# Starting a cleaning business checklist PDF: every step, phase by phase

> This starting a cleaning business checklist PDF covers seven phases: decide, make it legal, protect it, price and equip, set up systems, win first clients, and run the first 90 days. Print the page (or save it as a PDF from the print dialog), tick each box in order, and open the linked guide when a step needs detail. A realistic target is to finish phases 1 to 5 in two to four weeks.

Published 2026-10-29, updated 2026-10-30 by Broombook · Start your cleaning business · 12 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/starting-a-cleaning-business-checklist

## Key takeaways

- Seven phases, 46 boxes: the order matters because prices, paperwork and software depend on what you decide first.
- An EIN is free and issued immediately online by the IRS; never pay a site for one.
- Registration, licenses and permits vary by state and city, so the legal phase has a "check your state" box, not a single answer.
- Insurance comes before the first paid clean, not after: many clients and most commercial buyers will ask for a certificate.
- Set up booking, reminders and card payments before marketing, so every first client lands in a system instead of your text messages.
- To get a PDF, use your browser’s print dialog and choose "Save as PDF": the page is built to print cleanly.

## How to use this cleaning business checklist

Print this page, work top to bottom, and only open a linked guide when a box needs more than a sentence. The checklist is deliberately short on explanation: each step already has a full guide on this site, and this page exists so you can see the whole road at once and know what is done and what is not.

**To save it as a PDF:** press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac), pick “Save as PDF” as the printer, and keep the default settings. Headings, tables and boxes print without the navigation. If you want a version with your own notes, paste the boxes into a document first.

The phases run in the order that avoids rework:

1. **Decide**: what you clean, where, and under what model.
2. **Make it legal**: structure, registration, tax numbers, licenses, bank account.
3. **Protect it**: insurance, bond, contracts, policies.
4. **Price and equip**: a price list from your costs, and a starter kit.
5. **Set up systems**: booking, scheduling, reminders, payments, bookkeeping.
6. **Win first clients**: Google profile, website, referrals, local marketing.
7. **Run the first 90 days**: deliver, collect reviews, track numbers, hire when the calendar demands it.

The long-form version of this road, with costs and a worked example, is [how to start a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-cleaning-business). This checklist does not repeat it; it points to it. If you are starting with almost no cash, read [how to start a cleaning business with no money](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-cleaning-business-with-no-money) first, then come back to phase 1.

## Phase 1: decide what you clean, where, and how

Phase 1 is six decisions on paper. They shape every later step: a solo residential cleaner needs a different license check, insurance and price list than an evening janitorial crew.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ Pick a niche | You can say in one sentence who you clean for (homes, offices, rentals, one specialty) | [Cleaning business ideas](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-ideas) |
| ☐ Draw a service area | A list of ZIP codes or towns you will say yes to, and a rule for everything else | Keep it within about 20 to 30 minutes of home |
| ☐ Choose a model | Solo, small team, or commercial contracts, with a plan for the first hire | [Commercial cleaning startup plan](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-commercial-cleaning-business) if offices |
| ☐ Pick and check a name | Not taken in your state’s business registry, domain available, easy to spell when heard | [Name generator](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-name-generator) |
| ☐ Write a one-page plan | Services, prices, startup costs, first-year target and how you will find clients, on one page | [Business plan with worked example](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-plan), [plan template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-plan-template) |
| ☐ Set a startup budget | A number you will not exceed before the first paying client, with a list of what it buys | [Profit calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-profit-calculator) |

The SBA’s business guide puts name registration in context: an entity name protects you at the state level, a trademark at the federal level, and a DBA (doing business as) name may be legally required but gives no protection on its own ([SBA, launch your business](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business)). Check the name in all three places before you print anything.

