How to compare carpet cleaning quotes and spot hidden fees
Ask three carpet cleaners for a price and you can get three numbers that look nothing alike. One quotes per room, one per square foot, one offers a “whole home special”. Then the final bill comes in higher than any of them. If you’re pricing a clean for a Westwood Plateau family home, a Suter Brook condo or a Burke Mountain townhouse, here’s how to line quotes up fairly and catch the extra charges before they’re on the invoice.
Why carpet cleaning quotes are hard to compare
Companies count differently. The same three-bedroom home could be “4 rooms” to one cleaner, “6 areas” to another, and “900 square feet” to a third. And the headline price often doesn’t cover the same work:
- What counts as a room. Is an open living and dining area one room or two? Is a walk-in closet a room? Is a hallway included?
- What the method is. A quick surface clean and a full hot water extraction are very different jobs, even at the same price.
- What’s extra. Pre-treatment, spot work, pet odour, deodorizing, fabric protector, and moving furniture are sometimes included and sometimes added on site.
So the cheapest number on paper isn’t always the cheapest job.
The add-on fees worth asking about
Not every company charges these, and some are fair charges for real extra work. The point is to know before the technician arrives. Ask each company:
- Is pre-treatment of traffic lanes and spots included? Most carpets need it to come clean.
- Is there an extra charge for pet stains or odour treatment? Ask how much per spot or per room.
- Is there a minimum job charge? A low per-room price can turn into a much higher total on a small job.
- Do you charge for moving furniture? Ask what they move and what they don’t.
- Are stairs and hallways included, or priced separately?
- Is deodorizing or fabric protector included, or offered on the day?
- Is tax included in the price? Carpet cleaning in BC is charged GST.
- Is there a travel fee or a parking fee for your area?
If a company can’t answer clearly over the phone or online, that’s a sign the final number may move.
Questions about the clean itself
Price is only half of it. Two more questions tell you what you’re paying for:
- What method do you use? Truck-mounted hot water extraction uses a powerful unit in the truck that heats the water and pulls the dirty water out to the truck, so it rinses dirt out of the carpet instead of leaving residue in it. Some low-priced cleans are a quick surface pass that looks fine for a week.
- How long will it take to dry? With good extraction, carpet is usually dry in 3 to 6 hours. If someone promises “dry in 30 minutes,” ask how much cleaning is actually happening.
How to line two quotes up side by side
Make a short list of exactly what you want cleaned: each room, any rugs, the couch, the stairs. Send the same list to every company. Then compare:
| Check | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Same rooms and items counted? | ||
| Pre-treatment included? | ||
| Pet or odour treatment price | ||
| Minimum charge | ||
| Tax shown? | ||
| Method (truck-mounted or portable) | ||
| Dry time |
Once the list is the same, the numbers usually make a lot more sense.
How Dazzle prices a job
Dazzle is a local carpet cleaner with one simple rate: $90 an area, before the current promo, plus GST. An area is one room, one sofa seat, one armchair, or one large rug about 10×8 or bigger. Smaller rugs are $65. Dining chairs are $30 ($20 seat only), and mattresses are $200 king, $150 queen and $100 single or full. The minimum is $210, which covers up to 3 areas, and the promo comes off jobs above that.
For example, three bedrooms and a living room are four areas, or $360 before the promo. Add a three-seat sofa and it’s seven areas, $630 before the promo.
When you book online, you choose what needs cleaning and the price shows as you go, so you see the total before you confirm. Carpet is cleaned with truck-mounted hot water extraction, with a portable unit for towers where the truck can’t reach. We use plant-based, pet-safe solutions, and we walk you through the result before we leave. Tile floors are $2 to $2.50 a square foot, priced by the technician on arrival, and commercial jobs are quoted by Rob personally.
From Coquitlam Centre and Austin Heights to Heritage Mountain and Inlet Centre, you can book carpet cleaning in Coquitlam and Port Moody online and see your price right away.
Common questions
Should I just pick the cheapest quote? Only once you’ve confirmed it covers the same rooms, the same method and the same extras. A low headline price with add-ons can end up costing more.
Is per-room or per-square-foot pricing better? Neither is better in itself. Per-room or per-area pricing is easier to check yourself, because you can count your rooms. Per-square-foot pricing depends on how the space is measured, so ask how they measure.
What if I want more done on the day? Ask the technician. Extra rooms and furniture are priced at the same per-area rate, and you can agree on it before the work starts.
Ready to book? See carpet cleaning in Coquitlam and Port Moody, or call (604) 802-8500.