Cleaner pricing in Wellington
What cleaners charge in Wellington (typically $30-$55/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Wellington cleaner pricing
What cleaners should charge in Wellington
Wellington cleaners serve Kelburn/Karori/Khandallah/Thorndon premium residential, government commercial cleaning (Parliament, Beehive, ministries), Te Papa and national museum commercial, parliamentary sitting-week intensive cleaning, and rental-turnover volume (large transient public-service workforce). NZ does not require a state cleaning licence. Government security clearances drive premium tier work.
Hourly rate
$30-$55
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$21-$45
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common cleaner jobs in Wellington
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in NZD.
Standard clean (3-bed home)
What's included
Includes mop, vacuum, dust, bathroom and kitchen wipe-down. 2-3 hour job for 1-2 cleaners.
Standard clean (per hour)
What's included
Hourly rate when scope is unclear. Most cleaners prefer fixed-price by home size.
Deep clean (3-bed home)
What's included
Includes inside oven, inside fridge, all glass, skirtings, light fittings. 5-7 hour job. Once-off or quarterly.
End-of-tenancy clean (3-bed)
What's included
Bond-back compliant. Includes all deep-clean items plus inside cupboards, behind appliances, blinds. Photo report optional.
Post-construction clean (3-bed)
What's included
Removes plaster dust, paint splatter, debris from every surface. 2-3 cleaner team for a full day. Specialist equipment needed.
Once-off Airbnb turnover (2-bed)
What's included
Standard turnover: linen change, bathroom, kitchen, common areas. Within 4 hours of check-out window.
Office clean (per square metre/month)
What's included
Standard 3x weekly, 4 hours per visit for 200sqm office. Floors, kitchens, bathrooms, desks. Window cleaning extra.
Carpet steam clean (per room)
What's included
Includes pre-treat, hot water extraction, deodorise. Stain treatment extra. Allow 4-6 hour dry time.
Window cleaning (per window, exterior)
What's included
Standard ground-floor; double-storey or high-access with pole or ladder runs higher. Frame wash extra.
Wellington quote factors
What to factor into your Wellington cleaner quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a cleaner in Wellington. Temperate maritime, famously windy. Mild summers (Dec-Feb, 17-22°C, rarely above 25°C, coolest summer of major NZ cities), cool winters (June-Aug, 6-12°C, rarely below 2°C), persistent strong wind (gales 80+ km/h common, wind-driven rain), moderate-high rainfall (~1,250mm/year). Earthquake risk EXTREME (Wellington Fault + Hikurangi subduction).
No NZ cleaning licence
NZ does not require a state-level cleaning licence. NZBN, public liability (NZ$12M minimum at premium tier), and ACC employer levies required. Print 'NZBN + NZ$12M Public Liability' on every quote. Building Service Contractors NZ (BSCNZ) member status is the trust signal.
Kelburn, Karori, Khandallah, Thorndon premium tier
Kelburn (6012), Karori (6012/6024), Khandallah (6035), Thorndon (6011), Roseneath (6021), Oriental Bay (6011), Wadestown (6012), Seatoun (6022), Eastbourne (5013) commands NZ$54-NZ$115/hour, 30-50% above standard Wellington (NZ$36-NZ$66/hour). HNW clients expect dedicated team, key-holding service, eco-friendly products. NZ Police vetting (NZ$54-NZ$115 per technician) is a trust signal.
Government commercial cleaning
Government departments (Parliament, Beehive, Treasury, MBIE, Ministry of Justice, MFAT, Department of Internal Affairs) drive ongoing commercial cleaning contracts. Quote commercial cleaning at NZ$0-NZ$1/sqm per visit. Government work requires NZ Government Security Clearance (Confidential to Top Secret, NZ$240-NZ$3,000 per cleaner). Annual contracts at 10-15% discount. Net 30 payment terms.
Parliamentary sitting-week intensive cleaning
Parliament (Bowen Street, Thorndon 6011) and Beehive drive intensive sitting-week cleaning (typically 30 sitting weeks per year, Tue-Thu nights). Quote sitting-week intensive at premium NZ$72-NZ$160/hour with after-hours and overnight surcharges. Build relationships with Parliamentary Service facilities. Security clearance essential.
Te Papa + national museums commercial
Te Papa Tongarewa (Cable Street, Te Aro 6011) and other national museums (City Gallery Wellington, Museum of Wellington) drive specialty commercial cleaning (artwork-safe cleaning, climate-controlled gallery space, post-event turnover). Quote museum commercial at premium NZ$66-NZ$150/hour. Recurring annual contracts.