## Phase 2: make it legal (structure, registration, EIN, licenses)

Phase 2 takes an afternoon for a sole proprietor and a week or two for an LLC, depending on your state. Every box here depends on where you live, so the last box is a state check, not an afterthought.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ Choose a structure | Sole proprietorship or LLC decided, with the reason written down | [LLC for a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/llc-for-cleaning-business) |
| ☐ Register the business or DBA | Filing confirmation from your state (LLC) or county/state (DBA) in your files | [SBA: register your business](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business) |
| ☐ Get an EIN | Confirmation letter saved; the IRS issues it immediately online and never charges a fee | [IRS EIN application](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number) |
| ☐ Register for state taxes | State tax ID if your state requires one, and sales tax registration if your state taxes cleaning services | Your state’s department of revenue |
| ☐ Check licenses and permits | You know whether your city or county needs a general business license or a home occupation permit, and you have applied | [Cleaning business license guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-license) |
| ☐ Open a business bank account | Every business payment and expense runs through it from day one | Bring your EIN and registration documents |
| ☐ Read your state guide | You have checked the state-specific rules on names, sales tax and workers’ comp | [Texas](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-cleaning-business-in-texas), [Florida](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-cleaning-business-in-florida), [California](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-cleaning-business-in-california) and every other state are under the main start guide |

Two warnings from the agencies themselves. The IRS says to beware of websites that charge for an EIN, because you never have to pay for one ([IRS](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number)). And the SBA notes that your state and federal tax IDs work like a Social Security number for the business and are what let you pay state and federal taxes, so get them before you earn, not at tax time ([SBA](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business)). None of this is legal or tax advice; a local accountant can confirm the structure in an hour.

## Phase 3: protect it (insurance, bond, contracts, policies)

Phase 3 is done before the first paid clean. A client who asks for proof of insurance on the doorstep is common; a commercial buyer who asks for a certificate before the walkthrough is routine.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ General liability insurance | Policy active, certificate of insurance saved as a PDF you can text to a client | [Cleaning business insurance](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-insurance) |
| ☐ Janitorial bond (if clients or buyers ask) | Bond in place, or a written decision to add it when you hire | [Janitorial bond guide](https://broombook.com/guides/janitorial-bond) |
| ☐ Service agreement | A one- or two-page agreement covering scope, price, access, cancellations and damage | [Cleaning contract template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-contract-template) |
| ☐ Cancellation policy | Written, on your booking page and in your confirmation message | [Cancellation policy template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-cancellation-policy-template) |
| ☐ Key and alarm procedure | Where keys live, who can hold them, what happens if one is lost, in writing | Coded key tags, never an address on the tag |
| ☐ Workers’ comp decision | You know your state’s rule for when it is required and have a quote ready for the first hire | Your state’s workers’ compensation board; rules differ by state |

Insurance is a cost you can quote before you buy it: most carriers give an online price for a solo cleaner in minutes. Put that number in your startup budget from phase 1 so it is never the reason you delay the first job.

## Phase 4: set prices and buy the starter kit

Phase 4 ends with a one-page price list and a kit that fits in your trunk. Price first, then buy, so you never spend on equipment the jobs you are quoting do not need.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ Work out your hourly cost | Pay (yours or a cleaner’s), supplies, driving, insurance and software, divided by billable hours | [Profit calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-profit-calculator) |
| ☐ Build a price list by home size | Flat prices for standard, deep and move-out cleans by bedrooms and bathrooms, plus add-ons | [Price calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/house-cleaning-price-calculator), [price list](https://broombook.com/tools/house-cleaning-price-list), [market prices](https://broombook.com/guides/house-cleaning-prices) |
| ☐ Commercial rates (if offices) | A per-square-foot and per-visit rate for the building types you target | [Commercial calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/commercial-cleaning-calculator), [office cleaning prices](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-prices) |
| ☐ Quote template | Every quote lists scope, price, frequency and what is excluded | [Estimate template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-estimate-template) |
| ☐ Starter kit bought | Vacuum, microfiber by color, flat mop, core chemicals, caddy, gloves, step stool | [Supplies list with costs](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-supplies-list) |
| ☐ Safety data sheets and labels | A sheet for every chemical, bottles labeled, and a rule never to mix products | Ask your supplier for the sheets; keep a folder in the car |
| ☐ Room-by-room checklist printed | The same list you will hand every future cleaner | [Checklist template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-checklist-template) |

A price list is not a promise to be the cheapest. It is a promise that two clients with the same home get the same price, which is what makes quoting fast and referrals safe.

