Starting out: straight answers

Straight answers to the questions everyone starting a home-service business asks — in the words people actually ask them. Wherever there is a figure, the published source is named beside it. There is no course waiting at the end of any of these pages.

• What should I charge to clean a house? — Published 2026 rates: $75–$250 for a standard visit, $25–$90/hour solo
• What actually works to get your first 5–10 customers? — The zero-budget channels that produce first jobs
• Do I need an LLC to start my business? — No
• I’m good at the work but bad at the business — The business side is learnable the same way the trade was
• How much does it cost to start a cleaning business? — A sourced 2026 range: $15,815–$20,921 all-in with a vehicle
• What should I charge for pressure washing? — Published 2026 ranges: driveways $100–$250, house washes $213–$448, $50–$160/hr of production time.
• Business is slow. What is everyone doing to get customers? — Slow is often seasonal and measurable. What the search data says about trough months, and the five moves that fit them.
• ¿Cuánto cobrar por limpiar una casa? — Tarifas publicadas 2026: $75–$250 por visita estándar, $25–$90 por hora

The data behind the answers

Startup costs for all 40 trades — computed from the same sourced figures as the plan workbooks — are tabled at Home-service startup costs. The plans themselves live on the Business Plans shelf, and every trade has a free companion kit.

By Marcos Gil — licensed Kentucky REALTOR and Richmond roofing company owner.