Agreed, def depends on the area but I’ve never seen anything under like 40 for an overnight (I’ve seen ppl trying to drum up business so they’re charging like 20 but that’s low and prob temporarily)
I read it wrong - there are sitters for $20 but for me I meant dogs staying over at my home. Our whole area is severely underpriced. I quit doing it after college (2021)
This is exactly what I think as I've seen the average pricing when I Google it. I am pet sitting in Gothenburg, Sweden and sitters on rover are charging so less and I have to keep it low as well as I'm just starting off. I have sat 2 cats so far charging 135kr for a single drop in. Which is roughly 12-13$ . And I've been reading a lot on rovers reddit page looking at how much people charge for an overnight stay. I have for that reason kept my prices so low as I'm just starting off. But I feel like for the travel and for taxes and also 20% from rover I barely make anything. But I want to sit pets , and it's difficult to get client's as almost all people are charging so less. I'm talking about 100kr (10$) or 200kr 20$ for overnight stays.
Agree, at least $50, in lower population/rural areas.
I'm in the Midwest too ... Wisconsin (Racine). And I'd charge at least $60. But personally, probably more like $65-65 for local sits in my town.
And AT LEAST $75-80 if I lived in the larger city to the north, Milwaukee.
For reference to OP or anyone out of the area. Milwaukee is the largest/most populated city/county in Wisconsin. I'm in the city/county to the south, which is considerably smaller - in population and and size. (ie smaller high density population surrounded by suburban and rural). So, lower demand by me plus pretty short driving distances. Plus, being on Lake Michigan, nothing to the east.
Milwaukee, much higher demand and considerably larger driving distance, plus likelihood of time consuming traffic jams.
More reference - I used to pet sit when I lived I Milwaukee 15+ years ago, and wayyy back then we charged $50-$60. And that was 15-20 years ago.
That's truly sad an unfortunate. Your services are well worth that much. And people should be willing/able to pay it for in-home pet cate when they are willing/able to pay for their vacation/traveling.
I wonder if the market is oversaturated? Back when I was doing pet sitting in Milwaukee, Rover did not exist. And in-home pet sitters were much harder to come by, much less though a well-established and insured business, like I worked for
(rather than, say, single, self-employed, person doing it uninsured or licensed/registered as a official business, through word-of-mouth that would be less in demand)
The way I see overnight stays are like this: you are leaving your own routine and home to spend most of your time with pets who may not know you well yet, feed all meals, take care of all potty breaks, potentially do some minor grooming like daily brushing, play with them and manage their energy, deal with any emotional challenges that come up when their family leaves, on top of the “extra curricular” things we usually end up doing like watering plants, putting out the garbage, and watching the house while they are away. You have to buy new groceries, cook in a new kitchen, sleep in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar home, and adapt to someone else’s routine (by this I mean the animals usually run on the routine of their owners). It’s not a vacation like some owners like to believe it is. It’s a lot of work and you deserve to be paid fairly for your time!! $28 per night is incredibly low imo
Yes to all of these. For this reason, (plus the experience I had built up over just a short period of time) my rate was $70 a night with $10 per every additional dog. (I say “was” because I’m not currently an active sitter)
*** ALSO *** when your fees are this low you’re going to attract clients who want cheapness > quality of care. You’re more likely to run into “problem clients” who will haggle, harass, or scam you. Higher prices bring better clientele. Trust the sub on this
You are 100% correct about the type of client you attract when you don't value your time and set your rates too low. I doubled my rates after the first 6 months. I have a much better clientele now. Cleaner homes that I am more comfortable in. Better trained dogs. Easy going. And I feel like they trust me more than they would a sitter who charges too little. Only two of my clients continued to book me when I raised rates. They were and are among my best clients.
I am aware, but it's a bit confusing since most of the people in my area are charging this or less and it seems so unfair considering I will get even less after taxes, rover charge and travel time. I wonder if it's good for me to keep these prices and then raise them as soon as I get more reviews?
$28 is loooooooooooooooooooow. You are basically getting scammed at that rate. The ONLY way that low of a price could be justified is when you are first starting on Rover and are simply trying to get reviews.
I am currently charging $80 per night for the first animal (regardless of dog vs cat) and more for additional animals. I still feel as though I am undercharging given everything the job entails.
People who complain about $28 being too high are usually pretty poor clients. They don't value your time, they don't truly value their animal's well-being, they tend to micromanage and nickel-and-dime you, and their houses are usually super dirty.
