Deep cleaning · Initial cleaning · Move-in / move-out cleaning
8.5 Labor Hours. Here Is Where Every One of Them Goes.
Within 15 miles of our Albuquerque office, deep cleaning, initial cleaning and move-in/move-out cleaning start at 8.5 labor hours ($500.23 plus tax) for homes over 700 sq ft, and 6 labor hours ($353.10 plus tax) for homes 700 sq ft and under. That is not a round number we picked. It is what the work takes, and this page shows you room by room.
The short version
Three Reasons the Starting Point Is 8.5
A deep cleaning is a reset, and the home is full
Furniture, belongings and months of buildup on all of it. Everything a maintenance visit dusts gets hand-washed, every item is lifted, and furniture that moves is moved. That is roughly double a standard visit.
A move-out cleaning is empty, but nothing is skipped
Inside every cabinet, drawer, oven and refrigerator, every closet shelf, every blind slat, every door and plate. The places a maintenance visit never touches are exactly what a landlord or buyer checks.
Below 8.5, the crew runs out before the work does
Our calculated labor for these services is about 4 labor hours per 1,000 sq ft. For a home over 700 sq ft, 8.5 is the floor that lets a crew finish instead of leaving rooms half done, and we would rather tell you that up front.
What a labor hour is. One hour of one technician’s work, at $58.85 per labor hour plus applicable tax. Your crew shares the hours: 8.5 labor hours is about 4 hours 15 minutes in your home with two technicians, or about 2 hours 50 minutes with three. Every figure on this page is a starting point confirmed by our office before any work begins.
Room by room
Where the 8.5 Hours Go
Here is a planning budget for a typical three-bedroom, two-bath home of about 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft in average condition, the size most Albuquerque families live in. The deep-cleaning column is a full home; the move-out column is an empty one. Both add up to the same 8.5 labor hours, for different reasons.
| Area | Deep cleaning (home is full) | Move-out cleaning (home is empty) |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Counters, backsplash and cabinet fronts hand-washed; sink, faucet and stovetop scrubbed; appliance exteriors; every item lifted and the surface washed under it1.25 h | All of that, plus inside every cabinet and drawer, inside the refrigerator and freezer, inside the oven, and the under-sink cabinet2 h |
| Two bathrooms | Pretreated twice; scale and soap scum removed from glass, tile, tub and fixtures; toilets inside and out; mirrors, lights, fans1.5 h | Same restorative scrub, plus inside the vanities and medicine cabinets1.5 h |
| Three bedrooms and closets | Furniture moved where it moves, washed, and cleaned under and behind; closet floors; every surface hand-washed1.75 h | Empty rooms, but every closet shelf, rod and door track is wiped and every wall is spot-cleaned1.25 h |
| Living, dining and hallways | Ceiling fans and high dust first, then every surface washed, upholstery vacuumed, lampshades and décor dusted1 h | Fans, high dust, walls spot-cleaned, fireplace exterior, slider track0.75 h |
| Blinds, sills, tracks, doors, switch plates, vents and baseboards | All hand-washed, not dusted: this is the work a maintenance visit never has time for1.5 h | Blinds wet-wiped slat by slat, sills and tracks scrubbed, every door, frame, plate, vent cover and baseboard washed1.75 h |
| Floors | Edges and corners by hand, then vacuumed and mopped room by room, last1 h | Same, with the kitchen floor and entry done last on the way out0.75 h |
| Walk-through, Team Leader inspection and documentation | The Team Leader walks the home, assigns the work, and inspects every room before the crew leaves0.5 h | Before-and-after photos of every room from the same spots, so what we found and what we left is on record0.5 h |
| Total | 8.5 labor hours | 8.5 labor hours |
A planning budget, not a quote: your kitchen, bathroom count, buildup and priorities move these numbers. It shows why a smaller block of hours leaves rooms unfinished.
Compare
Standard, Deep and Move-Out: What Each One Includes
A standard cleaning maintains a home that is already at maintenance level. A deep cleaning gets it there. A move-out cleaning leaves an empty home ready to hand over. The starting hours follow the scope.
| Standard cleaning | Deep / initial cleaning | Move-in / move-out cleaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every surface, top to bottom | Dusted and wiped | Hand-washed | Hand-washed |
| Kitchen counters, sink, stovetop, appliance exteriors | Yes | Yes, with every item lifted | Yes |
| Inside the oven, refrigerator, cabinets and drawers | A priority, scheduled by the labor hour | A priority, scheduled by the labor hour | Included |
| Bathrooms | Scrubbed and sanitized | Pretreated twice; scale and soap scum removed | Same, plus inside vanities |
| Blinds, windowsills and tracks | Dusted | Hand-washed | Wet-wiped slat by slat |
| Doors, frames, switches, outlet and vent covers | Touch points wiped | Hand-washed | Hand-washed |
| Baseboards | Dusted | Hand-washed | Hand-washed |
| Furniture moved, washed, cleaned under and behind | No | Yes, what safely moves | Not needed, the home is empty |
| Closets | Floors | Floors and shelf tops | Shelves, rods, tracks and floors |
| Inside windows, garage, patio | When ordered | When ordered | When ordered |
| Floors | Vacuumed and mopped | Edges by hand, then vacuumed and mopped | Edges by hand, then vacuumed and mopped |
| Starts at (within 15 miles of our office) | 3, 4 or 5 labor hours by home size | 8.5 labor hours (6 for 700 sq ft and under) | 8.5 labor hours (6 for 700 sq ft and under) |
A deep cleaning is also what we call a reset or an initial cleaning: the first visit that brings a home to maintenance level so standard cleanings can keep it there. Extra deep-clean tasks such as the inside of the oven or refrigerator are priorities we schedule by the labor hour, never flat add-ons.
