house-cleaning

How Much Does House Cleaning Cost in Portland, OR? (2026) Rates by Home Size and Service Type

House cleaning in Portland, OR costs $140 to $260 for a standard clean and $300 to $650 for a deep clean in 2026. See hourly rates, add-ons, and quote tips.

How Much Does House Cleaning Cost in Portland, OR? (2026) Rates by Home Size and Service Type

House cleaning in Portland, OR costs $140 to $260 for a standard recurring clean of a two- or three-bedroom home in 2026, and $300 to $650 for a deep clean of the same house. Hourly rates for independent cleaners run $40 to $60, and agencies that send insured, background-checked teams bill $55 to $85 per cleaner per hour.

Portland's rates sit above the national average and a step below Seattle and the Bay Area. The Portland metro minimum wage is the highest in Oregon, cleaners with a steady client list in the inner east side and the West Hills stay booked, and the city's older housing, with its hardwood floors, radiators, and basements, takes longer to clean than a newer suburban home in Hillsboro or Happy Valley.

Standard Cleaning Prices in Portland

A recurring standard clean covers the kitchen, bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and general tidying. For a one-bedroom apartment in the Pearl District or on Division Street, expect $100 to $160 per visit. A two-bedroom bungalow in Sellwood or Alberta runs $140 to $210, and a three- or four-bedroom home in Laurelhurst, Irvington, or Multnomah Village runs $180 to $300.

Frequency changes the rate. Weekly clients pay the least per visit, biweekly clients pay about 10 percent more, and monthly clients pay 20 to 30 percent more because each visit is closer to a deep clean. Most Portland cleaners will quote a first-visit price and a lower recurring price.

Square footage matters more than bedroom count. Portland's craftsman homes often have finished basements and attics that add cleaning time, and a 1,400 square foot bungalow with a full basement in use can cost the same as a 2,000 square foot ranch in Beaverton.

Hourly Versus Flat Rate

Independent cleaners in Portland mostly charge hourly, at $40 to $60, with a two- or three-hour minimum. Agencies quote a flat rate per visit and send a team of two or three, which finishes faster but costs more per hour of cleaner time.

Flat rates protect you from a slow cleaner, and hourly rates protect you from paying for work you did not need. For a first clean, hourly is often cheaper if the house is in reasonable shape, and flat rate is safer if it is not.

Deep Cleaning and Move-Out Cleaning

A deep clean adds baseboards, window sills, inside the oven and fridge, cabinet fronts, light fixtures, door frames, and a heavier scrub in the bathrooms. In Portland it runs $300 to $650 for a typical house, and larger homes in the West Hills or Lake Oswego can run $700 to $1,000.

Move-out cleans are the most expensive category because the house is empty and every surface is exposed. Portland landlords and property managers expect a specific standard for a deposit return, and cleaners who do move-outs regularly know the checklist. Expect $350 to $800 for a two- or three-bedroom rental, and $150 to $300 for a studio or one-bedroom.

Post-construction cleaning is its own service at $0.25 to $0.50 per square foot. The dust from a remodel gets everywhere and needs multiple passes, and general cleaners often decline these jobs.

Add-On Services

Inside the oven runs $30 to $60 as an add-on, inside the fridge $30 to $50, and interior windows $5 to $10 per pane or $100 to $250 for a whole house. Laundry, dishes, and organizing are usually billed hourly on top of the base rate.

Pet hair is a common add-on in Portland, since the city has one of the highest rates of dog ownership in the country. Homes with two or more shedding dogs often pay $20 to $50 more per visit for the extra vacuuming and lint work.

What Pushes Portland Prices Up or Down

The rainy season does real work on Portland floors. From October through May, tracked-in mud and grit mean entryways and hardwood floors need more attention, and some cleaners raise winter rates slightly or add time. Homes with mudrooms and a shoes-off rule take less time and often get a better quote.

Neighborhood affects pricing in two ways. Cleaners factor in drive time and parking, and a client in the Pearl with no parking or on a steep West Hills street with a long walk from the car may pay a little more. Cleaners with a dense route in inner Southeast can often price lower because they lose no time between clients.

