- Choose sole proprietorship or incorporation and register with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File a municipal business licence in your home city (typically $100–$250/yr)
- Get general liability insurance (often $500–$900/yr for solo cleaners)
- Set your services and rates ($40–$65/hr is common in Metro Vancouver)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking so clients can find and book you
- Set up card payments, invoicing, and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile and start collecting reviews
Cleaning is the classic first business for a reason: startup costs are low, demand in Greater Vancouver is steady year-round, and you can be earning within weeks. Recurring residential cleans — weekly and bi-weekly homes — turn into predictable monthly income fast, and commercial contracts (offices, strata common areas, move-out cleans) pay even better once you look established.
The catch is that “looking established” is exactly where most new cleaners get stuck. Clients are letting you into their homes — they book the cleaner with a real business name, a professional website, visible reviews, and online booking. The skills are the easy part. The business wrapper is what wins the job.
What it costs to start
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Municipal business licence | $100–$250/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$900/yr |
| Supplies & equipment (vacuum, kit) | $300–$800 |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
| Realistic lean total | $1,000–$2,500 |
Government fees change — always confirm current amounts with BC Registries and your municipality. Insurance varies with coverage and revenue.
What you can earn
Solo residential cleaners in Metro Vancouver commonly charge $40–$65 per hour, or flat rates like $150–$300+ for standard homes and $300–$600+ for move-out or deep cleans. A solo operator with a steady recurring roster can realistically build toward $4,000–$8,000+ per month in revenue; adding a helper or moving into commercial contracts scales it from there. Your numbers depend on your area, niche, and how full your calendar is.
Cleaning Pricing Calculator
Work out what to charge before you quote your first job. Set the job size, condition and the hourly rate you need to earn, and get a number you can defend.
Open the calculator →Licensing & requirements in BC
Cleaning doesn't require a trade certification in BC, which is part of why it's such an accessible start. You'll still need a business registration, a municipal business licence in your home city (and licences or an Inter-municipal Business Licence if you regularly work across Metro Vancouver cities), and you should carry general liability insurance — many strata buildings and commercial clients won't let you in the door without proof of it. If you hire staff, WorkSafeBC registration becomes mandatory.
Let's name it
“What if I get into someone's home and something breaks — or a client refuses to pay?” This is the fear that stops most would-be cleaners, and it's solved with paperwork, not luck: a service agreement, a liability waiver, insurance, and card-on-file payments. Every Prontco launch includes the agreement and waiver, professionally written.
Talk it through on a free callThe 7 steps, properly
01Pick your structure and register
Most solo cleaners start as a sole proprietorship (~$40 with BC Registries, plus a ~$30 name request). It's fast and cheap. Incorporation (~$350 + name approval) adds liability protection and looks stronger for commercial contracts — worth considering if you're targeting offices or strata work.
02File your municipal business licence
Every Metro Vancouver municipality requires a business licence, even for home-based businesses. Fees are typically $100–$250 per year. If you'll regularly clean in multiple cities, ask about the Metro West Inter-municipal Business Licence, which can cover several municipalities under one licence.
03Get insured
General liability insurance for a solo cleaner often runs $500–$900 per year. It protects you if something is damaged on a job — and it's a selling point: “fully insured” closes clients.
04Define services and rates
Start focused: standard recurring cleans, deep cleans, and move-in/move-out. Price from the market (see rates above), not from fear. Recurring clients are the goal — a weekly $180 home is worth over $9,000 a year.
05Build the brand and website
A name, logo, and a clean mobile website with online booking. This is the single biggest trust gap between you and established competitors — and the reason clients pick them at higher prices.
06Set up booking, payments, and books
Online booking so clients book themselves; card payments and e-Transfer so you get paid same-week; accounting software connected to your business bank account so tax time isn't a shoebox of receipts.
07Get found: Google Business Profile and reviews
Most cleaning clients start with a Google search like “house cleaning near me.” A complete Google Business Profile with photos and steady reviews is worth more than any ad budget in your first year.
The shortcut: launched in about 10 business days
Everything above is doable yourself over a couple of months of evenings. Or you hand us the details on one 30-minute call and we build all of it — registration, licence filing, brand, website, online booking, payments, accounting setup, Google Business Profile, socials, and your service agreement — in about 10 business days, with 30 days of support after handoff. Most new cleaners fit Starter ($997) — registered, licensed, branded, online, and bookable. If you want to rank in every city you serve and get the first-10-clients playbook, Launch ($1,997) is the growth path.
Cleaning business FAQ
Do I need a licence to start a cleaning business in BC?
There's no trade certification required for cleaning in BC, but you do need to register your business and hold a municipal business licence in the city you operate from. Requirements and fees are set by each municipality — we prepare and file the applications; the city grants approval.
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business in Vancouver?
A lean solo start typically lands between $1,000 and $2,500 all-in: registration (~$40–$70), a municipal licence ($100–$250/yr), insurance ($500–$900/yr), and basic supplies. A professional brand, website, and booking system is the variable — DIY is cheap but slow; agencies charge $3,000+; Prontco's full launch starts at $997.
How much do cleaners make in Metro Vancouver?
Common solo rates are $40–$65/hr or flat-rate jobs from $150 to $600+. With a full recurring roster, $4,000–$8,000+ per month in revenue is a realistic solo range — results vary with your area, niche, and calendar.
Do I need to charge GST?
You must register for and charge GST once your revenue passes $30,000 over four consecutive quarters. Below that it's optional. We walk every client through when and how to register.
Can I run it from my apartment?
Usually yes — most Metro Vancouver cities allow home-based service businesses with a home-occupation licence, since clients don't visit your home. Rules vary by city and building; we handle the application as part of every launch.
Related guides
Launching in a specific city?