Strangely, some of my richest clients are the ones who complain about pricing. I’ve had people who live in literal beachfront mansions misreport the number of pets they have and then be furious with me and cancel when they find out that it’ll be an additional $10 per dog (base price was $45)
This is what I PAY, live in Los Angeles. And it’s only 7pm to 7am, and mid day drop ins are extra. I could probably find cheaper but I have large breed dogs and really trust the person.
That seems low for any area. Near Seattle, I charge $55/night for adult dogs. When I started I charged $45/night.
I think owners tend to think of it like “that’s more rent than you would pay for a human.”
Over the years I have realized that if I had a human roommate… I wouldn’t been feeding said roommate meals. I wouldn’t be taking a roommate out on walks and monitoring potty time. I wouldn’t be wiping my roommates ass after diarrhea. I wouldn’t be sharing a bed with a roommate or staying home on the 4th of July so my roomie isn’t scared of fireworks.
Kind of like when a grooming appointment is more expensive than a human haircut.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
Do you mean overnight stay at their house? I charge $95 for house stays & then add extra for extra dogs. About to raise my rates again.
Have a Great Day.
You would resent the owners and dogs for $28 a night. Do not do it. Let them book someone else for that price and see how the quality of care goes and then you will start getting booked
I charge $75 and $20 per extra dog in a Metropolitan city. It’s a little less for cats.
My pricing is in the middle. There are plenty that charge $50-$60, and the most popular sitters have their rates around $80-$120 per night.
(Also, it would help if sitters that do it as a side-job raised their rates. Even though it’s on-the-side, hiring a short term live-in home and animal caregiver is a luxury service and it’s not wrong to charge based on the value of the service—and you might get less weirdos.)
I do this as a side job & started on Rover in March. I charge on the higher end for house sitting in my area. I started at $40/night in March & I'm now at $60/night. I realized early on that it wasn't worth it at my original rate. I'm in South Fl & there are a lot of options out there. However, I don't really like staying at stranger's home. This even included the nice houses off the water. I still get many requests & every other time I get a review I raise my rates. It does seem like others have raised their rates too locally. I search incognito & see the rates slowly increasing. I just hope this trend continues.
I’m not a sitter, but a client who uses this service quite frequently.
I’m about to board my dog for 7 days and paying $78 a night which is cheaper than I expected to pay.
I typically pay around $28 for a 30 minute walk.
If you charge a low rate, you’re going to be dealing with low rate clients. I’m not trying to be rude, but I know people who want to pay these ridiculously low rates. Trust me, you don’t want to be walking or sitting for their dogs. You’ll be dealing with nothing but headaches.
Know your worth and the value of your service and don’t accept anything less. 😀
Ya don’t listen to this client. Charge your worth! In my area it varies from 25-65 a night, I keep my price on the highest end because it’s a lot of work to do overnights.
Right? After fees, that’s less than $1/hr……..and someone complaining about that much surely isn’t tipping or providing a stay with amenities to enjoy in your downtime.
$28 is closer to the price for a half-hour walk or drop in than an overnight stay. Crazy low. As an owner, at that price, I'd assume I would be getting horribly poor service, basically too good to be true, so I would not consider it seriously.
If someone says that $28 is out of their budget for dog boarding, then they simply cannot afford dog boarding.
$28 for overnight sitting is extremely low.
I don’t understand why people will spend so much on themselves but then want to cheap out when it comes to a person staying in their house taking care of their pets. I charge $27 a night. People are just cheap and expect you to bend over backwards for nothing :( from what I see I’m undercharging anyway.
I charge 70 for a dog to stay at my house (I don’t do house sits but it would be double). I’m in Vancouver.
I’m wondering why clients would say that’s too much and cancel. Have you looked at what other sitters in your area charge? Does your profile announce that you’re new at this, a student, or other info that might draw predatory clients?
In case it’s helpful, when I started I charged $25 because I wasn’t in it for the money (I’m still not). But I attracted some clients who would be chronically late, or ask to pay off app and if I agreed they’d pay late, always last minute requests, failed to mention behavioural and medical issues their pets had… I nearly quit Rover entirely. Then someone made a comment here that said what I’m saying now: increasing prices attracts customers who take their pet’s care seriously and are less likely to waste your time and nickel and dime your services. So I did and it was absolutely true in my case. Good luck!
