Government fees to open a cleaning business in Surrey come to about $350 in the first year: $30 for the name, $40 to register, and $230 for the city licence, plus a $50 application fee.
What Surrey charges a cleaning business
Surrey names trades one by one in its fee schedule. A cleaning business is licensed as Janitorial Service, at $230 a year. That is cheaper than the $377 contractor rate most trades pay.
| Fee | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| BC Registries — name request | $30 | Up to three names |
| BC Registries — sole proprietorship | $40 | Or $350 to incorporate |
| City of Surrey — business licence | $230 | Every year |
| City of Surrey — application fee | $50 | One time |
| First-year total | $350 | As a sole proprietor |
Read off Business Licence By-law 13680, Schedule A, consolidated to 13 April 2026 on 22 September 2026: the fee schedule, alongside City of Surrey: business licensing. The bylaw words the $50 application fee as applying to online applications. City fees change every year. We confirm your exact figure before anything is filed and pass it through at cost.
When the Surrey licence renews
A Surrey licence runs one year from the day it was issued. Your renewal date is your own start date, not a fixed month.
Running it from home in Surrey
Most new cleaning businesses start from a spare room and a driveway. Surrey’s rules for that:
- A home business may use no more than 25% of one floor of the house.
- Only immediate family living in the home may be employed.
- Nothing about the business may be visible from outside: no stored materials, no lit sign.
- On multi-family lots, business vehicles and equipment may not be stored on or near the property.
From City of Surrey home-based business regulations. A licence can be refused over one of these after you have paid, so we read them before we file.
Taking jobs outside Surrey
The Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licence ($300) is written for trades that build, repair or maintain buildings. A cleaning business is usually not eligible. If you take regular work in a second city, plan on that city’s own licence.
The table below shows what the other three charge. Who the Metro West licence covers.
| City | Licence for a cleaning business | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | $277–$376 | $77 |
| Burnaby | $378 first year, $133 after | $55 |
| Surrey | $230 | $50 |
| Richmond | $166 | — |
Richmond is the lowest of the four at $166. The full rules for each city are on the city guides: Surrey · Vancouver · Burnaby · Richmond.
What a cleaning business needs in BC
Cleaning needs no trade ticket in BC. You need the business registered, a city licence, and liability insurance. Many strata buildings and offices ask for proof of insurance before you get a key. Hire your first helper and WorkSafeBC registration becomes mandatory.
The full guide, with gear costs and the seven steps: how to start a cleaning business in BC.
What cleaning work goes for in Surrey
The 2026 market range for cleaning work in Metro Vancouver is $40–$75 an hour. That comes from the engine behind our public calculators. Your prices are yours to set.
See cleaning prices in SurreyOpen the pricing calculator
Open in Surrey in about 10 business days of build work
We build the customer side first: a website people find, online booking, and payments. Then the Surrey licence and the registration get filed for you. Launch is $497 as a sole proprietor, $997 as a company, and includes your first 3 months of Standing. BC Registries and the City of Surrey set their own approval times.
+ applicable government registration & licensing fees, billed at cost — we quote your exact figure before filing.
Cleaning business in Surrey: questions
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business in Surrey?
Government fees come to about $350 in the first year: $30 for the name request, $40 to register a sole proprietorship, and $230 for the City of Surrey business licence, plus a $50 application fee. Insurance and equipment are on top.
When does a Surrey business licence renew?
A Surrey licence runs one year from the day it was issued. Your renewal date is your own start date, not a fixed month.
Can I work in other cities on a Surrey licence?
Not on the city licence alone, and a cleaning business is usually not eligible for the $300 Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licence. Regular work in another city needs that city's own licence.
Can I run a cleaning business from home in Surrey?
Yes, as a home-based business, within the city's rules. A home business may use no more than 25% of one floor of the house. Only immediate family living in the home may be employed.