How to Determine Carpet Cleaning Prices

One of the first things that most people ask when they call a carpet cleaner is “how much do you charge”? People ask this question typically because they have no idea what else to ask. Don’t get me wrong, carpet cleaning prices can vary widely from company to company, and it is an important question that needs to be answered. However, you should also consider what method the cleaner is using to clean the carpet. You can not compare pricing without being able to do an apples to apples comparison. With that stated, lets take a look at the two most common pricing methods used by cleaners to arrive at their carpet cleaning price.

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The first method of carpet cleaning prices is the per room method also known as per area. When cleaners use this pricing formula, they will usually instate a maximum square footage per area or room in order to compensate for extremely large areas. So the pricing may be something like “$35 per room up to 200 square feet with a minimum of 3 rooms.” Now if you have a room that is 207 square feet then you will be charged $70 for that room. Most cleaners would probable give you a break and only charge for the 1 room; however, there are many cleaners that would have no problem sticking to their exact pricing.

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The other popular method of pricing for carpet cleaning would be the per square foot method. In this instance a carpet cleaner would measure the square footage of the room (length X width) and multiply by their cleaning price. For example, if you have a room that is 12 feet by 12 feet and the cleaner charges $0.35 sq.ft, then the room would be $50.40 (144x.35). They would then go through and calculate all the areas you would want cleaned.

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Each method of carpet cleaning pricing has its advantages and disadvantages. For starters, the per area method is great for the consumer to quickly get an estimate over the phone. On the other hand, if your areas are close to the maximum square footage, your estimate can quickly become useless until they arrive and measure. Also, if you have small rooms or traffic lanes you want cleaned, then you may be paying quite a bit more than if you were charged by the square foot. The square foot method of pricing is nice because you are generally only paying for the areas that you want cleaned. Items like entertainment centers and beds can be measured and subtracted from the cleaning price. On of the drawbacks of the square foot method is the fact that if you don’t know your square footage then you have to make a guess unless you want to measure the areas yourself.

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The national average for carpet cleaning is about $0.26 a square foot. Pricing can vary widely in different areas. In a California metro area you may pay $0.55 a square foot, and in a small rural area you may only pay $0.21 a square foot. The method the cleaner uses can also influence the pricing because of the cost of overhead to the cleaner.

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One thing you need to be wary of in the carpet cleaning industry is bait and switch. This is where a company would advertise a low price to get you to book the job and then once they arrive they would quote you a much higher price. Bait and switch is very prevalent in larger metro areas. Rural cleaners rely heavily on repeat business and negative information about a business travels fast in small communities, so this tends to keep the smaller cleaners honest. However, in large cities there is virtually an endless supply of new potential customers that drives bait and switch.

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Bait and switch is quite easy to spot if you know what to look for. Most of the time the company will advertise a ridiculously low price such as $5.99 a room with a three room minimum. No honest carpet cleaner could stay in business charging this small of an amount. First off, to properly clean a carpet it needs to be vacuumed, then pre-sprayed, actually cleaned, and finally groomed. With set up time and tear down this would probably take at least an hour and a half or two hours. That would be $18 for two hours of work to cover insurance, chemicals, salary, depreciation on equipment, uniforms, and taxes to name a few. Doesn’t make much sense does it?

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So how does the switch occur? Usually once they arrive they will state that you need more than the regular price cleaning to get your carpet clean. They may charge everything separately like vacuuming and pre-spraying the carpet, or they may automatically add extra services like carpet protection and carpet deodorizer. They work by intimidation and the fact that most people will avoid confrontation at all costs. Most carpet cleaners are honest hardworking people; however, when shopping for a new cleaner you must be aware of low priced cleaners.

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