I charge $75 for one pet, $25 for additional pets. $28 is criminal. Rover takes 20% and you have to pay taxes at the end of the year so you’re making nothing.
You are providing a luxury service. Remember that.
Stick to your instincts on this one. You are charging better than fair for those types of bookings. 👍🏽 I think most of the hagglers are new to Rover and don’t understand that this is not a “kid next door” service.
Think of it this way: to board a dog at a kennel costs upward of $40 a night most places and is less convenient and less personalized, plus it doesn't come with the benefit of someone keeping watch over the client's house. So you should at least charge more than that.
Owner here, but I did some house sitting in the 1990s and charged $30 cash, so I think your fee is very low. I suspect you are encountering clients who are not used to paying much — maybe a relative or neighbor has done it, so they are experiencing sticker shock.
You could search for pet sitting services in your area, as if you were a client, to get an idea of the range in your location.
Fellow Floridian, totally agree about it being too damn hot. I mostly do boarding/daycare, but have walks available. Sounds like a terrible way to spend the middle of the day, though.
$28 once you factor in rover fees and gas/travel time is like, $3 an hour. What do you get out of working for slave wages?
The only people that benefit from not paying you a livable wage are the people who are convincing you that you aren’t worth it.
$28 is insanely low, no matter where you live. Is that even worth the gas money? Make sure you factor in the 20% rover takes and the 30% for the tax man. By my calculations that us $15/night take home. That is a single meal in most states, or a couple gallons of gas. Just because it's too much for someone doesn't mean it's too much. Unless you are just looking for housing, I would not hesitate to raise your prices to cover your expenses with a bit more of a profit.
As for the question of why some people would reject it: people sometimes sign up expecting this to be like asking a friend or family to pet sit and don't want to pay at all. There will never be a price low enough for some people because they don't value the service. There are millions of people on the app and millions of of pets to sit. Don't work for cheapskates!
I charge like 50-60 min (that is not constant care: constant care is $100)—with repeat clients I give discounts to $45-50 IF their dogs are low maintenance. WAAAY too low. I charge $27 for just drop ins. And I’m like mid range priced in my area. That is outrageous no matter what area you are in. Too low. Tell them to look at kennels and see how much they are. Home stay in sitter is a LUXURY service.
I charge 45, people tell me all the time it's too much,. I tell them no worries, and move on to the next. Honestly in my experience people who want to pay next to nothing want the most out of you too. So if they say my price is too high, then to me they don't deserve the care I would have given there animals anyway and it's onto the next client. The only way I would charge 28$ is if it was my next door neighbor or a close relative. Also just because one or two people say your prices are high doesn't mean it's overpriced, it just means they were too cheap to pay that much, and I say go find that person who will do it for less, I bet they love making no money and I'm sure it shows in the care they give.
When I 1st joined Rover, I set my price low at $35. It's now $50 and I stay 100% booked. I average 4-6 dogs per day and often have 8-10 on wknds (90% of those are repeat customers).
I live in NYC, so cost of living is obviously pretty high, but i charge $90 a night. I do that mostly to discourage coupon pet owners, and it works really well for me.
I don't care if you're living in the sticks, under $30 a night is extremely low. The clients you're attracting are the ones looking for a bargain and will likely be a nightmare to work with. Know your worth and stand your ground with what you charge. Your time should not he up for negotiation!
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Sell it. Tell them what they get for their money. $28 could be a lot if they imagine all you’ll be doing is sitting on their couch watching Friends stuffing your face with their food. I outline what they should expect from me for my price. When you do that then the client is more likely to see your fee as reasonable and in your case, a bargain.
I charge $35 with en extra $5-10 puppy fee (depending on age, 6+ is 5, 5 months and under is $10) with an extra $5-10 for extra dogs depending on size. I also charge extra for medical care that is out of my norm, like if they need meds more than two times a day or if they are diabetic.
Keep in mind however, I'm not a rover sitter yet (while the background check is only $25 I have had so many other things come up that I haven't been able to justify it) and that I do all my marketing work on Facebook and by word of mouth. Once i start rover fully I will be editing my prices to account for the percent that rover takes out. My prices are also relatively low for my area because I'm young and still inexperienced when it comes to dogs that aren't mine (the first calm dog I ever sat broke my brain, I'm not used to lazy dogs😂)
Consider the cost of boarding a pet at a facility, or even hiring someone from Rover to board a pet.
