor whose overhead is lower — right now we’re paying significantly more than $25-30/hour because the company takes a cut. That’s not sustainable for us longterm and so we’d love to find an individual who could take on a 5-hour/once-a-month clean for this lower hourly rate.

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[hammerhead]

Well any lower than that, would not be considered a “living wage”. Unless they do not have insurance, licensed or bonded, and use your supplies or it’s cash under the table.

Sadly with taxes there is “no lower overhead” it is harder on smaller businesses to stay ahead.

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[Diana]

As a small business owner I need to jump in on this and support hammerhead’s comments. You can choose to go “under the table” and assume the risks and liabilities or you can choose to hire a professional service. If you cannot afford a professional service that’s your choice. Accept the risk, and it can be great. A company does not “take a cut.” A small business is in business to provide a good service, support their employees with a good wage, provide them with benefits, create opportunities for them, pay taxes, and hopefully make a profit…and it can be meager. Services cost what they cost and they do because a business pays into the following; Department of Labor and Industries, employee payroll expenses (Social Security and Medicare),Employment Security, company liability insurance, City of Seattle taxes, B&O taxes, etc. Think about this. If you hire someone under the table (or they are not licensed, bonded and insured)and they are mopping your floor and they slip and fall and break their back and have no coverage or insurance you could be in big trouble should they decide to sue you. It may sound like a worse case scenario, but it happens. Support local and small businesses. It’s the right thing to do for our economy and workers who provide services. It may cost more, but it costs what it costs and you have the protection and security you need.

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[ellenater]

Honestly, I think $25 an hour is a little low, for basically the reasons you listed. If you want a professional, you are paying for the business asides as well as the service. These asides take time that you are not being directly billed for, but that the employee has to accomplish on their own time. If you want to use someone who lis licensed and bonded, you need to pay for that. Also, having done very physical work, including housecleaning, I think $40 is reasonable for excellent work.

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