How to Start a Cleaning Business in Illinois
Start a cleaning business in Illinois: $150 LLC fee, sales tax and license rules, local cleaner wages ($18.18/hr median) and a pricing example, with official Illinois sources.
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Illinois at a glance for cleaning businesses
| LLC filing fee | $150 |
|---|---|
| Ongoing state report fee | $75 (annual) |
| Sales tax on cleaning services | Partly |
| State cleaning license | Not required statewide |
| State minimum wage (2026) | $15/hr |
| Median janitor wage in Illinois | $18.18/hr |
| Median maid / housekeeper wage | $17.49/hr |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Fees and rules: official Illinois sources linked in each section. Verified October 18, 2026.
Step 1: Form your LLC in Illinois
An LLC keeps business debts and lawsuits separate from your personal assets, which matters in a job where you work inside other people's homes and buildings. In Illinois the state filing fee is $150, filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division. After that, the ongoing state report fee is $75 (annual).
A standard LLC annual report fee is $75; a series LLC pays $75 plus $50 for each active series. No franchise-tax minimum is identified; a delinquency penalty applies to late annual reports, but its amount is not shown.
You can file yourself on the state website, or have ZenBusiness or Northwest Registered Agent file it and track your report deadlines. Then get your free EIN at IRS.gov.
Compare: full Illinois LLC cost breakdown · LLC costs in every state
Step 2: Licenses and registrations
The provided results do not identify a cleaning- or janitorial-specific statewide professional license. Ordinary business entity and tax registrations, plus applicable state, county, municipal, Chicago, environmental, or specialty permits, may still be required; check local requirements. (source)
Also check your city and county. Many require a general business license or tax registration even when the state does not.
Step 3: Sales tax on cleaning in Illinois
Cleaning and janitorial labor is generally not subject to Illinois sales tax, but tangible personal property transferred to the customer with the service may be subject to Service Occupation Tax. The provided information does not distinguish residential from commercial cleaning. (Illinois source)
If your services are taxable, register for a sales tax permit before your first invoice and build the tax into your quotes, so it isn't coming out of your margin. Bookkeeping software like QuickBooks can track tax collected per invoice.
Step 4: Insurance and bonding
Commercial clients will ask for a certificate of insurance before you start. Cleaning businesses nationally pay a median of $59/month for general liability and about $9/month for a janitorial bond (Insureon). Once you hire in Illinois, check the state's workers' compensation rules. You can get a quote and download your own certificate from NEXT Insurance, or compare several insurers at once through Insureon.
Step 5: Price your work with Illinois wages
Price from labor hours. Here is a 10,000 sq ft office cleaned 5 nights a week, using the Illinois median janitor wage:
| Labor hours per visit | 4 (assumes 2,500 sq ft per hour) |
|---|---|
| Wage + 15% payroll costs | $18.18 → $20.91/hr |
| Labor + $5 supplies per visit | $88.64 |
| Direct cost per month (21.7 visits) | $1,923 |
| Price at 25% / 35% / 45% gross margin | $2,564 / $2,958 / $3,496 per month |
Walk the building before you quote: restrooms, kitchens and hard floors take longer than open carpet. See the full pricing walkthrough.
Step 6: Get your first clients in Illinois
Residential: set up a Google Business Profile, ask every client for a review, and lead with recurring weekly or biweekly pricing. Let clients book online with BookingKoala. Google Local Services Ads and Facebook ads can bring calls in the first month, as long as you answer leads within minutes.
Commercial: build a list of offices, medical practices and churches in your area, then use cold email, calls and drop-ins to book free walkthroughs. Send a written proposal within 48 hours; Jobber turns a walkthrough into a quote the client approves online. If you'd rather have walkthroughs booked for you, Redbird Leads runs cold email for commercial cleaning companies.*
*LocalBizDesk and Redbird Leads share an owner.
Step 7: Hiring in Illinois
The Illinois minimum wage is $15/hr (Illinois’s general adult minimum wage remains $15.00 per hour in 2026. Some local minimum wages may be higher; tipped employees and certain workers under 18 have different listed rates), but the going rate is higher: the median janitor in Illinois earns $18.18/hr and the median maid or housekeeper $17.49/hr. If you set schedules and supply equipment, your cleaners are likely employees, not contractors (IRS rules). Gusto handles payroll tax filings and new-hire paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business in Illinois?
The state LLC filing fee is $150. Add supplies and equipment (about $1,000 to $3,000 for residential, more for commercial) and insurance, which runs a median of $59 a month for general liability.
Do you need a license to clean houses or offices in Illinois?
The provided results do not identify a cleaning- or janitorial-specific statewide professional license. Ordinary business entity and tax registrations, plus applicable state, county, municipal, Chicago, environmental, or specialty permits, may still be required; check local requirements.
Is cleaning taxable in Illinois?
Some cleaning services are taxable. Cleaning and janitorial labor is generally not subject to Illinois sales tax, but tangible personal property transferred to the customer with the service may be subject to Service Occupation Tax. The provided information does not distinguish residential from commercial cleaning.
How much do cleaners make in Illinois?
The median wage is $18.18 an hour for janitors and building cleaners and $17.49 for maids and housekeepers (BLS, May 2025). The state minimum wage is $15.