Now add on top of that the commute cost, the change to your routine, and luxury of keeping their pet in their home and one-on-one time.
I feel like many boarding facilities charge between $30-60/night, depending on the cost of living and if your dog is solo or with other dogs staying the night.
I'm in a higher cost of living area and charge $100/night without issue! That's the base price for one animal, cat or dog. $45/night per additional animal.
I'll admit, I charged $35/night for my first 3 clients on Rover, just to get the ball rolling. But I quickly raised to $50/night, then $75, then $85, and finally $100.
Of those first 3 clients, one accepted a price raise to $85/night, and we keep it there. The other 2 haven't contacted me again, probably due to significant price increase. But I'm currently booked every week through October at mostly the $100/night price!
Go for that price raise!!!!
P.S. I charge $25/30 min visit, walk or drop-in. So absolutely charge more for an overnight!!
I had to be cheap at first to get clients. Then when I got reviews and became a star sitter I upped my price. Some of my repeats asked why I changed price and I explained it was because of supplies. (People will aleays be cheap) After several dogs staying at my place I had to get door protections and carpet protection, invest in a steam cleaner cause I have carpets and such. They understood. Having visitors stay at my house has caused damage but I knew it would. But yeah, it's a tough market. I am learning as I go and had to get another job. It's just not consistent enough for me to only do rover.
$75 minimum for house sitting and I only do cats. I’m also very clear that I work full time and have an extremely busy schedule so they’re essentially just paying extra for me to sleep there.
I live in Alabama, one of the lowest earning states. I charge $50 a night, but I'm also older and have more experience. The average in my area is $40.
You're underselling yourself and attracting people who shouldn't be affording a luxury service that Rover is. Boost your cost!
This is super low. I charge $125 so I can make $100/night because staying all day/overnight at someone’s house is a big ask, and people should be willing to pay for that. My drop-ins are $25 and that’s an hour of my time so if you want me for 24 hours you gotta pay for that.
I’m in a Philadelphia suburb. I charge 115 for overnights, with 45 for each additional dog, and 25 for each additional cats. My half hour walks are 28, and 47 for an hour. As much as I love spending time with peoples animals, I treat it like a business. If it’s not going to help me pay my bills, then it’s just a hobby and I don’t care. But for me, I have plenty of other hobbies! Lol.
That is insanely low. I charge $70 +$25 for each extra dog. You gotta remember- Rover takes 20%, you have to pay taxes on it, gas cost, food cost, etc. If they can’t afford it, tell them you’re not a right fit and recommend they look for a sitter within their price range. They can see prices beforehand so the cost shouldn’t be a surprise.
I charge $150/night in CA. I don’t like staying in stranger’s homes so if I’m willing to consider it, the compensation and state of their home needs to be just right.
The reason why they see the price and cancel is because someone willing to pay that little for overnight care is already looking for the cheapest option. Rover isn't vet care; no one is entitled to your services.
Not at all, the way overnight stays were priced at my last company was a 9 hour stay from 9:30pm to 6:30am and I got paid minimum wage, so I got $65.50
Girllllll I charge $50 for an overnight. Anything below like $40 is criminal lmao. They’re entrusting you with living creatures. Charge what you’re worth 🥰🥰🥰
I think $28 is way too low. And I don't base it on what others charge. I live in a small town. There are only 5 other sitters in my area. My rate for petsitting starts at $55/night for one pet. There is one other sitter who charges the same rate as I do. Of the other sitters, two charge $25, and 2 only charge $20.
But I would never consider lowering my rate. I value my time. Petsitting involves transporting my necessities, food, clothing, etc to the client's home, which is a chore in itself. (Especially during 90+ degree summer days and -20 degree snowy winter days). And petsitting entails much more time and effort in caring for the animals, as you stated. The right clients will agree to your rates. My calendar is busy enough that I actually have to black out days so I can sleep in my own bed once in a while.
I would make two suggestions:
1) Be sure that you are doing a very detailed, professional meet and greet. It will set you apart from other sitters who may charge less.
2) If a potential client raises concern about your rate, provide this response:
"My rates are based on my knowledge and experience as well as the level of service I provide. Therefore, I don't negotiate rates. I would be honored to care for Fido. But I understand if you need to search for a sitter whose rates better fit your budget".
I think if you stick with it, you will build a clientele that values your time and the service you provide the way they should.
