Is House Cleaning Taxed in Connecticut? Yes, at 6.35%. Here's Why

Yes. Connecticut charges its 6.35% sales tax on house cleaning. The state treats cleaning homes, offices and other buildings as a taxable janitorial service. That is why our instant quote shows tax on its own line. A $170 bi-weekly visit for a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home comes to $180.80 with tax.

What the state lists as taxable

The Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) keeps a list of services subject to sales and use taxes. Three entries on that list touch cleaning:

• Janitorial services. This is the entry that covers house cleaning.
• Window cleaning services. These are listed on their own.
• Services to industrial, commercial and income-producing real property. DRS notes that this entry leaves out a home of three units or fewer where the owner lives. That carve-out does not help with cleaning, because janitorial services are taxed under their own entry, homes included.

The rate is the state's general one. The DRS sales and use tax information page says 6.35% applies to most goods and to taxable services. The statute itself lists janitorial services in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-407(a)(37)(Y).

What the regulation says about homes

A state regulation, Conn. Agencies Regs. § 12-407(2)(i)(Y)-1, defines janitorial services. It still uses the statute's older numbering for the same entry. It covers cleaning the inside or outside of "buildings, structures or dwellings," and the things in them. A dwelling is a home, so a house cleaning visit fits.

A few more points from the same regulation:

• Recurring and one-time jobs both count. The definition covers cleaning on a regular schedule and cleaning done once.
• The examples are everyday cleaning. They include floor, wall and woodwork cleaning, carpet and upholstery cleaning, cleaning and disinfecting bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming and emptying wastebaskets.
• The cleaning company pays tax on its own supplies. The regulation treats the cleaner as the end user of the supplies it buys. That tax is separate from the tax on your bill.

The narrow exceptions

The regulation names two cases that are not taxable janitorial services:

1. A housekeeper you employ directly. Hiring a housekeeper or maid as your own employee is not a taxable sale, as long as the only pay is a regular salary or wages. The reason is that Connecticut's definition of a sale leaves out work an employee does for an employer.
2. Casual sales. An individual who is not otherwise in the cleaning business, and who cleans three or fewer homes a year, is not doing taxable work. DRS describes casual sales as infrequent, one-off sales by someone who is not in that line of business.

Neither one covers a cleaning company. Neither covers an independent cleaner who is not your employee and cleans more than three homes a year.

How the 6.35% shows on a J Ortiz quote

Our quote tool adds the tax as its own line, labeled "CT Service Tax (6.35%)." It figures the tax on the subtotal, which is the cleaning price plus any add-ons. Then it adds the tax to get the estimated total.

Here is what the quote shows for a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home on a bi-weekly schedule:

Prices are current as of October 2026 and may change without prior notice. Our instant quote always shows the current price for your home.

For every home size and service, see our house cleaning price guide. For what a regular visit covers, see our house cleaning page.

What it means for commercial clients

Offices and businesses are taxed the same way. The regulation's definition covers buildings whether or not they are industrial, commercial or income-producing. So office cleaning and other commercial cleaning carry the same 6.35%.

Two more points from the regulation apply to businesses:

• Your own staff is different. A janitor or custodian a business employs directly, for regular wages only, is not a taxable janitorial service. This is the same rule as the housekeeper exception.
• Location decides it. The service is taxed where the building is. Cleaning at a Connecticut property is taxable even if the contract was signed, or the invoice is mailed, outside the state.

Commercial and office jobs are quoted separately from the home quote tool. We typically provide commercial quotes within 24 hours.

This is general information, not tax advice

This post is a plain summary of what DRS and the state regulation say. It is general information, not tax advice. The rate and the rules come from DRS and Connecticut law, and they can change. For your own situation, check with DRS or a tax professional.

Frequently asked questions

Is house cleaning taxable in CT?

Yes. Connecticut taxes house cleaning as a janitorial service at the 6.35% sales tax rate. The state regulation defines janitorial services to include cleaning dwellings, so homes are covered the same as offices. The narrow exceptions are a housekeeper you employ directly and an individual who cleans three or fewer homes a year.

Is window or carpet cleaning taxed?

Yes. DRS lists window cleaning services as taxable on their own, and the regulation names carpet and upholstery cleaning as janitorial services. State law does have a narrow exemption for some services, including window cleaning, done at the home of a person receiving Social Security total disability benefits (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-412(85)). Ask DRS if you think it applies to you.

Do I pay tax if I hire a cleaner directly?

It depends on how you hire them. A housekeeper who is your employee and gets only regular wages is not a taxable sale. An individual who is not in the cleaning business and cleans three or fewer homes a year is a casual sale, which is not taxed. An independent cleaner who is in the cleaning business, or a cleaning company, does not fit either exception.

Is post-construction cleaning taxed?

Yes. The regulation's definition covers one-time cleaning, and its example is a site after construction or renovation is finished. On our quote, post-construction cleaning is priced by the square foot, and the 6.35% is added to the subtotal the same way as any other clean.

Are add-ons like the inside of the fridge taxed too?

Yes. Our quote tool figures the tax on the subtotal, and the subtotal includes add-ons such as the inside of the fridge, oven or cabinets. The regulation's definition also covers cleaning the contents of a building, not just the building itself.

Why is tax on my quote?

Because Connecticut taxes janitorial services, and house cleaning is one. Our quote tool shows the 6.35% as its own line, so the estimated total you see already includes it.

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Written by Marcos Ortiz, founder of J Ortiz Cleaning Services. About us