## Phase 5: set up booking, scheduling, reminders and payments

Phase 5 takes one evening and saves hours every week after. Set up the systems before you market, so your first client books into a calendar, gets a reminder, and pays by card without you chasing anything.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ Online booking page | A client can see a price, pick a time and book without calling you | [Booking software](https://broombook.com/software/cleaning-booking-software) |
| ☐ Recurring schedules | Weekly, biweekly and monthly plans repeat on the calendar automatically | [Scheduling software](https://broombook.com/software/cleaning-scheduling-software) |
| ☐ Automatic reminders | Clients get a text or email before each visit so doors are unlocked and pets are put away | [What Broombook sends](https://broombook.com/features) |
| ☐ Card on file and invoices | You can charge after a clean, and send an invoice when a client asks for one | [Invoice template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-invoice-template) |
| ☐ Bookkeeping | Income and expenses categorized monthly; mileage logged from the first drive | [Accounting software compared](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-accounting) |
| ☐ Business phone and email | A number and address you can hand to a future employee without handing over your personal ones | A second line or app number is enough at the start |

Broombook is booking, scheduling and reminders for recurring service businesses, so it covers the first four boxes in this phase (see [pricing](https://broombook.com/pricing)). It does not do your bookkeeping or your taxes; those still need the last two boxes. If you prefer to compare before choosing, the [cleaning business software comparison](https://broombook.com/compare/best-cleaning-business-software) lists the options side by side.

## Phase 6: win your first clients

Phase 6 starts the day phase 5 ends, and the first boxes are free. A complete Google Business Profile, a booking link in your bio, and a message to everyone you know bring many solo cleaners their first five clients.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ Google Business Profile | Verified, with services, service area, hours, photos and your booking link | [SEO for cleaning companies](https://broombook.com/guides/seo-for-cleaning-companies) |
| ☐ A simple website | One page: who you clean for, prices or a starting price, reviews, a booking button | [Cleaning company website guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-company-website) |
| ☐ Tell your network | A personal message (not a broadcast) sent to 30 people with your booking link | [How to get clients](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-get-cleaning-clients) |
| ☐ Nextdoor, Yelp and local groups | Free pages claimed; a rule for how fast you answer every message | [Cleaning leads guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-leads) |
| ☐ Flyers and cards | A stack in the car for the neighbors of every client you clean for | [Flyer template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-flyer-template), [business cards](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-cards) |
| ☐ Referral offer | A written offer (a credit for both sides) you mention after the second clean | Keep it simple enough to say in one sentence |
| ☐ Paid ads decision | A weekly cap and a cost-per-booked-client target before any money goes in, or a decision to wait | [Cleaning business ads](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-ads) |

## Phase 7: the first 90 days

Phase 7 is where a cleaning business becomes a business instead of a job. The boxes are habits: deliver the same clean every time, ask for the review, track four numbers, and hire only when the calendar forces it.

| Box | Done when | Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ☐ First-clean routine | Confirm access the day before, checklist in hand, walkthrough or photos at the end, follow-up the next day | [Deep cleaning checklist](https://broombook.com/guides/deep-cleaning-checklist) for first visits |
| ☐ Review request | A saved message with your Google review link, sent after the first and third cleans | Ask while the home still looks its best |
| ☐ Convert to recurring | Every one-time client is offered a biweekly or monthly plan with a small discount | [How to grow a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-grow-a-cleaning-business) |
| ☐ Weekly numbers | Booked revenue, cleans per day, hours per clean, and cost per new client, written down every Friday | [Profit calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-profit-calculator) |
| ☐ Hiring trigger | A rule such as “when I turn down three jobs in a week” that starts the first hire | [How to hire cleaners](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-hire-cleaners), [W-2 or 1099](https://broombook.com/guides/independent-contractor-vs-employee-cleaners) |
| ☐ Quarterly taxes | A date in the calendar and a percentage of each payment set aside | Ask your accountant for the percentage; it depends on your state |
| ☐ Free counseling booked | A session with a SCORE mentor or your local SBDC on the calendar | [SBA resource partners](https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc) |

