How to Start a Cleaning Business in Australia
Cleaning is one of the cheapest businesses to start and one of the best for repeat income. Here's the setup order that works.
Cleaning is one of the few businesses you can start for a few hundred dollars and turn into a full-time income within months. The catch is that everyone else knows that too - so the businesses that last are the ones that set up properly and get found locally, not the ones that undercut everyone on price.
Pick a lane first
"Cleaning" is four different businesses wearing the same hat:
- Regular home cleaning - weekly or fortnightly clients. Lower per-visit money, but a full run of regulars is income you can plan around.
- Bond and end-of-lease - urgent, searched constantly, higher per-job price, but one-off work you have to keep replacing.
- Commercial - offices, gyms, medical. Contracts, reliability and invoicing rather than one-off quotes.
- Holiday-let turnovers - tight time windows, premium rates, and in tourist areas there's more work than cleaners.
You can do more than one, but start with one and get known for it. Your pricing, equipment and marketing all follow from that choice.
The setup basics
An ABN (free), a registered business name if you're trading under one, and public liability insurance - non-negotiable when you're working in people's homes. Some clients and most real estates will also ask for a police check. If you're employing anyone, workers compensation applies too.
Equipment is cheaper than people expect: a decent vacuum, cloths, chemicals and a caddy gets you started. Buy the good vacuum - it's the tool you'll use most.
Price by the job, not the hour
Hourly pricing punishes you for getting faster. Quote the job: a standard three-bed home clean at a fixed price, with extras (oven, windows, fridge) listed separately. Know your numbers - a underpriced regular client is a loss you repeat every fortnight.
Winning your first clients
The first ten clients come from hustle: local Facebook community groups, letterbox cards in the streets you want to work, and asking every early client for a Google review. After that, search does the work - if you're set up for it.
That means a complete Google Business Profile with real photos, and a website with a page for each type of cleaning you do and each area you cover. When someone searches "bond clean Robina" or "house cleaner near me", the businesses with that structure get the call. Our cleaning website design page shows exactly what that setup looks like.
Just starting out and want the whole thing - name, domain, website and setup - handled in one go? That's what the Business Starter service is for.
Cleaning business startup checklist
- Niche chosen (regular, bond, commercial or holiday-let)
- ABN and business name registered
- Public liability insurance in place
- Police check done (real estates will ask)
- Equipment bought - decent vacuum first
- Pricing set per job with extras listed
- Google Business Profile live with photos
- Website with a page per service and per area
- Review request sent after every job
Want to Improve Your Google Visibility?
SEO varies enormously depending on your website, your market and who you're competing against, so there's no fixed package. Tell me what you do and where you work, and I'll tell you honestly what's realistic.
Talk to Mike About SEOCommon questions
- How much does it cost to start a cleaning business?
- Realistically a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars: insurance, basic equipment and your registration costs. It's one of the cheapest legitimate businesses to start - the investment that matters most is time spent getting your first regular clients.
- Do I need a licence to start a cleaning business in Australia?
- There's no specific cleaning licence, but you need an ABN, public liability insurance, and a police check for most real-estate and bond work. Some specialised work (like asbestos or biohazard cleaning) has its own requirements.
- How do I get my first cleaning clients?
- Local Facebook groups, letterbox drops in the exact streets you want to work, and a claimed Google Business Profile. Ask every early client for a review - once the reviews start, search starts bringing enquiries to you.
Written by Mike - Web Guy Mike
I build and look after websites for Australian tradies and small service businesses. Every site is built by me - no outsourcing, no account managers. More about Mike.