Starting a cleaning business in Australia means choosing between sole trader and company status, registering for an ABN and GST once you cross A$75,000 in turnover, and pricing jobs correctly from day one.
Most new cleaning businesses in Australia start as a sole trader — it's the simplest and cheapest way to begin, with no separate legal entity to set up, though you're personally liable for the business's debts. Many owners later set up as a company, registered with ASIC (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission), mainly for the liability protection it provides — your personal assets are separated from the business's.
There's no single right answer for every new owner. A sole trader structure is faster and cheaper to start; a company costs more to set up and run (ASIC fees, more formal record-keeping) but limits your personal liability if something goes wrong on a job.
Whichever structure you choose, you'll generally need to:
You're required to register for GST once your annual turnover reaches A$75,000 — this is the ATO's standard GST registration threshold. Below that, registration is optional, though some businesses register voluntarily anyway so they can claim GST credits on their own business expenses. Once registered, you'll need to charge GST on your cleaning services and lodge regular BAS (Business Activity Statement) returns.
Before your first paid job, get:
Starting lean is realistic for domestic cleaning specifically:
Don't guess at pricing — use real local numbers as your anchor. Here's what this app's own calculator quotes for a standard house clean in a few states:
If you want to quote jobs this consistently — the same pricing logic every time, specific to your state, instead of guessing or rebuilding a spreadsheet — try Clean Estimator free for 14 days. It's built around exactly the pricing data used throughout this guide.
Our calculator gives location-specific prices in seconds. Free and instant.
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