For homes, an all-inclusive per-square-metre rate is usually the fairest and clearest way to price carpet cleaning. You pay for the exact area cleaned, so a small bedroom is not charged the same as a large open-plan lounge. Per-room pricing is common, but a flat figure per room tends to overcharge small rooms and underserve large ones, and it leaves open the awkward question of what counts as a room. The complaint people really have with per-square-metre is not the unit at all, it is a low rate that quietly excludes the treatments and adds them at the end. Solve that by making the per-square-metre rate all-inclusive, and it becomes the most honest number you can quote. We charge on exactly that basis, an all-inclusive per-square-metre rate with every treatment included.
How each method works
Per-square-metre pricing charges a set rate for each square metre of carpet, so the price scales precisely to the area cleaned. Per-room pricing quotes a single figure per room regardless of how big that room actually is. For a home, where rooms range from a small study to a large open-plan living area, measuring the area is what keeps the price proportional to the work, while a flat per-room rate has to average across very different sizes, which is where the over- and under-charging creeps in.
Why per-room can mislead at home
A flat per-room price sounds simple, but it hides two problems. First, rooms are not a standard size, so the same per-room figure can be a fair price for a large lounge and a poor one for a box bedroom. Second, "a room" is not well defined, an open-plan kitchen-lounge-diner might be billed as one room or three. Per-square-metre removes that ambiguity: the area is measured, and the price follows it.
Why all-inclusive per-square-metre is clearer for households
An all-inclusive per-square-metre rate answers the two questions you actually care about: how big is the job, and what is included? Because the treatments are bundled into the rate, there is nothing to add at the end, and comparing two quotes is comparing like with like once you know both are all-inclusive, see what all-inclusive pricing means. Our all-inclusive per-square-metre rate already contains deodorising, stain treatment, urine treatment, rejuvenation and a hypoallergenic rinse, with no call-out fee, so the figure you are quoted is the figure you pay.
The catch with cheap per-square-metre rates
Per-square-metre only gets a bad name when the rate is a teaser. A very low rate often buys a single extraction pass, with stain treatment, urine treatment, deodorising and a call-out fee charged on top once the technician arrives, so the figure that wins the comparison is not the figure you pay. The fix is not to switch units, it is to insist the rate is all-inclusive and in writing, see choosing a carpet cleaning company. A genuine all-inclusive per-square-metre rate is both transparent and easy to compare. See our pricing page for current rates.
Where per-room or a blended figure can still suit you
None of this means a per-room figure is always wrong. For a quick, single-room job some clients prefer one round number, and for large commercial floors a clean rate per square metre across a defined area is the obvious fit, see choosing a commercial provider. When we clean several items in one visit we will happily give you a single combined figure. The underlying basis stays the same, all-inclusive and measured by area, so whichever way it is presented, the price reflects the actual job.
What matters more than the unit
Whichever way a quote is presented, the real questions are the same: is the price all-inclusive, is there a call-out fee, and is it in writing? A fair quote states clearly what is included so there are no surprises. We quote homes on an all-inclusive per-square-metre basis precisely so the price you are told is the price you pay, see our full pricing.
Common questions
Is per-room or per-square-metre carpet cleaning pricing fairer?
For homes, an all-inclusive per-square-metre rate is usually fairer and clearer, because you pay for the exact area cleaned rather than an averaged flat rate that overcharges small rooms and underserves large ones. A per-room figure can still be convenient for a single-room job, but it has to average across very different room sizes. The key is that whatever the unit, the rate should be all-inclusive.
Why do some carpet cleaners charge per room instead of per square metre?
Mostly because a round per-room figure is simple to advertise. The drawback is that rooms vary in size and "a room" is not well defined, so the same flat price can be fair for one room and poor for another. Pricing per square metre removes that ambiguity by following the measured area, which is why we quote on an all-inclusive per-square-metre basis.
Is per-square-metre carpet cleaning a bad deal?
Not at all, provided the rate is all-inclusive. A low per-square-metre headline rate is only misleading when it covers basic extraction and adds stain, urine and deodorising treatment and a call-out fee on the day. Always ask whether the rate is all-inclusive and get it in writing. Our all-inclusive per-square-metre rate includes every standard treatment with no call-out fee.
For an all-inclusive per-square-metre quote, see our carpet cleaning service or request a free quote.