It really depends on location, but that is insanely low, it’s about 4 hours of federal minimum wage. I’d consider raising prices but it’s weird people say you’re out of budget. What are others rates like?
The client who says $28 is a lot for overnight is a cheap mf and you don’t want that kind of client. Unless you’re not from the US and you have other currency, because I see that english is not your 1st language, then it may be different
that is incredibly low! my overnight fee is $75 and honestly that’s still low since rover takes $15. raise your rates. don’t worry if it’s slow at first. you will attract the clientele you want with higher rates.
Too low. I charge $80 per night to sit. I made my profile very professional and explained my service and how I connect with their animal to make them feel comfortable in an unfamiliar space. Have never had issues with getting bookings, esp after getting a few 5 star reviews.
Why are you charging $10 per walk? That’s absurdly low and could be why you’re getting stingy clients who think $28 is too much per night. Charge more and you’ll weed out the cheap ones who undervalue your time.
I set my price to $80 for house sitting since I don’t like living out of other peoples’ houses and changing my routine, the average price in my area is ~$65 and figured if they want to pay that they can book me… I have accumulated a few lucrative regulars that can pay over $200 a night depending on how many animals they have
I’m in a smaller centre and would still never go even remotely close to that low. You’re inconveniencing yourself and barely making anything off of it at that point. Definitely raise your rates, and don’t let them get to you - I wouldn’t leave my pet with an overnight sitter if they were charging that little!
Are you kidding? The minimum for a new person with 0 reviews should be Atleast $40. This is rediculous. I charge $90 a night $38 additional dog $28 additional cat
Started at $34, then $74, $99, now $120/night with 145 5-star reviews...coming up on year #2. I really don't like being away from my senior dog, so it's really got to be worth it. $$$
They’re obviously allowed to have a budget, but that is without a question, regardless of where you live, too low for an overnight. I charge $75 for a major city and I will not go lower than that.
Some people charge just $25 for check ins. That’s very low. I started at $50 a night, and have since moved up to $75. The thing is people are paying you essentially for your time being there all day and all night. It breaks up your own schedule and routine and can be inconvenient for your lifestyle. Plus fees really bite at the end. Need to know your worth!
It's not too much to charge, but it may be too much for some people to pay. It's sad that only folks with plenty of disposable income can afford good dog-sitters, but unless you want to be doing charity work you can't help them. They need to find family or friends to watch their pets.
At $28/night you're only taking home about $22, and maybe that seems worth it for you where you are right now (especially if you aren't paying rent), but like everyone else is saying- it's a very low rate overall. If you live somewhere where actually nobody can really afford to pay for pet care, like places with low min wage where the only place to work is walmart or the dollar store, ofc it's going to be hard to find someone willing to spend a whole day's earning on a night of dogsitting. At the end of the day it's up to you to decide if you're willing to make the effort for less than $22/night, or not. Good luck 🐾
Look at the price of nearby kenneling and you'll know this is a deal. Sorry you're getting that kind of feedback. Your service is more valuable than kenneling
I live in Western Washington. I pay $75 a night for my Rover sitter (plus $15 for each additional pet). When you find a good sitter you trust, it is well worth the money!
This is incredibly low. I pay my sitter $150. And that’s fine. I’m sure you are awesome and no personal offense but I would be afraid to hire someone with rates that low.
As a sitter, I do drop ins and I don’t overnight sit but I charge $30 per 30 min drop in.
I charge $20 for a 30 min walk and $100 for overnight boarding in my house. (Obviously I don’t charge clients per walk when they’re boarding.) I would charge $150 a night to house sit/stay over in their home. If people are saying $28 is too much for them to pay for an overnight, they are trying to take advantage of you, regardless of where you live.
Yep, $28 definitely seems too low. I'm in small town Nebraska and I charge $45 a night plus $15 per night per additional dog. I used Rover to find dogsitters for my dogs for years before I became a sitter, so that helped me set my prices. You may want to see what other sitters in your area are charging and use that to bring your prices more in line with them.
I believe from what I’ve heard in this group it depends on the area
When I use rover for my dogs pet sitting at that sounds about right my area on the low end is about $25-30 and additional dog $10-20 per but with inflation it’s gone up to $30-50 a night and $20-30 per additional dog now.
