Cleaning quote template: a filled-in example

Most quote templates you can download are blank for a reason nobody mentions: the layout was never the hard part. The hard part is the two decisions the template leaves to you — what to charge, and what to say. So instead of another empty form, here is what a quote for a residential house cleaner needs, line by line, and a filled-in example to compare yours against.

Decide the price before you write anything

Price by the job, not by the hour, whenever you can. A flat $130 for a 3-bed, 2-bath standard clean tells the client what she pays; an hourly rate makes her guess. Two rules of thumb cleaners use: first cleans run 1.5–2× the recurring price because they are heavier, and add-ons are quoted separately — inside oven $30–40, inside fridge $25–35, interior windows by count. If a job needs more than a two-hour drive or a full day, say so and price it as one.

The six lines every quote needs

• Your business name, town and phone number at the top — the client should never wonder who sent it.
• What is included, in plain rooms, not vague words: "bathrooms: tub, toilet, sink, mirror, floor" beats "full bathroom clean".
• What is not included: inside fridge, inside oven, windows, laundry, pet hair beyond normal. Exclusions prevent the argument later.
• The price, the one number she agreed to, with what it covers and how many hours or rooms that assumes.
• When you can start and how she accepts: "Reply YES to book Tuesday, June 9." A quote without a next step dies in her inbox.
• Your terms in one line: payment due same day, 24-hour notice to reschedule.

A filled-in example

Here is what the six lines look like put together, for a recurring client with two add-ons:

Notice what the example does not have: a logo, a page number, a second page. A quote sent by text or email needs to be readable on a phone in one screen. Every line either sets an expectation or asks for the booking; anything else is decoration.

After you send it

Follow up once, three days later, then leave it. A short text works better than a formal email: “Hi Sarah, checking my quote from Friday made it over — happy to adjust the rooms or the date if that helps. — Riverbend.” No discounting on the first ask; if she says the price is high, offer a smaller scope (fewer rooms, monthly instead of biweekly) rather than the same job for less.

Doing this by hand works, and if you only quote a job a month it is the right choice. If you quote a job a week, the writing and the math are the same work every time — that is what Glossed Dock automates: answer a short intake once and it writes the whole set in your name and your prices, starting at $19 for the full pack. See the sample quote or how the Ready Pack works. Glossed Dock itself is built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp, which is how a one-person company can keep guides like this one current.