2020 Cleanfax Carpet Cleaning Benchmarking Survey Report

December 8, 2020—Amanda Hosey

The time has come for our annual deep dive into data on the carpet cleaning industry. We heard back from hundreds of busy owners, supervisors, and staff, and we thank you all for helping us develop a clear, definitive look at the statistics of the industry. In the 2020 Cleanfax Carpet Cleaning Benchmarking Survey Report, we asked necessary questions about how the pandemic has affected individual businesses, and we were surprised by the positive responses. While 6% of companies report crippling complications, the majority (61%) say, though negatively affected, they will bounce back. Still another 28% were either not affected at all or saw an increase in business.

The carpet cleaning industry’s ability to thrive in the current crisis is a true testament to its strength. Read on to see other figures on the industry and find out how your business stacks up against its peers.

Compare to the 2019 report.

About this report: The data in this survey is based on results from carpet cleaning contractors responding to invitations for this survey. Results are not necessarily based on audited financial statements. This report was made possible with support from Legend Brands.

While some industry companies provide a mix of services across cleaning and restoration, most specialize specifically in floorcare.

After three consecutive years of diminishing reports of franchising, this year’s survey saw a slight uptick (1% over 2019) in those who are part of a franchise system, returning to 2018’s numbers. Though it’s still well below the 11% reported in 2017.

With the majority of respondents in supervisory roles, reported challenges reflected management-level issues. Chief among them was that elusive white whale—quality, qualified, loyal employees.

LLCs, S corporations, and sole proprietorships continue to dominate the carpet cleaning industry, just as partnerships continue to be a rarity.

Respondents from across the United States and elsewhere donated their time to flesh out this year’s survey. See a breakdown of numbers by location on page 11.

There is notable fragmentation within carpet cleaning revenue, often due to a diverse selection of services offered.

More than a third of companies named the COVID-19 pandemic as one of their two biggest challenges, with a few respondents listing different aspects of the pandemic as both of their two biggest challenges.

This year saw an increase across the board of additional services offered or sub contracted out, with almost every category rising from 2019.

Most companies (46%) who offer rug cleaning do so both on location and in a wash plant, depending on the job.

More than two thirds of companies charge between $25 and $75 per room on average.

The majority of companies keep their pricing for sofa cleaning close to $100.

The majority of people either purchase online most the time or rarely, with far fewer reporting a split between the two.

While the South reported the lowest starting wage, its average for tenured employees was much higher. The same was true in the West. The Midwest and Northeast, however, each reported the same starting and average wage, suggesting higher employee turnover, few raises, or both.