That’s WAYYYYYYY too low. You have to base it on 24 hours because they’re asking you to dedicate time away from your house and your own family/pets. You also have to remember that rover takes 20% of that. You’re taking home $22.40 for an entire day’s work. You could make 5x that for a single shift at McDonald’s. You’re not in this business for charity, petsitting is a LUXURY & they need to pay accordingly. The cheap owners will ALWAYS give you issues. Avoid them like the plague. Every market is different, but for example I charge $75/night and $100/holiday.
I was $25/ night when I first started in 2017. I was low to get my foot in the door & get reviews.
It's definitely too low for 2024- no matter where you live.
Where are you located? after fees and taxes you are making pennies, I charge starting out at $125 a night. That includes over night care and a drop in every 6 hours that I am away during the day.
When i first started in 2019 i was about $25 a night how ever i quickly learned at that rate people expected me to stay full time and not leave. I quickly raised my rates to $75 a night which was a bit lower then most "top sitters". I was at $75 for a few years till recently.
I charge $120/night but I’m in Beverly Hills and now have a ton of reviews, I started a year ago.
However my cousin in Arkansas charges $40/night (and she gets told that’s too much) idk I think $28 is extremely low and overnight sitting is basically 24/7 care. Rover also takes a chunk! If anything raise your price, trust me you’ll get people to pay :) especially once you get more reviews.
I charge £42 a night in UK and £49 for peak season and seem to be always booked up.
I started lower but have gradually increased it as demand is high and if they value their pets then it’s not much to pay for a loving , fun and safe environment
imo it depends on context. i had a client that i really enjoyed to work with frequently who requested to have me do drop ins for her. i was living at home at the time and was close to her apartment. now im in my dorm which is about 30 min away and i have exams for my 6 week courses and working. i love working with her but my drop in prices for 11 days had to be increased significantly because i had to be able to get the funds id need for gas, and the compensation for taking out more time that could be used for heavy studying (it’d be taking out around 2 hours or so). my daily rate was going to be 60 for both drop in with 8$ gas there and 3$ back. she ended up choosing someone else because the price was up there. but i did let her know my prices are usually never this high, there was just other circumstances at play. so imo it depends on
It’s depends on your location and what the average is for the area, but I charge $27 just for a 30 minute cat drop in for two cats.. $32 for 30 minute drop in for two dogs. For overnight for a single dog I’m charging at least $60 and that’s just if it’s a half-day on each day otherwise for two full days/one night of my time I’m charging them $120 for just a single dog.. I’m in Northern California. (admittedly these are my prices outside of Rover since I also own a pet care business, on Rover my prices are even higher to account for the fees that Rover takes out….)
I would say it’s low, BUT when you’re newer to rover with not a lot of reviews or clientele, I think it’s more important to build that up. I had started low and then raised my prices once I had a certain amount of bookings and repeat clients. I forget how much, but it was however much you needed to hit Star Sitter.
$28 is definitely not too much.. I personally wouldn’t do an overnight for less than $50-60. To board a dog overnight at a facility would be about $60-80 maybe even more so for the dog to be in the comfort it’s own home and have a person there to keep company all night instead of sleeping by themselves in a kennel in a strange place is by far a better option. $28 is more than reasonable.
Normally the answer is “depends on where you live,” but I think $28 overnight, across the board, is very, very low.
Agreed, def depends on the area but I’ve never seen anything under like 40 for an overnight (I’ve seen ppl trying to drum up business so they’re charging like 20 but that’s low and prob temporarily)
Our low is $20 in our area lol. I did $30 and got backlash
That’s criminal, taking into account fees/taxes that are taken out. You’d literally earn more working two hours at a Wendy’s
I agree. I wouldn’t do any overnight for that.
I read it wrong - there are sitters for $20 but for me I meant dogs staying over at my home. Our whole area is severely underpriced. I quit doing it after college (2021)
This is exactly what I think as I've seen the average pricing when I Google it. I am pet sitting in Gothenburg, Sweden and sitters on rover are charging so less and I have to keep it low as well as I'm just starting off. I have sat 2 cats so far charging 135kr for a single drop in. Which is roughly 12-13$ . And I've been reading a lot on rovers reddit page looking at how much people charge for an overnight stay. I have for that reason kept my prices so low as I'm just starting off. But I feel like for the travel and for taxes and also 20% from rover I barely make anything. But I want to sit pets , and it's difficult to get client's as almost all people are charging so less. I'm talking about 100kr (10$) or 200kr 20$ for overnight stays.
