Why use a referral agency for housecleaning?

Today you have a lot of choices for cleaning your home – beyond the obvious option to clean the home yourself, there are a variety of professional service providers in the marketplace providing cleaning services. Out of these, the best option is to use a referral service. The reasons are:

Supporting independence – Referral agencies work with independent domestic workers. They are referred to the client by the agency. The workers are vetted professionals – a good agency will have gone through the process of background checks, experience checks, and reference checks before a referral. The workers get to choose their hours, locations to work, and what type of jobs they want. Such independence is welcomed by domestic workers – they get a wonderful opportunity for extra income while balancing personal and family obligations.

Supporting living wages – Because the domestic workers aren’t employed by the agency, the overhead is significantly lower, and as such, the savings for housecleanings are passed onto the consumer. Yet, the domestic worker gets the majority of the fees for house cleaning. We have seen time and again in California that a responsible, transparent referral agency can pay workers significantly more than the prevailing minimum wage. By using the referral system, you save money on your house cleanings and can take comfort in the fact that the maids are well compensated.

Reducing the underground economy – Referral agencies issue each independent domestic worker 1099 every year, declaring their income to the IRS. By doing so, we are keeping domestic services “above ground” and following the labor laws set by the government.

Using a referral agency for your house cleaning, carpet cleaning, or window cleaning (or pretty much any domestic task) is a great way to support small businesses. It’s a win-win-win for you, the service provider, and the referral agency. Weekend Maids is proud to operate in full compliance of the laws governing our industry now for 32 years. If you have a house cleaning need in San Diego, please call us – we are here for you 7 days a week.