Move Out Cleaning Cost Calculator

A professional move-out clean typically costs $180 to $800+, depending mostly on the home's size and condition. As a rough guide: a studio or 1-bedroom (600–900 sq ft) runs $180 to $250, a 2-bedroom apartment (900–1,200 sq ft) $250 to $350, a 3-bedroom house (1,500–2,200 sq ft) $350 to $500, and a 4+ bedroom large home (2,500+ sq ft) $500 to $800+. Pricing is built from a base fee (~$120) plus about $0.12 per square foot, plus roughly $40 per bathroom (the most labor-intensive rooms), then adjusted for condition. A neglected home with grease and grime adds 30–50%. Appliance interiors (oven, fridge), carpet steam cleaning, interior windows, and blinds are à la carte extras. A standard 1,000 sq ft, 2-bath apartment in good condition runs about $320. Use the calculator above to price your specific home.

Ideally, yes — a true move-out clean assumes all furniture and boxes are already gone, so the crew can clean baseboards, inside empty cabinets and drawers, closets, and floors without working around your belongings. If cleaners have to move or clean around items, they'll usually apply a higher 'occupied' or 'move-in' rate, since it takes longer and they can't reach everything. This calculator's condition options reflect that: 'standard' and 'heavy duty' assume an empty home, while the 'move-in' option covers an empty-but-dusty place. For the best result and the lowest rate, schedule the clean after the movers leave and before the final walkthrough — an empty home is faster to clean and gives the most deposit-friendly result.

A professional clean helps a lot, but no cleaner can guarantee your full deposit, because landlords deduct for two different things: cleanliness and damage. Cleaning addresses the cleanliness side — a spotless, deposit-ready home removes the most common reason for cleaning deductions, and many services offer a re-clean guarantee if the property manager flags something. But cleaning can't fix physical damage: nail holes, wall scuffs that need repainting, carpet burns or stains, broken fixtures, or excessive wear. Those come out of your deposit regardless of how clean the place is. To maximize your return, pair a professional move-out clean with patching nail holes, touch-up paint, and carpet repair where needed, and photograph everything after cleaning as proof of condition for any dispute.

A move-out clean is a deep clean of an empty home aimed at returning it to move-in-ready condition, so it covers areas a regular recurring clean skips. Standard inclusions: all floors vacuumed and mopped, baseboards and trim wiped, inside empty cabinets and drawers, closets and shelves, doors and light switches, kitchen counters and sink, bathroom tub/shower/toilet/sink scrubbed, mirrors, and cobweb removal. Because the home is empty, cleaners can reach behind and under where furniture used to be. What's typically extra (à la carte here): inside the oven and refrigerator (each takes 30–45 minutes), interior windows, carpet steam cleaning, wet-wiping blinds, and a balcony/patio sweep. Exterior windows, garage floor scrubbing (usually just broom-swept), and repairs are separate. Confirm the checklist before booking so the scope matches what your lease or property manager requires.

Bathrooms and kitchen are the highest-labor areas in any clean, which is why each bathroom adds a set fee (about $40) on top of the square-foot rate — scrubbing a tub, shower, toilet, tile grout, and fixtures to move-out standard is slow, detailed work. Condition is the other big lever. A well-maintained home is the 'standard' baseline. A home that hasn't been deep-cleaned in months — grease buildup on the stove and hood, soap scum, pet hair, heavy dust — is 'heavy duty' and costs 30–50% more purely because of the extra scrubbing time. An empty-but-dusty place ('move-in') is a modest step up from standard. Square footage sets the base, but bathrooms and condition are where a small home and a neglected home diverge sharply in price.

No — standard vacuuming is included, but carpet steam cleaning (hot-water extraction) is a separate service, priced here at about $0.25 per square foot, that requires a specific machine and technician. Whether to add it depends on your lease. Many leases and property managers require professional carpet cleaning at move-out (some even specify a receipt), in which case it's not optional — and paying for it up front is usually cheaper than the landlord arranging it and deducting from your deposit. If your carpets are lightly used and your lease doesn't require it, vacuuming may suffice. Check your lease's cleaning clause: if it mandates professional carpet cleaning, add it and keep the receipt, since that document is often what protects the carpet portion of your deposit.

Timing depends on size, condition, and crew. A standard 2-bedroom apartment takes a crew of two about 2 to 3 hours; a large 4-bedroom home can take a crew of three 5 to 6 hours (15+ man-hours). Heavy-duty condition and add-ons like oven, fridge, and carpet steam extend that. You don't need to be present — most people give the cleaners access (a key, lockbox, or building code) and return for the final walkthrough — but two things must be in place: the utilities. Cleaners need electricity for vacuums and lights and running water for mopping and the bathrooms, so don't shut off utilities until after the clean. Also make sure the home is empty and any required supplies (usually none — cleaners bring their own) are sorted. Booking the clean for right before your walkthrough gives the cleanest hand-off.

A few moves reduce the bill without risking your deposit. Do the easy prep yourself: fully empty and de-clutter the home, take out all trash, remove shelf liners, and knock down obvious cobwebs — cleaners charge for the time they spend, so an empty, tidy space cleans faster. Skip add-ons you don't need: if your lease doesn't require professional carpet cleaning and the carpets are fine, don't add it; clean the oven and fridge yourself if you have time. Book early rather than same-day, and avoid month-end and weekend rush slots when demand (and sometimes price) peaks. Get two or three quotes on the same scope so you're comparing like for like. And keep the home in 'standard' rather than 'heavy duty' condition by not letting grime build up before the move — that alone can save 30–50%.