- Register as a sole proprietor or incorporate with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File your Burnaby business licence (~$100+/yr)
- Get general liability insurance
- Set your rates ($40–$65/hr, or flat rates from $150–$600+ per job)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking
- Set up card payments and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile focused on Burnaby
To clean in Burnaby is to work inside fast-growing tower communities around Brentwood and Metrotown alongside established 1960s–80s single-family neighbourhoods — and that mix decides your niche. New-tower move-in cleans around Brentwood and Metrotown, plus recurring family homes in the Heights — a two-segment market in one city. The skills are the easy part; the business wrapper — registration, a Burnaby licence, insurance, a real brand, and online booking — is what wins the job.
Why Burnaby specifically
Burnaby is two markets stacked on top of each other: thousands of brand-new Brentwood and Metrotown units generating move-in cleans, and decades of established family homes below buying recurring service.
For a cleaner specifically, that translates to working both ends — premium move-in cleans in the new towers, steady bi-weeklies in the older neighbourhoods.
Where the work is: New-tower move-in cleans around Brentwood and Metrotown, plus recurring family homes in the Heights — a two-segment market in one city. Neighbourhoods like Brentwood, Metrotown, Burnaby Heights each have their own client base — your Google Business Profile and local pages should name them.
Startup costs in Burnaby
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Burnaby business licence | ~$100+/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$1,200/yr |
| Equipment & supplies | $300–$800 (vacuum, kit, supplies) |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
Government fees change — confirm current amounts with BC Registries and the City of Burnaby. Burnaby issues home-occupation licences for service businesses; if you also work regularly in Vancouver or Surrey, the Metro West inter-municipal licence ($300/yr) can replace buying separate city licences.
Realistic earnings
Around Metro Vancouver, $40–$65/hr, or flat rates from $150–$600+ per job is the going range. Keep the calendar full and $4,000–$8,000+ per month solo with a recurring roster is achievable solo — though your niche, service area, and how professional you look all move the number. No trade certification required in BC.
Let's name it
Before the tactics, the mindset blocker worth naming out loud. “What if something breaks in a client's home, or a client refuses to pay?” Solved with paperwork, not luck: a service agreement, liability waiver, insurance, and card payments — all included in every Prontco launch.
Talk it through on a free callCleaning Pricing Calculator
Work out what to charge before you quote your first job in Burnaby. Set the job size, condition and the hourly rate you need to earn, and get a defensible number in seconds.
Open the calculator →Your first clients in Burnaby — the cleaning playbook
- Door-knock or flyer the concierge desks of new Brentwood and Metrotown towers — new residents book move-in cleans before furniture arrives.
- Partner with two or three Burnaby realtors for pre-listing deep cleans; new-tower resales are constant.
- Offer a 'first month free upgrade' to recurring clients in the Heights — older homes convert to bi-weekly fastest.
The shortcut
Every step above is DIY-able if you have the evenings to spare. The alternative: Prontco builds it all in roughly 10 business days — Burnaby licence filed, brand and website live, booking and payments connected, books set up — then stays with you for 30 days of launch support. From $997, and you own everything.
Related guides
How to start a cleaning business in BC · How to start a business in Burnaby · The complete BC startup guide · Free calculators & checklists