Cleaning business phone script: get the home size, type of clean and how often, then quote a range and book the first visit
By Sharrk Team · October 20, 2026
A good cleaning business phone script gets the home size (bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet), the type of clean and how often, then quotes a price range and books the first visit before the call ends. Sharrk's AI receptionist can ask these questions on every call, 24/7, and book the first clean onto your calendar while you're on a job.
Below: the questions, why each matters, a word-for-word script and objection lines.
What should you say when you answer a cleaning business call?
Keep the greeting short: your business name, your name and an offer to help. Then ask whether they've used you before. Queen of Maids' published call guide opens with "Thank you for calling" plus the business name, then asks "have you ever used our service before?" so returning clients and new ones go down different paths (Qleen call guide).
Next, get the caller's name and use it. Then get the zip code early so you don't spend ten minutes quoting a home outside your service area.
What questions should you ask a new house cleaning customer?
Price for residential cleaning mostly comes down to size, type of clean and condition. ZenMaid's founder wrote that "the most important thing to determine price was the number of bedroom and bathrooms," with pets, deep cleaning and extras like ovens as secondary questions (ZenMaid). Jobber's pricing guide adds that square-foot pricing means you "get the measurement from the homeowner or measure the area yourself" (Jobber).
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Zip code or address | Confirms you serve the area before you spend time quoting |
| Bedrooms and bathrooms | The main driver of your base price |
| Approximate square feet | Catches large homes that bedroom counts understate |
| Standard, deep, or move-in/move-out clean | Deep and move-out cleans take longer and cost more |
| How often (one-time, weekly, every two weeks, monthly) | Recurring visits usually cost less per visit |
| When was it last professionally cleaned? | Tells you whether the first visit needs to be a deep clean |
| Pets | Pet hair adds time; you may also need to plan around the animal |
| Access (home or not, key, lockbox, gate code, parking) | Avoids a crew standing at a locked door |
| Special requests or rooms to skip | Oven, fridge, inside windows, or a room that's off-limits |
On type of clean: Jobber describes general cleaning as "routine maintenance tasks that keep a space tidy and sanitary," while deep cleaning "targets areas that accumulate dirt over time" (Jobber). Its pricing guide says "Move-out cleaning is another form of deep cleaning" and suggests adding "an extra 30–50%" to normal rates for a deep clean (Jobber).
On frequency: the same guide notes, "When you clean a home more often, you can charge less per visit" (Jobber). The Qleen guide has the person on the phone explain standard, deep and hourly options and walk through weekly, every-two-weeks, every-three-weeks and monthly discounts (Qleen call guide).
Should you quote a cleaning over the phone or do a walk-through?
For most homes, quote over the phone as a range and confirm after the first visit. ZenMaid's founder points out that in-person quotes are costly, saying "A single meeting can easily eat up an hour or two of your time," and recommends a mix of in-person quotes and instant quotes by phone or web (ZenMaid). The same article advises telling customers that "quotes are subject to change" and quoting the first appointment even when the customer wants recurring service (ZenMaid).
A practical rule set:
- Standard home, recurring clean: give a range on the call and book.
- First visit for a home that hasn't been cleaned professionally in a while: quote it as a deep clean, then quote the recurring price after.
- Move-out, very large or heavily cluttered homes: offer a walk-through or ask for photos before you commit to a number.
A range protects you from the classic problem: a home that sounded like three hours turns out to need five (ZenMaid).
What is a word-for-word house cleaning phone script?
Swap in your business name, service area and price ranges.
```text GREETING "Thanks for calling [Business Name], this is [Name]. How can I help you today?" "Have you cleaned with us before?"
NAME AND AREA "Great, who am I speaking with?" "And what's the zip code for the home?" [If outside area] "I'm sorry, we don't cover that area yet."
HOME SIZE "How many bedrooms and how many bathrooms?" "Do you know roughly the square footage? A ballpark is fine."
TYPE OF CLEAN "Are you looking for a regular clean, a deep clean, or a move-in or move-out clean?" "When was the home last cleaned professionally?" [If never or a long time ago] "Then I'd recommend we start with a deep clean so everything is reset, and your regular visits after that are quicker and lower priced."
FREQUENCY "Is this a one-time clean, or would you like us every week, every two weeks, or monthly?"
DETAILS "Any pets in the home?" "Any rooms you'd like us to skip, or anything extra, like the inside of the oven or fridge?" "Will someone be home, or will we need a key, lockbox or gate code?"
