Residential Cleaning
Recurring revenue, one sparkling home at a time
Residential cleaning businesses provide regular house cleaning services to homeowners on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedule. The model generates predictable recurring revenue with low startup costs. Many operators start solo and grow into multi-crew operations serving hundreds of homes.
Avg Revenue
$150K
Profit Margin
27%
Acquisition Multiple
1.5x - 2x
Startup Cost
$5K - $25K
Difficulty
1/5
How It Works
Build a client base through marketing and referrals. Clean homes on a recurring schedule — most clients book bi-weekly. Revenue scales with the number of cleaning teams you deploy. Average home takes 2-3 hours and charges $120-$250 per visit.
Revenue Range
Real Acquisitions in This Category
SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 561720 · Janitorial Services
Deal Size Distribution
Deal Flow Over Time
Financing Profile
Recent Comparable Deals
| Closed | State | Loan | Implied deal | Jobs | Franchise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | FL | $75K | $88K | 2 | — |
| Dec 2025 | TX | $350K | $412K | 8 | Window Genie |
| Dec 2025 | IN | $143K | $168K | 10 | — |
| Dec 2025 | CA | $614K | $722K | 8 | — |
| Nov 2025 | TX | $850K | $1.0M | 48 | — |
| Nov 2025 | MN | $702K | $826K | 4 | — |
| Nov 2025 | KS | $191K | $225K | 1 | — |
| Nov 2025 | CA | $155K | $182K | 1 | — |
| Sep 2025 | FL | $50K | $59K | 2 | — |
| Sep 2025 | FL | $690K | $812K | 2 | — |
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.
Pros
- +Extremely low startup costs
- +Recurring revenue from repeat clients
- +Simple to systemize with checklists and training
- +Massive market — every homeowner is a potential client
Cons
- -High employee turnover in cleaning staff
- -Thin margins when fully staffed with employees
- -Trust and liability concerns entering homes
Best For
Entrepreneurial beginners who want a simple, scalable service business
Operating Costs
Labor is the dominant cost (50-60% of revenue), plus cleaning supplies, transportation, insurance, and marketing.
SBA Financing Estimator
Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service
Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.
Where to Buy
Find residential cleaning businesses for sale
Browse house cleaning company opportunities
Acquisition Score
Scores margin (30), entry multiple (25), SBA market depth (20), category risk (15), and deal momentum (10). Higher = better acquisition candidate.
Quick Facts
- Category
- service
- Difficulty
- 1/5
- Buy price
- $225K–$300K
Buyer's Toolkit
Essential tools to get started
Some links may be affiliate links. We only recommend tools we'd use ourselves.
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Largest business-for-sale marketplace in the US
SBA loans and business acquisition financing — get funded fast
ROBS financing — use retirement funds to buy a business tax-free
Bookkeeping for small business owners — hands-off financials
Some links may be affiliate links. We only recommend tools we'd use ourselves.
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