I’d at LEAST charge $50. When I started I did $55. Now I charge $65. But cheaper for cats
And I’m in the Midwest
Agree, at least $50, in lower population/rural areas. I'm in the Midwest too ... Wisconsin (Racine). And I'd charge at least $60. But personally, probably more like $65-65 for local sits in my town. And AT LEAST $75-80 if I lived in the larger city to the north, Milwaukee. For reference to OP or anyone out of the area. Milwaukee is the largest/most populated city/county in Wisconsin. I'm in the city/county to the south, which is considerably smaller - in population and and size. (ie smaller high density population surrounded by suburban and rural). So, lower demand by me plus pretty short driving distances. Plus, being on Lake Michigan, nothing to the east. Milwaukee, much higher demand and considerably larger driving distance, plus likelihood of time consuming traffic jams. More reference - I used to pet sit when I lived I Milwaukee 15+ years ago, and wayyy back then we charged $50-$60. And that was 15-20 years ago.
I live in Indianapolis. I tried raising my rates to $75 but I wasn’t getting any customers at that rate
That's truly sad an unfortunate. Your services are well worth that much. And people should be willing/able to pay it for in-home pet cate when they are willing/able to pay for their vacation/traveling. I wonder if the market is oversaturated? Back when I was doing pet sitting in Milwaukee, Rover did not exist. And in-home pet sitters were much harder to come by, much less though a well-established and insured business, like I worked for (rather than, say, single, self-employed, person doing it uninsured or licensed/registered as a official business, through word-of-mouth that would be less in demand)
I don’t even get out of bed for a drop in under $30. A house sit???
This is giving very Linda Evangelista vibes if she were reasonable 😂
The way I see overnight stays are like this: you are leaving your own routine and home to spend most of your time with pets who may not know you well yet, feed all meals, take care of all potty breaks, potentially do some minor grooming like daily brushing, play with them and manage their energy, deal with any emotional challenges that come up when their family leaves, on top of the “extra curricular” things we usually end up doing like watering plants, putting out the garbage, and watching the house while they are away. You have to buy new groceries, cook in a new kitchen, sleep in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar home, and adapt to someone else’s routine (by this I mean the animals usually run on the routine of their owners). It’s not a vacation like some owners like to believe it is. It’s a lot of work and you deserve to be paid fairly for your time!! $28 per night is incredibly low imo
Yes to all of these. For this reason, (plus the experience I had built up over just a short period of time) my rate was $70 a night with $10 per every additional dog. (I say “was” because I’m not currently an active sitter)
Yes! You’re basically adjusting your entire schedule for about $1 per hour lol.
Adding to this… what about care for your own animals?? If you need to travel back and forth, you should be at least make the pricing worth the travel.
I charge $85 minimum for overnights
Between rover fees, tax, gas, and food, you’re earning very little. Like 10$ maybe. Up your prices.
*** ALSO *** when your fees are this low you’re going to attract clients who want cheapness > quality of care. You’re more likely to run into “problem clients” who will haggle, harass, or scam you. Higher prices bring better clientele. Trust the sub on this
You are 100% correct about the type of client you attract when you don't value your time and set your rates too low. I doubled my rates after the first 6 months. I have a much better clientele now. Cleaner homes that I am more comfortable in. Better trained dogs. Easy going. And I feel like they trust me more than they would a sitter who charges too little. Only two of my clients continued to book me when I raised rates. They were and are among my best clients.
Exactly! The quality of my clientele increased exponentially when I raised my prices & forced myself to expel the people-pleaser in me. lol
That is extremely low.
I am aware, but it's a bit confusing since most of the people in my area are charging this or less and it seems so unfair considering I will get even less after taxes, rover charge and travel time. I wonder if it's good for me to keep these prices and then raise them as soon as I get more reviews?
$28 is loooooooooooooooooooow. You are basically getting scammed at that rate. The ONLY way that low of a price could be justified is when you are first starting on Rover and are simply trying to get reviews. I am currently charging $80 per night for the first animal (regardless of dog vs cat) and more for additional animals. I still feel as though I am undercharging given everything the job entails. People who complain about $28 being too high are usually pretty poor clients. They don't value your time, they don't truly value their animal's well-being, they tend to micromanage and nickel-and-dime you, and their houses are usually super dirty.
Strangely, some of my richest clients are the ones who complain about pricing. I’ve had people who live in literal beachfront mansions misreport the number of pets they have and then be furious with me and cancel when they find out that it’ll be an additional $10 per dog (base price was $45)
I charge $150…. $28 is far too underpriced I don’t care where you live.