The last box is the one most owners skip. SCORE mentors offer area-specific advice at no cost (financing, human resources, business planning) by email, phone and video, and Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and training for start-ups ([SBA](https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc)). A free hour with someone who has read a hundred plans will catch the mistake in yours.

## What first-year owners most often leave off the list

The boxes below are the ones that come up in the first year as surprises. None takes long; all of them cost more when discovered late.

- **Sales tax on services.** Some states tax residential or commercial cleaning; others do not. The state guides linked in phase 2 say which, and your state revenue department has the form.
- **Home occupation permit.** Running the office from home can need a permit in some cities, even when nobody visits.
- **Mileage log from day one.** Driving between jobs is a real cost; log it from the first clean so your prices and your tax return both reflect it.
- **Client products and allergies noted on the booking.** Whether to use the client’s products, scent sensitivities and pets belong in the booking notes, not in your memory.
- **A no-mixing rule for chemicals.** Bleach and ammonia-based products, or bleach and acids, must never be combined. Put it on the checklist you hand every cleaner.
- **Proof of insurance ready to send.** A PDF in your phone wins the client who asks on the spot.
- **A price review date.** Put a date six months out to compare your hours per clean with what you assumed in phase 4.

When every box on this page is ticked, you have a legal, insured, priced and bookable cleaning business with a system behind it. From there the work is the work: the same clean every time, and a calendar that fills a little more each month.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a printable checklist for starting a cleaning business?

Yes. This page is built to print: use your browser’s print dialog and choose "Save as PDF" to keep a copy, or print it on paper and tick the boxes. Each box links to the guide that explains that step in full.

### What is the first thing to do when starting a cleaning business?

Decide what you clean, for whom, and where, before any paperwork. A niche and a service area decide which licenses, insurance and prices you need, so choosing them first avoids redoing the legal and pricing steps later.

### How long does the checklist take to complete?

A realistic target is to finish phases 1 to 5 (decide, legal, insurance, pricing and systems) in two to four weeks, with the longest wait usually being LLC approval in states that take more than a few days. Phases 6 and 7 are ongoing habits rather than one-time tasks.

### Do I need an LLC before I start cleaning?

No. Many owners start as sole proprietors and form an LLC later, but the structure affects liability and taxes, so decide on purpose. The LLC guide linked in phase 2 compares costs by state, and an accountant can confirm the choice for your situation.

### What does it cost to get an EIN?

Nothing. The IRS issues an EIN online, immediately, at no charge, and warns against websites that charge a fee for it. You need one to hire employees and many solo owners get one so they do not have to give clients their Social Security number.

### What insurance should be on the checklist before the first job?

General liability at a minimum, with a janitorial bond if clients or commercial buyers ask for one. Buy it before the first paid clean and keep the certificate as a PDF on your phone so you can send it the moment someone asks.

### When should I set up booking software, before or after my first clients?

Before. If your booking page, reminders and card payments are live first, every new client lands in a calendar with a reminder and a payment method, instead of in your text messages. Setting it up takes an evening.

## Sources

- [U.S. Small Business Administration: launch your business (register, tax IDs, licenses, bank account)](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business)
- [IRS: get an employer identification number](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number)
- [U.S. Small Business Administration: SBDC, SCORE and other resource partners](https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc)

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Broombook is scheduling, online booking and crew software for residential cleaning businesses. More guides for cleaning business owners: https://broombook.com/guides