Overview: House Cleaning & Maid Services
A maid service is an arrangement, not a single job. Someone comes weekly, every other week or monthly, works through a standing list and leaves. The point is the rhythm. Bathrooms and kitchen floors never get far enough ahead of you to need rescuing.
Winter changes the list. Salt, sand and wet boots mean the front hall needs work every visit, and a busy mudroom can swallow a good part of a short booking. Say so when you ask for a quote, so the time is priced in rather than quietly taken from the bathrooms.
The bigger choice is who you're hiring. A company sends its own staff and should carry its own insurance and workers' compensation coverage. An independent cleaner you hire yourself is a different arrangement, and depending on the set-up, the Canada Revenue Agency may treat you as the employer.
Our listings show what each company states on its own website, including how often it visits and whether it books online. Use the province and city lists below to reach companies that already clean in your neighbourhood.
What does recurring maid service cost in Canada?
Compare recurring visits for the same home and checklist. Keep the first clean and optional household tasks separate.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Initial catch-up clean | C$250–C$360per first visit | Two-bedroom, two-bath home; floor area, condition and initial deep-clean checklist agreed.Initial deep cleaning is a separate scope from routine repeat visits. Confirm the checklist; inside appliances, windows and heavy clutter may cost extra.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed initial checklist; Standard supplies Budget separately or confirm: Specialist cleaning; Ongoing visits |
| Weekly cleaning visit | C$130–C$210per visit | Same maintained two-bedroom, two-bath home, booked weekly after the initial clean.Per completed visit after the initial clean. Confirm the same task checklist and any minimum commitment required for the recurring rate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Routine cleaning; Standard supplies Budget separately or confirm: Laundry and ironing; Deep-clean extras |
| Routine cleaning every two weeks | C$140–C$220per visit | Same two-bedroom, two-bath home and routine checklist, booked every two weeks.Every two weeks means about 26 visits in a full year, not twice each calendar month. Confirm the initial-clean charge and skipped-visit terms.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Routine cleaning; Standard supplies Budget separately or confirm: Laundry and ironing; Deep-clean extras |
| Monthly cleaning visit | C$145–C$235per visit | Same two-bedroom, two-bath home; agreed monthly schedule and maintained condition.Confirm whether monthly means once per calendar month or every four weeks; those schedules have different annual visit counts.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed recurring checklist; Standard supplies Budget separately or confirm: Heavy catch-up work; Specialist tasks |
| Hourly cleaning of selected tasks | C$40–C$60per cleaner-hour | One cleaner for an agreed cleaning checklist; minimum booking time applies.Minimum bookings commonly apply. Confirm the total cleaner-hours: two cleaners for two hours means four cleaner-hours, not two.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed cleaning labour; Specified routine tasks Budget separately or confirm: Unlisted laundry or care services; Specialist cleaning |
Planning example: cleaning every two weeks
Assumptions:
- Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, maintained between visits.
- 26 routine visits in a full year, with the same scope each time.
- An initial deep clean is priced separately if required.
26 routine visits × C$140–C$220 = C$3,640–C$5,720 per year, about C$303–C$477 per month when divided by 12.
C$3,640–C$5,720 for the 26 routine visits.
Not included:
- Initial deep cleaning
- Unlisted extras and applicable taxes
What changes the price
- Visit interval, floor area, bathrooms, pets and household occupancy.
- Initial condition and differences between recurring and occasional checklists.
- Minimum time, parking, access, cancellations and optional household tasks.
Ask before accepting a quote
- Is the recurring price guaranteed for the same checklist, and when can it change?
- What happens to the rate after a skipped visit or holiday gap?
- Are linen changes, laundry and supplies included or charged separately?
Compare the same cleaning checklist
- List rooms, bathrooms and priority tasks before choosing frequency. Oven interiors, fridge interiors, laundry and windows are not automatically part of standard cleaning.
- With hourly cleaning, set priorities and a maximum approved number of cleaner-hours. With a flat price, agree what completion means.
Canadian context
Ask for applicable taxes and building-access charges to be included when comparing recurring household budgets.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Weekly, biweekly or monthly?
Every other week suits most households. In a Canadian winter, though, the entry and floors fill with salt and grit fast, so some homes switch to weekly from the first snow until spring and drop back in summer. Pets that shed and small children push the same way. Monthly visits turn into rescue jobs that cost more each time. Start more often than you think you need and step down later.
Do I become an employer if I hire a cleaner directly?
You might. The Canada Revenue Agency says a household that hires a domestic worker may be that worker's employer, depending on the situation. If so, you'd deduct income tax, CPP contributions and EI premiums and send them in. A signed agreement calling the cleaner self-employed doesn't settle it. If you're unsure, you or the cleaner can ask the CRA for a ruling. A company with its own staff handles this for you.
What is not included in a standard visit?
Usually laundry, dishes, changing beds, inside the oven and fridge, inside windows, and anything above head height. Winter jobs can fall outside too: scrubbing salt off the entry tile, wiping down boot trays, or cleaning up after snowy dogs. None of it is unreasonable, and most of it can be added for a price. Get the included and excluded lists in writing before the first visit.
Is tipping expected?
Not required, but common. Many households tip a crew that does noticeably good work, and a holiday tip once a year is a widespread habit. If a company employs your cleaner in Ontario, the law says it can't keep your tip or take a cut of it, except to share tips among staff in a tip pool. Cash with a short note still reaches the right person most directly.
Employee or contractor, and why does it matter?
It decides who answers when someone gets hurt in your home. A company should cover its staff through its provincial workers' compensation board. Hire a housekeeper directly in Ontario for more than a set number of hours a week and the WSIB says you must register within ten calendar days of hiring. In British Columbia, a free WorkSafeBC clearance letter shows whether a cleaning business is registered and paid up. Ask for proof of liability insurance as well.
