Clean Service Ledger / GUIDE
Crew hours are not the same as job hours
Use total labor time to avoid underpricing a multi-person cleaning visit.
Separate elapsed time from paid time
If two cleaners work for three hours, the job uses six labor hours. The customer may see a three-hour appointment, but wages, owner effort and capacity planning must reflect both people. Count setup and pack-down when they are part of the paid work.
Build the baseline from observation
Time a repeatable job with a written scope. Record crew size, rooms or areas, condition, access and exceptions. One unusually easy visit is not a dependable standard. Keep several observations and explain differences rather than averaging away tasks that occur only occasionally.
Worked calculation
For a two-person crew working three hours at a modeled labor cost of $22 per person-hour, labor is $132. Add $14 supplies, $16 travel and $18 overhead allocation for a $180 job cost. A target margin of 30% implies a $257.14 quote: $180 divided by 0.70. It does not imply that $22 is a local wage or that this is a recommended market price.
Account for the owner
When the owner cleans, include a labor allowance rather than treating that effort as free. Use a fully considered internal labor cost and review it with your payroll or accounting adviser where necessary. The calculator accepts the cost you provide; it does not calculate taxes, benefits or employment obligations.
Review after the visit
Record actual labor hours and compare them with the estimate. A six-hour estimate that repeatedly becomes eight needs investigation: access, condition, training or scope may have changed. Update the standard only after identifying the cause. Save both estimated and actual values so improvement can be measured.
Prepared with AI assistance. Examples are constructed for explanation, not reported client results. Corrections are welcome.