Green products are standard in Portland rather than an upsell. Most cleaners default to low-toxicity products, and many clients supply their own. A cleaner who charges extra for green products is out of step with the local market.

Prices Around the Portland Metro

Rates inside the city limits run a bit higher than in the suburbs. A standard clean that costs $200 in Northeast Portland often costs $170 to $185 in Gresham, Tigard, or Oregon City, where cleaners face lower rent and easier parking. Lake Oswego and West Linn are the exception, with pricing at or above the inner city because of larger homes.

Vancouver, WA cleaners cross the river regularly and sometimes price below Portland companies for the same work. If you live in North Portland or St. Johns, it is worth getting a quote from the Washington side, keeping in mind that Washington-based cleaners may add a travel charge for jobs deep in Southeast.

Condo and apartment cleaning in the Pearl, South Waterfront, and downtown carries its own quirks. Parking is the main cost driver, and many cleaners add $10 to $25 for buildings without visitor parking or require the client to cover a garage fee.

What a Typical Visit Includes

A standard recurring clean in Portland runs 2 to 4 hours for a single cleaner on a two- or three-bedroom home. Kitchens get counters, stovetop, sink, exterior of appliances, and floors, and bathrooms get toilets, tubs, showers, sinks, mirrors, and floors. Bedrooms and living areas get dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and light tidying.

Deep cleans double or triple that time. A two-person team may spend 4 to 6 hours on a first deep clean of a craftsman with a basement, and the price reflects it. Most cleaners recommend a deep clean as the first visit and then a recurring standard schedule to maintain it.

Ask for the checklist in writing. Cleaners in Portland vary on whether they make beds, do dishes, or clean inside the microwave by default, and a written scope prevents the awkward conversation after the first visit.

Independent Cleaners Versus Agencies

An independent cleaner in Portland typically costs 20 to 35 percent less than an agency for the same house. The trade-off is coverage, since an independent cleaner who gets sick or takes a vacation leaves you without a clean, and insurance, since many independents carry none.

Agencies charge more because they carry liability insurance and bonding, run background checks, and cover absences with another team. For homeowners who care about the same person every time, a good independent is often the better experience. For anyone who wants a guaranteed schedule and coverage for breakage, an agency is safer.

Oregon does not license house cleaners, and Portland does not require a special permit beyond a city business license. Ask any cleaner or agency whether they carry general liability insurance and whether they are bonded, and ask an agency whether its cleaners are employees or contractors, since that affects who is responsible if something breaks.

How to Get a Fair Quote in Portland

Ask for a walk-through, either in person or by video. Cleaners who quote sight unseen either overprice to protect themselves or underprice and rush. A five-minute walk-through lets them see the basement, the pet situation, and the state of the kitchen.

Be specific about what you want. A recurring clean that skips the guest room and the basement costs less than one that covers every room, and most cleaners are happy to price a custom scope.

Get two or three quotes before committing. Our directory of Portland house cleaning services makes it easy to find several local options to compare, and the home service guides on our blog cover related topics like deep cleaning checklists and move-out standards across Oregon. Reviews that mention reliability and consistency over months are more useful than reviews about a single visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a house cleaner cost per hour in Portland in 2026?

Independent cleaners charge $40 to $60 per hour, and agencies charge $55 to $85 per cleaner per hour. Most have a two- or three-hour minimum per visit.

How much is a deep clean in Portland?

Between $300 and $650 for a typical two- or three-bedroom home, and $700 to $1,000 for larger homes. The price depends on square footage, the number of bathrooms, and how long since the last thorough cleaning.

Should I tip my house cleaner in Portland?

Tipping is common but not expected for recurring service. Many Portland clients tip $10 to $20 per visit or give a larger tip at the holidays, and a tip for a one-time deep clean or move-out is typical at 10 to 15 percent.

Do I need to be home during the cleaning?

No. Most Portland cleaners work while clients are out, using a lockbox, keypad code, or key. Agencies usually require a signed access agreement, and independents often ask for a first visit with you present.

Is a weekly or biweekly clean cheaper in Portland?

Weekly is cheapest per visit, often 10 to 15 percent below the biweekly rate, because the house never gets far from clean. Biweekly is the most popular schedule in the city and balances cost against how often you need it.