The Eva team
Your AI general manager
Raising your cleaning prices is the single fastest way to make more money without working more hours, yet most owners avoid it for years out of fear. The truth is that good clients expect prices to rise, and the ones you lose over a small, fair increase were usually the hardest to keep anyway. This guide covers when to raise, how much, the exact message to send, and how to handle the rare pushback.
Signs it is time to raise
You do not need permission to raise prices, but these signals mean you are overdue.
- You have not raised prices in 12 months or more.
- Your supply, fuel, or wage costs have climbed since you set the rate.
- You are fully booked and turning work away.
- Your margin has slipped below your target when you actually do the math.
- New clients accept your higher quotes without blinking, but old ones still pay the old rate.
How much to raise
Small and regular beats big and rare. A modest annual bump barely registers, while a shock increase invites a fight.
- For a routine annual adjustment, 5 to 10 percent is comfortable and easy to accept.
- If you are badly underpriced, you may need 15 to 25 percent, but explain the value clearly.
- Round to a clean number so the new price feels deliberate, not random.
- Check the new price still leaves your target margin using the profit margin calculator.
The message to send
Keep it short, warm, and free of apology. You are running a business, and a small increase is normal. A simple template works.
- Open with genuine thanks for their trust and time as a client.
- State the new price and the date it starts, clearly and in one line.
- Give a brief, honest reason: rising costs and continued quality.
- Reassure them nothing about their service changes, except it stays great.
- Close warmly and invite any questions.
Handling pushback
Most clients say nothing and pay. For the few who push back, stay calm and do not panic-discount.
- Acknowledge their concern and restate the value they get every visit.
- Hold your number, or offer a smaller scope rather than a lower rate.
- If they leave, wish them well, the slot frees up for a full-price client.
- Never undo a raise across the board because one person complained.
Let Eva deliver the increase smoothly
Once you decide on the new number, Eva updates your pricing and bills the new rate automatically on every recurring job, so the change actually sticks across your whole book. She messages clients the notice for you and keeps the tone warm. Pair this with calculating your real margin so you know the raise is worth it.