You can start a cleaning business in Florida for roughly $1,155-$2,975, and you don’t need a state license to do general cleaning. What you do need is an LLC (a $125 filing on Sunbiz), a local business tax receipt, liability insurance, and a plan for landing your first few clients. Demand holds up across Florida’s residential, commercial and vacation rental markets.
What kind of cleaning business should you start?
Pick one lane first. You can add services later, and most new cleaning businesses start with residential work and grow from there.
| Niche | Typical work | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly cleans, deep cleans, move-in/move-out | Low barrier to entry, flexible hours, personal client relationships | Smaller jobs, more driving between them |
| Commercial | Offices, medical facilities, retail, restaurants, warehouses | Larger contracts, recurring revenue, night/weekend work frees your days | More competition, equipment costs, bidding |
| Specialty | Carpet and upholstery, windows, pressure washing, post-construction, hoarding, biohazard | Higher per-job revenue, less competition, premium pricing | Equipment investment, some specialties need certification |
| Vacation rental turnover | Airbnb and VRBO cleans, same-day turnovers, linens and restocking | High volume in tourist areas, premium rates for same-day service | Unpredictable schedules, tight windows, peak-season crunch |
Vacation rental turnover is a strong fit for Florida if you live near the tourist areas, and many retirees in the state prefer to hire cleaning help. If you’re not sure, start residential. It’s the cheapest to equip and the easiest to sell to neighbors.
How do you set up a cleaning company LLC in Florida?
An LLC keeps your personal assets separate if a cleaner damages a client’s property or someone claims an injury. It also looks more established: “Sunshine Cleaning Services LLC” reads better on an invoice than “Jane’s Cleaning.” And it makes hiring and growing easier later.
- Choose a name. Check availability on the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) site. The name must be unique, include “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company,” and avoid restricted words.
- File Articles of Organization. It’s $125 online. You’ll list the name, principal address, registered agent (you or a service) and member or manager information.
- Write an operating agreement. Even a single-member LLC should have one. Banks often ask for it, and it sets the rules before you add partners.
- Get an EIN. It’s free from the IRS at irs.gov, you get it immediately, and you need it to open the business bank account.
- Open a business bank account. All income and expenses go through it. Don’t mix personal and business money.
Do you need a license to clean houses in Florida?
Not from the state, for general cleaning. You’ll likely still need some local and tax paperwork:
- Local business tax receipt. Most Florida cities and counties require one (it used to be called an occupational license). Contact your county tax collector. Fees typically run $30-$150 a year.
- Home occupation permit. Most cleaning businesses run from home, and some jurisdictions require this permit for that. Ask your city or county zoning department.
- Sales tax registration. Residential cleaning is generally not subject to Florida sales tax. Nonresidential (commercial) cleaning services are taxable in Florida, so if you clean offices or other commercial buildings, register with the Florida Department of Revenue before you invoice. You also need a sales tax permit if you sell products, like cleaning supplies, to clients.
Some specialties do need their own credentials. Pest control requires a Florida pesticide applicator license, mold work requires a Florida mold assessor or remediator license, and biohazard cleanup calls for OSHA bloodborne pathogen training.
What insurance does a cleaning business need?
One accident can wipe out an uninsured cleaning business. Break an expensive vase, have a client trip over your vacuum cord, or use a solution that damages a hardwood floor, and you’re paying for it.
| Coverage | What it does | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | Property damage, bodily injury, related legal fees | $400-$800 a year for $1 million coverage |
| Surety bond | Protects clients against theft by you or your employees | $100-$300 a year for a $10,000-$25,000 bond |
| Workers’ compensation | Employee injuries on the job | Averages 3-5% of payroll |
| Commercial auto | Business use of a vehicle, which personal policies won’t cover | $1,200-$2,500 a year per vehicle |
Florida requires workers’ compensation for non-construction businesses once you have 4 or more employees. Many commercial clients, and some residential ones, require bonding, and some commercial accounts ask for a specific janitorial bond covering employee dishonesty and theft.
We’d get general liability and a bond in place before your first paid job. Both are cheap compared to a single claim.
What equipment do you need to start?
