Payroll for a small cleaning business: Gusto vs QuickBooks vs ADP

Payroll is one of the first places a growing cleaning company gets into trouble. Hours come in by text, pay rates differ by cleaner and by job, and somebody has to remember the tax deposits. Then there's the bigger question: are your cleaners employees, or 1099 contractors?

I've spent more than 25 years in customer service, sales, and operations. In this guide I'll compare what Gusto, QuickBooks, and ADP charge, show what payroll for a small crew would cost, and walk through what the IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor say about classifying workers. I've used regular list prices, not limited-time promotions.

Payroll prices, side by side

Gusto bills U.S. contractors at the per-person rate, and only in months you pay them; it says there are no contracts and you can cancel any time. QuickBooks also sells payroll bundled with QuickBooks Online (for example, Payroll plus Simple Start at $88 a month plus $7 per employee) and says there's no annual contract. ADP says it serves more than 900,000 small business clients but doesn't publish prices.

What payroll for 6 cleaners would cost

Say you have six cleaners on payroll. These are made-up numbers, for the math only, using the list prices above.

Software fees only. Add-ons such as time tracking on lower plans, workers' compensation, and faster pay options cost extra. Taxes you owe as an employer are separate, and they're the bigger number.

If your cleaners track hours in your scheduling app, check whether it feeds your payroll service. That one connection saves a lot of retyping. I cover scheduling apps in scheduling software for cleaning companies.

Employee or 1099 contractor?

A lot of cleaning companies start out paying everyone on a 1099. That's fine when the person really is in business for themselves. It's a problem when the person works like an employee.

What the IRS looks at

The IRS uses common-law rules. Facts showing who controls the work fall into three categories:

• Behavioral: do you control, or have the right to control, what the worker does and how they do it? Think assigned schedules, required methods, training, and your checklists.
• Financial: do you control the business side of the job? That covers how they're paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, and who provides the supplies and equipment.
• Type of relationship: are there written contracts or employee-type benefits, will the relationship continue, and is the work a key part of your business?

No single factor decides it. If you aren't sure, either you or the worker can file IRS Form SS-8 to ask the IRS for an official determination. The IRS says that can take at least six months.

What the Department of Labor looks at

The U.S. Department of Labor uses a separate test under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the law behind minimum wage and overtime. It asks whether the worker is economically dependent on you or truly in business for themselves. As of October 23, 2026, the rule in effect is the one that took effect March 11, 2024, which weighs the "economic reality" of the whole relationship.

That may change soon. In February 2026, the DOL proposed going back to an approach that puts the most weight on two core factors: how much control the worker has over the work, and their chance for profit or loss. A final rule was sent for White House review on September 28, 2026, but it hadn't been published when I checked. Check the DOL's page for the current status.

State rules matter too

Florida collects its own reemployment (unemployment) tax on employee wages, covered below. If a worker should have been an employee, you can owe back taxes at both the federal and state level. That's why this is a question for your CPA or an employment attorney, not a payroll app.

What you owe when you have employees

According to the IRS, employers generally must:

• Withhold federal income tax from wages, based on each employee's Form W-4.
• Withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes from wages and pay the employer's matching share.
• Pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax, which comes from the employer, not the employee's paycheck.

Rates and wage limits change every year, so the IRS points employers to Publication 15 (Circular E) for current numbers. In Florida, employers also pay state reemployment tax. New employers start at 2.7% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages in a calendar year, and the state says employers must not take it out of employees' pay.

A full-service payroll provider calculates, files, and deposits most of these for you. That's most of what you're paying it for. You're still responsible for making sure it's done right, and the IRS says to keep employment tax records for at least four years.

How to pick a payroll service

• Already on QuickBooks Online? QuickBooks payroll keeps everything in one place. Compare the bundle price to what you pay now.
• Want simple, published pricing? Gusto Simple is easy to understand for a one-state cleaning company.
• Want a sales rep and HR services? Get an ADP quote, and ask what's included and how long the contract is.
• Mix of employees and contractors? Ask how each service bills for contractors and files 1099s.
• How do hours get in? Time tracking that syncs with payroll is included on some plans and an add-on on others.

More guides

• How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
• How much do missed calls cost an HVAC or plumbing business?
• Jobber vs Housecall Pro vs ServiceTitan for small shops
• Scheduling and booking software for cleaning companies
• Bookkeeping for HVAC and plumbing companies

Sources

All prices and government pages were checked on October 23, 2026. Payroll companies change prices and run frequent promotions, and labor rules change, so confirm before you act.

1. Gusto, "Pricing": gusto.com/product/pricing
2. Intuit QuickBooks, "QuickBooks Workforce pricing" (payroll plans and bundles): quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing
3. ADP, "Small business payroll" (RUN packages): adp.com/what-we-offer/payroll/small-business-payroll.aspx
4. IRS, "Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?": irs.gov
5. IRS, "Understanding employment taxes": irs.gov
6. IRS, "How long should I keep records?": irs.gov
7. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, "Misclassification of employees as independent contractors under the FLSA": dol.gov
8. U.S. Department of Labor, "Final Rule: Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the FLSA" (2024 rule, RIN 1235-AA43): dol.gov
9. U.S. Department of Labor, "Notice of Proposed Rule: Employee or Independent Contractor Status Under the FLSA, FMLA, and MSPA" (2026 proposal, RIN 1235-AA46): dol.gov
10. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, final rule under review, RIN 1235-AA46 (received September 28, 2026): reginfo.gov
11. Florida Department of Revenue, "Reemployment tax": floridarevenue.com

Last updated October 23, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Disclosure: this guide contains no affiliate links. Infinite Time Solutions doesn't offer payroll or bookkeeping and is not paid by any company named here. Read our disclosure policy.