Carpet Cleaning Business
One hotel property manager account can be worth $50K/year — and they never cancel
Carpet cleaning businesses use truck-mounted or portable hot-water extraction equipment to deep clean carpets in homes, hotels, offices, and apartment complexes. Profit margins run 30–50%, startup costs are under $20K for a portable unit, and the real money lies in commercial accounts — a single property manager relationship (apartment building, hotel chain) generates $30K–$100K/year in recurring revenue with near-zero churn. Add water damage restoration as a service and revenue can double overnight.
Avg Revenue
$250K
Profit Margin
38%
Acquisition Multiple
1.5x - 2.5x
Startup Cost
$8K - $60K
Difficulty
2/5
How It Works
Technicians use hot-water extraction machines (HWE) to inject hot water and cleaning solution deep into carpet fibers and immediately extract the dirty water. Residential jobs charge $150–$400 per visit. Commercial jobs — hotel rooms, offices, multi-unit housing — are booked by the square foot ($0.10–$0.35/sq ft) on recurring schedules. Water damage restoration (called 'resto') runs $2,000–$15,000 per job and can be dispatched through insurance referral networks.
Revenue Range
Pros
- +30–50% profit margins with very low material costs
- +Commercial property manager accounts provide near-zero-churn recurring revenue
- +Water damage restoration add-on dramatically boosts revenue per truck
- +Businesses can start with a portable unit under $10K and scale to truck-mount rigs
Cons
- -Residential customers are seasonal and need reminders to rebook
- -Truck-mounted equipment ($20K–$60K) needed for high-volume commercial work
- -Competing with large franchises (Stanley Steemer) on residential SEO
Best For
Operators willing to target commercial B2B accounts — hotels, apartment complexes, and property managers — for recurring revenue
Operating Costs
Van, equipment (portable $8K–$15K; truck-mount $20K–$60K), cleaning chemicals ($50–$150/job), insurance, and fuel. COGS per job is low — mostly labor. Owner-operator running 3–5 jobs/day earns $250–$500 net profit daily.
Where to Buy
Find carpet cleaning businesses for sale across the US
Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification — industry credential that builds customer trust
Browse carpet cleaning and restoration businesses for sale
Quick Facts
- Category
- route
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Acquisition Price
- $375K - $625K
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Carpet Cleaning Business
$250K/yr • 38% margins • 1.5x–2.5x multiple
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