How much does a professional organizer cost?

Cost may vary, depending on the exact services they are providing. For example, a personal organizer may charge $60 per hour for standard home or office organization, but charge $75 per hour for work that includes a lot of heavy lifting, dirt and grime — such as sorting out the dark end of your grandmother's basement.

Many home organizers have an hourly rate that usually covers decluttering, organizing, removal and other services. A professional's hourly rate can vary depending on their experience, their services and their reputation.

Professional organizer cost per hour:

Geographic location is a major factor in a company's business operating costs, which in turn drive the professional's hourly rate to you. For example, Declutter and Home Organization in New York, New York charges $40-$50 per hour, with a minimum of two hours.

Meanwhile, ClutterSort Professional Organizing Services in San Diego, California, charges $75 base rate per hour for any services under five hours. ClutterSort also offers an introductory package of an in-home consultation plus two hours of organizational services for $75 total.

For larger home or office makeovers, it pays to purchase a service package. Buying home organization services in bulk typically decreases the overall cost per hour. This means that although the upfront price is higher, the hourly rate is usually lower over time when paid in full from the start.

Here's how ClutterSort Professional Organizing Services breaks down pricing for tiered packages and sample projects:

• 6 hours of organizational services: $399 ($51 total savings over purchasing individual hourly services)
• 12 hours of organizational services: $699 ($201 total savings)
• 18 hours of organizational services: $999 ($351 total savings)
• 30 hours of organizational services: $1,599 ($651 total savings)
• 60 hours of organizational services: $2,999 ($1,501 total savings)

This option may be good for customers who, having a received a consultation, may want to commit to a longer-term organization plan. Consider talking with your personal organizer about their pricing packages and the number of hours your specific project will take. Big endeavors, such as organizing a garage that is so packed it no longer can hold your car, will benefit from the discounted rate you'll get by buying in bulk. 

Here are factors to keep in mind when estimating your costs.

Consultations

For large-scale organizational projects, many pros offer a free consultation to determine the number of hours needed to complete your project and what your estimated costs will be.

If you just need help making your spice rack more streamlined, you likely don't need a consultation before hiring a personal organizer on an hourly basis. However, if you're organizing and packing up your kitchen and pantry for a move, ask whether your home organizer offers free estimates to assess what needs to be done and to devise a plan of action so you know what time and expenses you're committing to.  

Concierge home organization

You may want more than just home organization. You may want home organization plus design efficiency throughout your space as well as oversight of home projects by subcontractors. Some home organizers offer additional concierge services such as home prep and setup prior to move-in and services similar to interior design that are based in home organization and decoration. Prices may be higher for these services because they're more extensive and may draw on a broader range of training.

For example, New York at Home in New York, New York, charges $150 on average per hour for concierge services and interior solutions. They also have a starting rate of $1,050 for a consultation and strategy document for a studio apartment design and organization solution. This could include everything from furniture and lighting design to organizational systems. Clients may also hire them on an hourly basis for smaller projects.

Special services

You may have organizational needs that aren't as immediately obvious as a messy mudroom or disorganized laundry room. Many personal home organizers are trained to help with all aspects of your messy life.

With the same pricing scale for their traditional home and business organization services, ClutterSort Professional Organizing Services also offers:

• Memorabilia, photographs and collections: Sort through and reorganize memorabilia collections. They design CDs to house photos in a digital format or scan them into a computer or hard drive for safe storage.
• Business coach: Provide business coaching services to help improve a business through guidance, support and encouragement.
• Staff/group training: Train your staff to get organized in a way to increase office productivity and therefore profit.
• Time management: Time management skills training for you in your personal life and/or for you and your business employees.
• Home staging: Prepare your home to make it appealing to the highest number of potential buyers.

Disposal

Decluttering often means letting go of old stuff that has accumulated over years in boxes, drawers and dark closet corners. Your personal organizer costs may increase if the services you need include disposing of large quantities of clothing, files, paperwork or old furniture.

Many organizers include minimal disposal services as part of their hourly rate and may negotiate a price for more extensive disposal projects to account for the cost of their time, labor and transportation expenses. The rate for disposal will typically vary based on the quantity and weight of the items, as well as where the items need to be taken.

Location

Travel to and from a location is part of a home organizer's work, so typically travel expenses are included in their rates for jobs within their service area. However, for locations outside of their standard service range, an additional fee may be charged to account for travel time and transportation expenses. 

One Thumbtack pro in Bedford, Texas, charges the following average rates for travel:

• 21-25 miles outside the service area: $10
• 26-30 miles: $15
• 31-35 miles: $20
• 36-40 miles: $25

Always discuss rates with your personal organizer before hiring to be sure you understand what is included in the rate and clarify how travel fees, if any, are calculated. 

Minimum hours

Some personal organizers may have a minimum number of hours for their services. For example, one pro charges $45 per hour for their organizational services. However, they also have a three-hour minimum, which means that any new job will cost $135 on average (plus any travel fees).

Minimum service fees mean that the personal organizer will probably earn enough money at the job to cover their operating costs, meet their business overhead, and make it worthwhile to accept the gig.

You may think of personal organization services in terms of closets and cabinets, but you can also hire a personal organizer to handle the chaos inside your computer. Just as your home or business office can benefit from an improved organizational system for paperwork and filing, your computer or laptop can benefit, too.

Photos, files, music, and more can get scattered all over your desktop, flash drives and external files. Have an organizational pro come in to put a system in place that will not only set you up for success, but also make your life easier immediately.

Here are some of the ways that ClutterSort Professional Organizing Services helps business clients get organized digitally:

• Information management: Paper and electronic organizing services using commercial Fujitsu ScanSnap equipment. ClutterSort also offers shredding options for old paper clutter to be disposed of safely and securely.
• Filing systems and paper management: Design or refresh your filing systems and personalize them to fit your needs.
• Financial and bookkeeping services: Organize your financial papers and provide bookkeeping services to ensure that your business runs smoothly. Analog and digital options available.
• Inventory and asset control: Provide inventory and asset control organizing services. Digital and analog options available.

If you feel like you're drowning in clutter, hiring a personal organizer can be a lifesaving move. Personal organizers tackle your worst messes and restore order to chaotic cupboards, closets, kitchens and more.

Personal organizers certainly clear out your clutter, but they also go one step further — addressing the root problem of why most of us are disorganized in the first place — by implementing easy-to-follow organizational systems that keep your home mess-free long after the professional has left the building.

Typically, they first perform an assessment to understand your organizational challenges and needs, then build in a useful system that you and your family (or employees) can continue to use in a functional way. This means that the things you use often are easy to access, while staying organized. Professional organizing help is available for private homes, offices, multiunit buildings and even commercial spaces.

Professional organizing services can be helpful in a wide range of situations. You and your family may need an organizational reboot after years of living in a slightly disordered place, an update to a specific area like the living room or a master closet, or a redo of your entire home. It's hard to find keys, the kids' shoes get lost all the time, and your junk drawer has turned into a nightmare.

Pro organizers can come in and not only patiently wade through the wreckage of your hall closet, but set up interior storage containers and specific solutions for each person — Dad's keys always go on this hook, Peter's soccer cleats are always stored in this cubby — so you are set up for ongoing success.

Move-ins and move-outs are another great time to call a professional organizer. The pros can create order among the packing boxes and help make your move as efficient as possible. You can call a personal organizer if you are settling the estate of someone who has passed away and you just don't know what to do with all their stuff.

Personal organizers can bring order to your home or business office, creating efficient filing systems and organizing paperwork according to your needs. They also help with removal of unwanted items, space planning, storage advice, garage sale preparation, digital organization and online filing.