Pricing is one of the most misunderstood aspects of running a carpet cleaning business. Price too low, and you work yourself to exhaustion for thin margins. Price too high, and you scare away customers. Find the sweet spot, and you maximize both volume and profit.
Most carpet cleaners set their prices one of two ways: either they copy what competitors charge, or they pick a number that "feels right." Both approaches leave money on the table.
Let's build a smarter pricing strategy.
Understanding Your True Costs
Before you can price profitably, you need to know exactly what each job costs you. Many carpet cleaners dramatically underestimate their true costs.
Direct Costs Per Job
- Fuel and vehicle costs (typically $15-25 per job)
- Cleaning solutions and supplies ($5-15 per job)
- Equipment wear and maintenance (often overlooked)
- Credit card processing fees (2-3% of every payment)
Indirect Costs (Overhead)
- Insurance (liability, auto, worker's comp)
- Vehicle payments or depreciation
- Marketing and advertising
- Software and technology
- Phone and communication
- Administrative time (quotes, scheduling, bookkeeping)
Your Time
This is the cost most often ignored. What is your time worth per hour? Factor in not just time on the job, but drive time, setup, teardown, and the quote/follow-up process. A "2-hour job" might actually consume 3.5 hours of your day.
A typical 3-bedroom carpet cleaning job might have $30-50 in direct costs. Add overhead allocation and your time, and the true cost to deliver that job might be $100-150. If you're charging $175, your profit is much thinner than you think.
Price for Value, Not Just Cost
Cost-plus pricing (adding a markup to your costs) is a good starting point, but it's not the whole picture. You should also price based on the value you deliver.
What Value Do You Actually Provide?
- Clean, fresh carpets that look and smell new
- Extended carpet life (professional cleaning adds years)
- Healthier home (allergen and dust removal)
- Time savings (hours they don't have to spend cleaning)
- Expertise and peace of mind (you know what you're doing)
- Stain removal that they couldn't do themselves
When you frame your service in terms of value—not just "cleaning carpets"—customers become less price-sensitive.
"We doubled our prices over 3 years. We lost some price-shoppers, but our profit per job tripled and we work fewer hours. The customers we have now appreciate quality more."
Pricing Models That Work
Per Room Pricing
Simple and easy for customers to understand. Typically $35-75 per room depending on market and positioning. Works well for residential.
Pros: Easy to quote, predictable for customers
Cons: Doesn't account for room size variations, can lead to disputes about what counts as a "room"
Square Footage Pricing
More precise, typically $0.25-0.50 per square foot. Better for commercial work and larger homes.
Pros: Fairer, scales with actual work
Cons: Harder for customers to estimate, requires measuring
Tiered Packages
Offer good/better/best options. Example:
- Basic Clean: $45/room - standard hot water extraction
- Deep Clean: $65/room - includes pre-treatment and deodorizing
- Premium: $85/room - adds stain protection and faster dry time
Pros: Upsell opportunities, customers feel in control
Cons: More complex to explain
The Psychology of Pricing
Anchor High
Present your premium option first. When customers see $85/room first, $65/room seems reasonable. When they see $45 first, $65 feels expensive.
Avoid Round Numbers
$247 feels more precise (like you calculated it carefully) than $250. Use specific numbers.
Bundle to Increase Average Ticket
"3 rooms + hallway for $175" feels like a better deal than pricing everything separately, even if the math is the same.
Add Urgency Sparingly
"Book this week and save 10%" can motivate action, but don't train customers to always wait for discounts.
When to Raise Your Prices
Most carpet cleaners wait too long to raise prices. Here are signs it's time:
- You're booking out more than 1-2 weeks in advance consistently
- You're turning down work regularly
- Your close rate is above 80% (you might be too cheap)
- Costs have increased but prices haven't
- You've significantly improved your service or reputation
How to Raise Prices
Don't apologize or over-explain. Simply implement the new prices on your website and quote new customers at the new rate. For existing customers, give notice: "Starting next month, our prices are increasing by 10% to reflect increased costs and continued investment in equipment and training."
You'll lose some price-sensitive customers. That's okay. They're usually more trouble than they're worth anyway.
Convert More Leads at Higher Prices
Our AI-powered websites and chatbots help you attract quality customers who value professional service—not just the lowest price.
See How It Works →The Premium Positioning Strategy
Instead of competing on price, compete on value. Position yourself as the premium option in your market. This means:
- Professional appearance: Clean van, uniforms, branded equipment
- Professional communication: Prompt responses, confirmations, follow-ups
- Strong reviews: Social proof that justifies premium pricing
- Clear differentiation: What makes you different from the $99 guys?
- Guarantees: Stand behind your work
Premium customers exist in every market. They're less price-sensitive, easier to work with, more likely to leave reviews, and more likely to refer friends. They're worth pursuing, even if it means fewer total jobs.
Testing and Optimization
Pricing isn't set-and-forget. Regularly test:
- Try raising prices 10% for a month. Measure conversion and profit.
- Test different package structures and see which gets the best response.
- A/B test pricing on your website if you have enough traffic.
- Survey customers about perceived value vs. cost.
Small pricing improvements compound dramatically. A 10% price increase with no volume loss is a 10% increase in gross profit. That could mean an extra $10,000-30,000 per year for a typical carpet cleaning operation.
Your pricing tells customers what to expect. Price too low, and they expect low quality. Price at a premium, and they expect—and receive—premium service. Choose your positioning intentionally.