A compiled reference of 20 verified statistics on what carpet and upholstery cleaning cost. It covers per-job, per-room, and per-square-foot prices from three pricing guides, prices by cleaning method, upholstery prices by piece, the recommended cleaning schedule, and the industry behind the trucks. Every figure names its source (Yelp's quote data from 140,241 carpet jobs and 63,539 upholstery jobs, the Fixr and Homewyse cost guides, the Carpet and Rug Institute, and IBISWorld) and was independently checked against the original before publishing.
Key statistics
6 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Carpet cleaning is priced by the square foot, the room, or the job, and the big pricing guides do not fully agree. We show each guide's numbers separately. For a landlord, the stakes are simple: a $200 cleaning protects a carpet that costs thousands to replace.
A typical carpet cleaning job costs about $200, based on 140,241 real quotes.
Three pricing guides put carpet cleaning between $0.18 and $0.51 per square foot.
Cleaning a couch costs $90 to $250, based on 63,539 real quotes.
Carpet makers recommend a professional deep clean every 12 to 18 months.
Carpet cleaning is a $6.9 billion industry with 41,611 businesses.
A whole-house carpet cleaning averages $250 for a 1,600 to 2,000 square foot home.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in August 2026 from named public sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
Quote-based marketplace data, two independent cost guides, the carpet industry's trade association, and industry market research.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each one inline where it appears.
- Disagreements shown, not averaged
Where sources give different numbers, we show both rather than blending them into a false single figure.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
A note on reading these numbers. The three pricing guides disagree, and we show each one's range rather than averaging them. Yelp's figures come from quotes requested through Yelp, Fixr's estimates were updated in January 2025, and Homewyse's in January 2026. Local prices move with labor and travel costs. Confirm any figure against the named source before relying on it.
Carpet and upholstery cleaning costs, by the numbers
All 20 figures, grouped by theme. Each one names its source and was independently verified.
What a carpet cleaning job costs
The largest quote dataset comes from Yelp (yelp.com), whose cost guide is built from 140,241 real quotes from US businesses. These are asked prices from working cleaners, not estimates.
Statistic 1
A typical carpet cleaning job costs $200. The low end is $120 and the high end is $370, based on 140,241 real quotes.
Yelp cost guide, quote data (2026)
Statistic 2
Per square foot, carpet cleaning runs $0.20 to $0.50, with an average of $0.30. A 10-by-10-foot bedroom averages $20 to $50.
Yelp cost guide, quote data (2026)
Statistic 3
Per room, cleaning costs $20 to $80 with an average of $50. A whole house of 1,600 to 2,000 square feet runs $125 to $575, with $250 the average.
Yelp cost guide, quote data (2026)
Statistic 4
Most cleaners set a minimum charge of $100 to $300, no matter how small the job is.
Yelp cost guide, quote data (2026)
What this means: The minimum charge is the number landlords trip on. One stained bedroom costs almost as much as three, so cleaning is cheapest when it is batched into the turnover. Our move-out cleaning cost statistics report covers the rest of that job.
A second and third opinion
Two other guides price the same work lower and higher. Fixr (fixr.com) publishes contractor-cost estimates updated in January 2025. Homewyse (homewyse.com) publishes unit-cost estimates updated in January 2026. We show them separately; the spread is the honest answer.
Statistic 5
Fixr puts the national average at $90 per job, with a range of $75 to $300 and a per-square-foot rate of $0.18 to $0.36.
Fixr cost guide (updated January 2025)
Statistic 6
By room count, Fixr prices one room at $40 to $70 and three rooms at $75 to $300.
Fixr cost guide (updated January 2025)
Statistic 7
Homewyse estimates $0.41 to $0.51 per square foot as of January 2026, with a 250 square foot minimum service size.
Homewyse unit-cost estimate (January 2026)
What this means: The three guides span $0.18 to $0.51 per square foot. The spread is real: quote data skews toward what people actually book, and unit-cost models bake in setup time. Budget with the high number and be pleased by the low one.
By method, and when cleaning is not enough
The cleaning method moves the price. Both guides price the common methods; Yelp's ranges sit higher than Fixr's, so we list both. Fixr also prices what happens when a stain wins.
Statistic 8
Yelp's per-job ranges by method: steam cleaning $125 to $550, dry cleaning $125 to $360, shampooing $125 to $425, encapsulation $125 to $350, carbonated $125 to $575.
Yelp cost guide, quote data (2026)
Statistic 9
Fixr's per-job ranges by method: bonnet $25 to $85, dry $60 to $130, encapsulation $80 to $200, shampooing $100 to $240, steam or hot water extraction $100 to $310, carbonated $130 to $400.
Fixr cost guide (updated January 2025)
Statistic 10
Stain treatment costs $30 to $40 per stained area. A severe stain that needs padding replaced runs $40 to $300.
