Estimates for cleaning jobs can be difficult to measure if you have not done this type of work professionally. You are providing a service, and it must be properly priced, not just for the customer, but also for yourself. Cleaning a room means different things to different people, so when providing estimates for others, communicate fully with customers regarding the level of cleanliness they expect.

Value Your Time

An important step that many self-employed business owners forget to take is to place a value upon their time. The most important basis for any type of estimate is to determine your target income. Before you can give an accurate estimate, know your bottom line: how many expenses do you have and how many of them are offset by deductions? Decide how much you need to make per hour or per month, after expenses. Remember that you must charge more for a job than simply the hourly rate you are targeting, because expenses are a cost above and beyond what you wish to make. Include items such as taxes, licenses, insurance, bonding costs and office supplies when calculating expenses.

Determine Job Time

Next, determine how much time you think a job will take. When you clean your own home, you know where everything goes and you have a certain level of cleanliness. You may have even discovered little shortcuts that speed up the work. However, when estimating, think of all the steps necessary to perform the entire job and use the amount of time you need without using shortcuts. Allow for any materials or cleaning supplies you must purchase, as well as the time you will spend procuring these items. Always try to view the job prior to giving an estimate. While you can use past history, there may be variables such as the level of dirt or obstacles that must be moved that add to the allotted time. Calculate travel time as well. If you must spend time traveling to a job instead of working on a closer job, figure this into the estimate.

Write the Estimate

Form your estimate by using your targeted take-home rate and the calculated job time plus materials. Estimating is an learned over time and through experience. You may not get it exactly right the first few times, or you may run into unplanned delays, so add 5 to 10 percent to your estimate to cover hidden expenses. Devise a room-by-room formula, create a spreadsheet or use specialized software to help you formulate consistent estimates. Include in your estimates a detailed description of work that is to be done, and the time frame in which it will be performed. However, calculations detailing supplies, expenses and built-in profit need not be spelled out on the written estimate. The estimate should be provided to the customer in writing to avoid misunderstandings on either side.

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