Evidence status: desk research and worked assumptions. Checked 14 September 2026. No HHA cleaning trials or customer quotes have been collected for this article. This is a small source sample, not a Perth market average.
Three numbers that answer different questions
| Measure | Published figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Perth retail example | Fantastic Cleaners: standard weekly A$45/hour | A supplier’s advertised offer. Its stated minimum callout is A$115 for two hours; equipment, detergents and membership conditions affect the quote. Not a city-wide average. |
| Employee wage benchmark | Cleaning Services Award Level 1: A$27.08/hour ordinary full-time day rate | A covered employee’s minimum rate under the current award, not the cost of running a cleaning business. Classification, coverage, casual loading, penalties and other entitlements matter. |
| NDIS benchmark | A$60.10/hour national limit for item 01_020_0120_1_1 in the 2026–27 pricing schedule | A scheme pricing limit for eligible house cleaning and household activities. It is neither a general retail rate nor evidence that robot-delivered work is fundable. |
Compare the same finished job
A useful comparison starts with a written scope: rooms, floor area, bathroom tasks, fixtures, surfaces, equipment, travel and the required result. Record cleaner-hours, not just elapsed time: two cleaners on site for one hour supply two cleaner-hours. Obtain a total price including applicable taxes and extras.
Our proposed Perth survey will request like-for-like written quotes from several providers for the same unoccupied home. Until that exists, we will not publish a “typical Perth clean” or imply a precise saving.
A robot cost ceiling, not a price promise
For an illustrative A$150 customer price including GST, a GST-registered operator has A$136.36 revenue excluding GST. At an assumed 30% gross margin, the maximum direct delivery cost is A$95.45. This scenario is not a quote or an HHA forecast.
| Input | Assumption |
|---|---|
| Customer price including GST | A$150.00 |
| Revenue excluding GST | A$150 ÷ 1.10 = A$136.36 |
| Direct cost ceiling at 30% margin | A$136.36 × 0.70 = A$95.45 |
| Human remote assistance example | 2.5 hours × assumed A$40 loaded cost/hour = A$100.00 |
Under those assumptions, one-to-one human assistance alone exceeds the delivery budget before transport, setup, power, repairs, insurance allocation, depreciation or rework. Shared supervision can help only if measured intervention demand allows it. Robot speed and successful completion matter as much as hardware price.
What we will measure next
- Written Perth quotes with a fixed scope and full price.
- Human baseline time and a scored result.
- Robot elapsed time, active human assistance and every intervention.
- Rework, consumables, logistics and asset costs per successful clean.
- Whether an independent witness accepts the final result.
We will publish the method and failures alongside any future result. A lower purchase price cannot substitute for a measured cost per completed job.
Sources & context
- Fantastic Cleaners Perth: published prices and conditions
- Fair Work: Cleaning Services Award MA000022
- NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27
- ASIC Moneysmart: GST calculation
Sources accessed 14 September 2026. Manufacturer and partner statements are attributed; HHA has not independently tested the equipment described.
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