QUOTE "For a [X]-bedroom, [Y]-bath home with a [type] clean, the first visit is usually between $[low] and $[high]. Recurring [frequency] visits after that are usually between $[low] and $[high]. We confirm the exact price after the first visit."
BOOK "I have [day] at [time] or [day] at [time]. Which works better?" "Can I get the full address, the best phone number and an email for your confirmation?"
CONFIRM "So that's a [type] clean at [address] on [day] at [time], for about $[range]. You'll get a confirmation by email. Anything else I can help with?" "Thanks, [Name]. We'll see you [day]." ```
The Qleen guide moves straight to scheduling once the price is shared, asking "Do you prefer mornings or afternoons?" instead of lingering on the number (Qleen call guide). Offering two specific times does the same job.
How do you handle "that's more than I expected"?
Don't drop the price on the spot. Restate what's included, then give the caller a smaller step:
"I understand. That price includes [what's covered], and we bring all the supplies. A lot of people start with the first deep clean, and the regular visits after that are lower. Want me to hold [day] for you?"
If they want to think about it, offer to send the quote in writing and follow up. ZenMaid's founder found that "the best way to close new business was over the phone" and set a follow-up call 48 hours after each quote (ZenMaid). For more on timing, see how many times to follow up with a lead.
It's fine to lose some callers on price. One cleaning business owner interviewed by ZenMaid put it this way: "Pricing is completely subjective," and every client lost over price was replaced by "someone willing to pay the higher rate" (ZenMaid).
What should you confirm before you hang up?
Read back the type of clean, address, date, time and price range. Then collect contact details and access notes: parking, gate codes, lockboxes (Qleen call guide). If you take a card to hold the booking or have a cancellation window, say so now so it isn't a surprise later. End by telling the caller what happens next, like a confirmation email.
How can an AI receptionist run this script?
The script only works if someone picks up, including while your team is cleaning or off for the night. For coverage costs, see what a cleaning business answering service costs.
Mako, the AI assistant inside Sharrk, builds the agent for you from plain English. You can tell Mako: "Build a voice agent for my house cleaning business that asks for zip code, bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet, type of clean, frequency, pets and access, gives these price ranges, and books the first clean." Mako shows exactly what it will create and waits for you to click Apply before anything changes.
How does Sharrk handle cleaning business calls?
Sharrk's AI receptionist answers calls 24/7, asks your intake questions, and books the first visit onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com. You give the agent your price ranges, so it quotes the same way you would. When a caller wants a person, it can live transfer the call. New leads from web forms, Angi and Thumbtack get a reply in under 30 seconds, and Strikes follow up by call, text, email or voicemail drop until the lead replies or books (texting requires approved carrier registration).
You can build and test your cleaning agent with Mako on Sharrk Free, with 2,500 one-time credits and no card required, or schedule a demo to see it on a call.
Sources
- Qleen / Queen of Maids, How to Handle a New Client Call (checked October 20, 2026)
- ZenMaid, Easy Cleaning Quotes with an Online Booking Form (checked October 20, 2026)
- ZenMaid, Turning quotes into customers (checked October 20, 2026)
- ZenMaid, 7 Lessons in 7 Years of Running a Cleaning Business (checked October 20, 2026)
- Jobber, How Much to Charge for House Cleaning (checked October 20, 2026)
- Jobber, Types of Cleaning Services (checked October 20, 2026)
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist for cleaning · AI answering service · Pricing
Frequently asked questions
What should a house cleaning phone script include?
It should include a short greeting, the zip code, bedrooms and bathrooms, square feet, type of clean, frequency, pets, access and special requests, then a price range and a booking. Ask in that order so you can quote before the caller loses interest.
Should I give a cleaning price over the phone?
Yes, give a range for most homes and confirm the exact price after the first visit. Save walk-throughs or photo requests for move-outs, very large homes or heavy clutter.
How do I price a deep clean compared with a regular clean?
Price it higher, because it takes longer. Jobber's pricing guide suggests adding 30–50% to your normal rates for a deep clean and treats move-out cleaning as a form of deep cleaning.
What do I say when a caller says the price is too high?
Restate what's included, then offer a smaller first step, such as booking the first clean and moving to lower-priced recurring visits after. If they still want to think about it, send the quote in writing and follow up by phone.
Can an AI receptionist follow my cleaning phone script?
Yes. Sharrk's AI receptionist asks your intake questions on every call, 24/7, quotes from the price ranges you give it and books the first clean onto your calendar. You can build it by describing your script to Mako.