Why 700 square feet
Why Over 700 Sq Ft Is the Line
A studio, casita or one-bedroom apartment has one small kitchen, one bathroom, a few windows and not much floor. Six labor hours covers a true deep or move-out cleaning there, so homes 700 sq ft and under within Albuquerque start at 6 labor hours ($353.10 plus tax).
Cross 700 sq ft and the home changes shape: a second bathroom, separate bedrooms with closets, a bigger kitchen with more cabinets, and far more blinds, baseboards, doors and floor. Those are the slow, hand-washed items, and they are why the starting point steps up to 8.5 labor hours ($500.23 plus tax).
Beyond 15 driving miles of 2901 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, 87112, every clean is a deep, reset or move-out cleaning and starts at 8.5 labor hours at any size.
By home size
When 8.5 Becomes More
The 8.5-hour floor covers most homes up to about 2,000 sq ft in average condition. Above that, the hours climb with the square footage, and the instant estimate shows the starting figure for yours.
| Home size (sq ft) | Labor hours | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 700Studio, casita or 1-bedroom apartment | 6 | $353.10 |
| 701 – 1,0001–2 bedroom apartment or small house | 8.5 | $500.23 |
| 1,001 – 1,5002–3 bedroom house | 8.5 | $500.23 |
| 1,501 – 2,0003-bedroom house | 8.5 | $500.23 |
| 2,001 – 2,5003–4 bedroom house | 8.5 – 10 | $500.23 |
| 2,501 – 3,0004-bedroom house | 10 – 12 | $588.50 |
| 3,001 – 3,5004–5 bedroom or two-story | 12 – 14 | $706.20 |
| 3,501 – 4,000Large two-story | 14 – 16 | $823.90 |
| Over 4,000Large or multi-level | Use the instant estimate for a starting figure; the office confirms the hours after a walk-through. | |
Starting points at the low end of each size range, plus applicable tax. Heavy buildup adds 50% to the labor and an extremely heavy or neglected home doubles it. Cleaning products are optional for an additional $15 plus tax; professional equipment is always provided.
On the job
What Happens With the Hours You Book
You book the starting hours, the Team Leader manages them, and you are never surprised at the end.
- The Team Leader walks the home first and assigns the work, so the crew starts on the slow items while the hours are fresh.
- You hear about it early if the home needs more than the hours booked: before the authorized time runs out, not after.
- Time is added in 2-labor-hour steps, at the same rate, only with your yes, written on the work order.
- Or you keep your hours and tell us the priorities, and before the crew leaves you get a clear list of what was completed and what was not.
Condition matters
The Starting Point Assumes Average Condition
These hours are for a home in average, lived-in condition. Heavy buildup (scale, soap scum, mildew, grease film) adds 50% to the calculated labor, and an extremely heavy or neglected home doubles it. Our page on how long house cleaning takes shows eight photos of the conditions we price and the hours for each, by square footage.
Once a deep cleaning has brought your home to maintenance level, recurring standard cleanings keep it there at 15% off weekly or 10% off every two weeks.
Common questions
Why 8.5 labor hours and not a round 8?
Because 8.5 is what the work takes in a typical home over 700 sq ft once every surface is hand-washed and the furniture is moved, or once every cabinet, drawer and appliance is cleaned inside for a move-out. With a crew of three that is about 2 hours 50 minutes in your home; with two, about 4 hours 15 minutes.
Is 8.5 labor hours the same as 8.5 hours in my home?
No. A labor hour is one hour of one technician’s work, and your crew shares the hours. Three technicians finish 8.5 labor hours in about 2 hours 50 minutes; two finish in about 4 hours 15 minutes.
Can I book a deep cleaning or move-out cleaning with fewer hours?
Within 15 miles of our office, deep, initial and move-in/move-out cleanings start at 8.5 labor hours for homes over 700 sq ft and 6 labor hours for 700 sq ft and under. Below that the crew runs out of time before the work is done, so we do not sell it that way. A home that is already at maintenance level can book a standard cleaning instead, which starts at 3, 4 or 5 labor hours by size.
Does a move-out cleaning include the inside of the oven, refrigerator and cabinets?
Yes. A move-out cleaning covers the empty home completely: inside every cabinet and drawer, the oven, the refrigerator and freezer, closets, blinds, sills and tracks, doors, plates and baseboards. On a deep cleaning those appliance interiors are priorities we schedule by the labor hour.
What if my home needs more than 8.5 labor hours?
Larger homes calculate at about 4 labor hours per 1,000 sq ft, heavy buildup adds 50% and an extremely heavy home doubles the labor, so the instant estimate shows your starting figure. On the job, your Team Leader tells you before the authorized time runs out, and additional time is added only in 2-labor-hour steps with your approval.
Ready to Book Your Deep or Move-Out Cleaning?
Pick your service, square footage and condition on the instant estimate and you will see your starting labor hours and price in seconds. Prefer to talk it through? Call us, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Get an Instant EstimateCall (505) 379-3154Deep CleaningMove-In / Move-Out Cleaning