Rental-turnover volume (large public-service workforce)
Wellington has very high renter mobility (transient government public-service workforce). Landlords need 1-day to 3-day turnover cleaning between tenants. Quote per-apartment (NZ$265-NZ$780 for studio/1-bed, NZ$480-NZ$1,320 for 2-bed) at landlord portfolio rates. Build relationships with 5-10 property managers in Te Aro, Newtown, Mount Cook, Brooklyn, Hataitai.
Sample quote
A real Wellington cleaner quote you can copy
End-of-tenancy clean, 3-bed 2-bath house, 145sqm, standard condition. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Bond-back full deep clean (2-cleaner team, 6 hours)
Inside oven (degrease + polish)
Inside fridge (empty and deep-clean)
Inside all cupboards (kitchen + bathrooms)
Internal windows + sills (all rooms)
Blinds (vacuum and wipe, 6 sets)
Photo report (every surface, attached to invoice)
FAQ
Wellington cleaner pricing questions, answered
Common questions about cleaner pricing in Wellington, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
NZ$36-NZ$66/hour for standard residential in Wellington (Te Aro, Newtown, Mount Cook, Aro Valley, Brooklyn, Hataitai). NZ$54-NZ$115/hour for premium (Kelburn, Karori, Khandallah, Thorndon, Roseneath, Oriental Bay, Wadestown, Seatoun, Eastbourne). State minimum 2-3 hours on the quote. GST 15% applies above NZ$72k turnover.
NZ$12M Public Liability minimum at premium tier; ACC employer levies if you have employees. Kelburn, Karori, Thorndon, Oriental Bay HNW homes often require NZ$24M+ Public Liability. Quote certificate of currency (NZ$600-NZ$1,800 per cycle) as overhead. NZ Police vetting (NZ$54-NZ$115) differentiates at premium tier; NZ Government Security Clearance (NZ$240-NZ$3,000) for parliamentary and government work.
Yes, signature Wellington commercial market. Government departments (Parliament, Beehive, Treasury, MBIE, Ministry of Justice, MFAT, Department of Internal Affairs) drive ongoing commercial cleaning contracts. Quote commercial cleaning at NZ$0-NZ$1/sqm per visit. Government work requires NZ Government Security Clearance (Confidential to Top Secret, NZ$240-NZ$3,000 per cleaner). Annual contracts at 10-15% discount. Net 30 payment terms.
Yes, niche but high-margin. Parliament (Bowen Street, Thorndon 6011) and Beehive drive intensive sitting-week cleaning (typically 30 sitting weeks per year, Tue-Thu nights). Quote sitting-week intensive at premium NZ$72-NZ$160/hour with after-hours and overnight surcharges. Build relationships with Parliamentary Service facilities. Security clearance essential.
Yes, signature Wellington niche. Te Papa Tongarewa (Cable Street, Te Aro 6011) and other national museums (City Gallery Wellington, Museum of Wellington) drive specialty commercial cleaning (artwork-safe cleaning, climate-controlled gallery space, post-event turnover). Quote museum commercial at premium NZ$66-NZ$150/hour. Recurring annual contracts.
Hourly rates are $30 to $66 in the US, £15-35 in the UK, A$36-60 in Australia, R80-250 in South Africa, and C$30-55 in Canada. Most experienced cleaners prefer fixed-price by home size because hourly invites time-padding disputes.
By the job for standard, deep, or end-of-tenancy cleans where the scope is known. By the hour only for ad-hoc tidying where the customer wants to direct work in real-time. Fixed-price protects both sides.
Most cleaners bring their own basic supplies (vacuum, mop, microfibre, eco-friendly products). Some hourly bookings use customer supplies. Always confirm on the quote so there is no on-arrival argument.
Two or three for regular weekly bookings. Pricing is fairly consistent in any one area. The bigger variables are insurance, vetting, and whether the same cleaner attends every visit (better) or a rotating team (cheaper but variable).
Yes. Public liability insurance covers breakages and damage; workers comp covers injury on your property. Hire only insured cleaners; the cost of an uninsured cleaner damaging a hardwood floor or a flat-screen TV wipes out years of savings.
Keep going
More cleaner resources
The full international pricing guide, ready-to-send templates, and the main cleaners page.
Full cleaner pricing guide
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