Start a Cleaning Business
State-by-state guides to starting a cleaning business — formation, licensing, insurance, and tools.
Each state guide walks through business formation, licensing, insurance, tax setup, and the software stack we'd recommend.
State guides
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Arizona
Formation through eCorp, the Maricopa/Pima publication carveout, the patchwork of city licenses, and what the 2026 minimum wage steps look like for an Arizona cleaning crew.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in California
Formation, AB 5, the AB 1978 janitorial registration, sales tax, insurance, and minimum wage — what California asks of a new cleaning operator in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Colorado
Formation through the Colorado SOS, FAMLI and HFWA on day one, the COMPS daily-overtime rule, and the resort-town STR cleaning market in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Florida
Formation through Sunbiz, the rule that commercial cleaning is taxable but residential isn't, workers' comp thresholds, and how Florida's 2026 minimum-wage step-up changes payroll mid-year.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Georgia
Formation through eCorp, the no-sales-tax-on-cleaning rule, the 3-employee workers' comp threshold, and how Atlanta's new ATLBIZ portal changes the local license step in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Illinois
Formation through the Illinois SoS, the Chicago license fee doubling in 2026, workers' comp from the first employee, and PLAWA versus Chicago Paid Leave in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Michigan
Formation through LARA, why cleaning services aren't sales-taxed, the 3-employee workers' comp threshold, ESTA paid sick time, and the 24 Michigan cities that levy local income tax.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in New Jersey
Formation through DORES, the rule that both residential and commercial cleaning are taxable, the strict ABC test, and what New Jersey asks of a new cleaning operator in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in New York
Formation with the §206 publication requirement, sales tax on cleaning under §1105(c)(5), workers' comp at one employee, DBL and PFL — what New York asks of a new cleaning operator in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in North Carolina
Formation through the NC Secretary of State, the rule that routine cleaning is exempt from NC sales tax, the 3-employee workers' comp threshold, and the 3.99% flat income tax for 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Ohio
Formation through the Ohio SOS, the monopolistic BWC workers' comp rule, the $5,000 sales-tax threshold on janitorial services, and the realities of doing payroll across Ohio's municipal income taxes in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Pennsylvania
Formation through the PA Business Hub, the rule that both residential and commercial cleaning are taxable, workers' comp from the first employee, and the new annual report — what Pennsylvania asks of a new cleaning operator in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Texas
Formation, the sales-tax-on-commercial-cleaning rule, optional workers' comp, and the realities of building a cleaning business in Texas in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Virginia
Formation through the SCC, the BPOL gross-receipts tax that surprises new operators, the 3-employee workers' comp threshold, and Virginia's no-sales-tax-on-cleaning posture in 2026.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Washington
Formation through CCFS, the UBI and BLS application, L&I as Washington's only workers' comp option, the routine-vs-specialized sales-tax line, and PFML in 2026.