Not much. For basic residential cleaning, budget $300-$600 for a commercial-quality vacuum, mop and bucket, broom and dustpan, microfiber cloths, squeegees, scrub brushes, spray bottles and a caddy. Add $100-$200 for an initial supply of all-purpose, glass, bathroom and floor cleaners, furniture polish, disinfectant, gloves, trash bags and paper towels.
Steam cleaners, carpet extractors, floor buffers and pressure washers can wait until the work calls for them. Your personal vehicle is fine to start, as long as it’s insured for business use.
How much should you charge?
Residential cleaners usually price one of three ways:
- Hourly: $25-$50 per hour per cleaner. Simple to explain, but you eat the cost if a job runs long, and clients may feel you’re rushing.
- Flat rate: $100-$300 per home, based on size, condition and services. Clients like knowing the total up front, but you have to estimate well to make money.
- Square footage: $0.05-$0.15 per square foot. Easy to quote over the phone, though it ignores condition.
We’d quote flat rates once you’ve done a few homes and know your times. Clients prefer it, and it rewards you for getting faster.
| Home size | Standard clean | Deep clean |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 bedroom | $80-$120 | $150-$250 |
| 3 bedroom | $120-$180 | $200-$350 |
| 4+ bedroom | $180-$280 | $300-$500 |
Charge extra for a first-time deep clean, pets, heavy clutter, excessive dirt, and same-day or rush service.
Commercial cleaning is usually priced per square foot per month: $0.05-$0.15 for small offices, $0.10-$0.25 for medical facilities, and $0.03-$0.08 for industrial spaces.
How do you find your first cleaning clients?
Start with a free Google Business Profile. It’s what shows up when someone searches “house cleaning” near them. Add photos and your services, and ask every happy client to leave a review, because those first reviews do a lot of your selling for you. A one-page website with services, pricing and contact info backs it up. Facebook and Instagram work well for residential clients, especially before-and-after photos (with the client’s permission).
For faster leads, Thumbtack, Yelp for Business, Angi (formerly Angie’s List) and Nextdoor give you immediate visibility, though they charge per lead or take a percentage. Google Ads targeting “house cleaning [your city]” can work if you start small and track results.
Offline, flyers in specific neighborhoods, local business groups and BNI chapters all help. The best partnerships are with real estate agents, property managers and Airbnb hosts, since they need cleaning on a regular schedule.
When should you hire, and should they be employees?
Hire when you have more work than you can handle alone. Most cleaning businesses hire employees rather than independent contractors, because you need control over quality and scheduling. With employees, you decide when, where and how they work, you withhold and pay payroll taxes, and you’ll need workers’ compensation once you reach 4 employees. Contractors set their own schedules and methods and pay their own taxes, but they have to be truly independent under IRS tests.
Before your first hire, post the job (Indeed, Facebook, Craigslist), interview, run a background check, and complete an I-9 to verify work authorization. Register for Florida reemployment (unemployment) tax, and set up payroll to withhold federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. A payroll service like Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll handles most of that.
What does it cost to start a cleaning business in Florida?
| Expense | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| LLC formation (state fee) | $125 |
| Business tax receipt | $30-$150 |
| General liability insurance (annual) | $400-$800 |
| Surety bond (annual) | $100-$300 |
| Equipment | $300-$600 |
| Initial supplies | $100-$200 |
| Marketing materials | $100-$300 |
| Website | $0-$500 |
| Total | $1,155-$2,975 |
That makes it one of the most affordable businesses you can start.
What do you have to keep up after launch?
File your LLC’s annual report with Florida by May 1 each year ($138.75). Keep your insurance current, because a lapse leaves you exposed. Pay quarterly estimated federal taxes if you’re self-employed, quarterly reemployment tax if you have employees, and your annual federal return. Keep receipts for supplies, equipment, mileage, insurance, marketing and payroll, since those are the deductions that lower your tax bill.
Get your cleaning business LLC filed
IncCraft files your Articles of Organization, gets your EIN and provides ongoing registered agent service. Get the LLC done this week, then spend your time on the part that actually builds the business: your first five clients.