Fixr cost guide (updated January 2025)
Statistic 11
When cleaning fails, Fixr puts complete carpet replacement at $1,780 to $3,000.
Fixr cost guide (updated January 2025)
What this means: The jump from a $35 stain treatment to a $1,780 replacement is the whole argument for catching stains early. Pet stains are the most common repeat offender; our pet damage statistics report has those numbers.
Upholstery cleaning
Furniture is priced per piece. Yelp's upholstery data covers 63,539 real quotes; Fixr's guide was updated in January 2025. The two roughly agree on couches and disagree on the extremes.
Statistic 12
Upholstery cleaning averages $100 to $250 per job, based on 63,539 real quotes. Most cleaners set a minimum fee of $60 to $100.
Yelp upholstery cost guide, quote data (2026)
Statistic 13
Per piece on Yelp: a chair runs $30 to $70, a couch $90 to $250, a sectional $150 to $300.
Yelp upholstery cost guide, quote data (2026)
Statistic 14
Per piece on Fixr: a dining chair runs $15 to $40, a loveseat $60 to $150, a sofa $100 to $300, a sectional $120 to $400, a mattress $50 to $150. The national average is $180.
Fixr upholstery cost guide (updated January 2025)
Statistic 15
Leather is the most expensive material to clean on Yelp's guide at $100 to $300, with fabric the cheapest at $30 to $100. Fixr prices leather at $150 to $400.
Yelp and Fixr upholstery cost guides, shown separately
What this means: A furnished rental carries hundreds of dollars of cleanable fabric per room. Cleaning a sectional for $150 beats arguing about replacing it; the deposit-fight version of that argument is in our tenant damage statistics report.
The cleaning schedule
The Carpet and Rug Institute, CRI (carpet-rug.org), is the carpet industry's trade association. It has a stake here, since its members make carpet, but its guidance is what manufacturer warranty terms point to.
Statistic 16
Carpets should be professionally deep cleaned every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime.
Carpet and Rug Institute, cleaning and maintenance guidance
Statistic 17
Cleaners certified under CRI's Seal of Approval program are recommended, and sometimes required by the manufacturer, for warranty protection.
Carpet and Rug Institute, cleaning and maintenance guidance
Statistic 18
Between deep cleans, CRI says to vacuum at least once a week, and more often in high-traffic areas.
Carpet and Rug Institute, cleaning and maintenance guidance
What this means: The 12-to-18-month schedule is not just advice; manufacturers sometimes make certified professional cleaning a warranty condition. For a rental, that turns a scheduled $200 cleaning into cheap insurance on flooring worth thousands.
The industry behind the trucks
IBISWorld (ibisworld.com) sizes the business. Carpet cleaning is big, growing slowly, and extremely fragmented, which is why prices vary so much from one company to the next.
Statistic 19
US carpet cleaning is a $6.9 billion industry in 2026, up 1.0% from $6.8 billion in 2025.
IBISWorld, carpet cleaning industry data (2026)
Statistic 20
There are 41,611 carpet cleaning businesses in the US, a count that grew 2.6% per year from 2021 to 2026. Most compete locally in a highly fragmented market.
IBISWorld, carpet cleaning industry data (2026)
What this means: With over 41,000 mostly local companies, there is no national price list. That is why the guides disagree, and why getting two or three quotes on a big job is worth the ten minutes.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does professional carpet cleaning cost?
A typical job costs about $200, with most jobs between $120 and $370, based on 140,241 real quotes in Yelp's cost guide. Per room, expect $20 to $80 with a $50 average, and most cleaners set a $100 to $300 minimum charge.
How much does carpet cleaning cost per square foot?
The three guides disagree, so we show all three: Yelp's quote data says $0.20 to $0.50 with a $0.30 average, Fixr says $0.18 to $0.36, and Homewyse says $0.41 to $0.51 as of January 2026. Local labor costs explain most of the spread.
How much does upholstery cleaning cost?
Upholstery cleaning averages $100 to $250 per job, based on 63,539 real quotes in Yelp's cost guide. A couch runs $90 to $250, a sectional $150 to $300, and leather is the most expensive material on Yelp's guide.
How often should carpet be professionally cleaned?
Every 12 to 18 months, per the Carpet and Rug Institute, and manufacturers sometimes require CRI-certified professional cleaning for warranty protection. In between, CRI recommends vacuuming at least once a week.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named sources, each checked against the original before publishing.
YelpCost guides: 140,241 carpet and 63,539 upholstery quotes (2026)yelp.com
FixrCarpet and upholstery cleaning cost guides (January 2025)fixr.com
HomewyseCarpet cleaning unit-cost estimate (January 2026)homewyse.com
Carpet and Rug InstituteCleaning and maintenance guidancecarpet-rug.org
IBISWorldCarpet cleaning industry data (2025-2026)ibisworld.com