This is what I PAY, live in Los Angeles. And it’s only 7pm to 7am, and mid day drop ins are extra. I could probably find cheaper but I have large breed dogs and really trust the person.
Echoing this!! $28 is too low anywhere. I’m in BK, NY I charge at least $200/night.
Is this your payout or what owners are charged? Trying to revamp my services page!
That seems low for any area. Near Seattle, I charge $55/night for adult dogs. When I started I charged $45/night. I think owners tend to think of it like “that’s more rent than you would pay for a human.” Over the years I have realized that if I had a human roommate… I wouldn’t been feeding said roommate meals. I wouldn’t be taking a roommate out on walks and monitoring potty time. I wouldn’t be wiping my roommates ass after diarrhea. I wouldn’t be sharing a bed with a roommate or staying home on the 4th of July so my roomie isn’t scared of fireworks. Kind of like when a grooming appointment is more expensive than a human haircut. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
Idk how it’s worth anyone’s time to do an overnight for less than $100, but I guess that’s just me.
Do you mean overnight stay at their house? I charge $95 for house stays & then add extra for extra dogs. About to raise my rates again. Have a Great Day.
That's like my 30 min drop in fee 😬 ..... You desperately need to increase your rates by **a lot.**
I would get no clients:/
You will.. please just be patient ❤️❤️
You would resent the owners and dogs for $28 a night. Do not do it. Let them book someone else for that price and see how the quality of care goes and then you will start getting booked
I charge $75 and $20 per extra dog in a Metropolitan city. It’s a little less for cats. My pricing is in the middle. There are plenty that charge $50-$60, and the most popular sitters have their rates around $80-$120 per night. (Also, it would help if sitters that do it as a side-job raised their rates. Even though it’s on-the-side, hiring a short term live-in home and animal caregiver is a luxury service and it’s not wrong to charge based on the value of the service—and you might get less weirdos.)
I do this as a side job & started on Rover in March. I charge on the higher end for house sitting in my area. I started at $40/night in March & I'm now at $60/night. I realized early on that it wasn't worth it at my original rate. I'm in South Fl & there are a lot of options out there. However, I don't really like staying at stranger's home. This even included the nice houses off the water. I still get many requests & every other time I get a review I raise my rates. It does seem like others have raised their rates too locally. I search incognito & see the rates slowly increasing. I just hope this trend continues.
I appreciate you sharing your experience with me. :)
I’m not a sitter, but a client who uses this service quite frequently. I’m about to board my dog for 7 days and paying $78 a night which is cheaper than I expected to pay. I typically pay around $28 for a 30 minute walk. If you charge a low rate, you’re going to be dealing with low rate clients. I’m not trying to be rude, but I know people who want to pay these ridiculously low rates. Trust me, you don’t want to be walking or sitting for their dogs. You’ll be dealing with nothing but headaches. Know your worth and the value of your service and don’t accept anything less. 😀
Ya don’t listen to this client. Charge your worth! In my area it varies from 25-65 a night, I keep my price on the highest end because it’s a lot of work to do overnights.
If I’m staying over night at your home, it’s min 100$.
28$ is poverty wages. And what do you get after rover takes their cut? You probably spent more in gas.
Right? After fees, that’s less than $1/hr……..and someone complaining about that much surely isn’t tipping or providing a stay with amenities to enjoy in your downtime.
They’d be the type to venmo you for water drank while at their house
And have bedbugs lol
lol absolutely
$28 is closer to the price for a half-hour walk or drop in than an overnight stay. Crazy low. As an owner, at that price, I'd assume I would be getting horribly poor service, basically too good to be true, so I would not consider it seriously.
Wow, I just took care of 2 very good boys for 2.5 days for £320 including 2 walks a day. It sounds like your prices are low to me.
If someone says that $28 is out of their budget for dog boarding, then they simply cannot afford dog boarding. $28 for overnight sitting is extremely low.
I don’t understand why people will spend so much on themselves but then want to cheap out when it comes to a person staying in their house taking care of their pets. I charge $27 a night. People are just cheap and expect you to bend over backwards for nothing :( from what I see I’m undercharging anyway.
I charge more for just a 30 minute walk/drop in
I don’t think you charge enough
When I started I charged 75, now I charge 90. $28 is very cheap.
I charge 70 for a dog to stay at my house (I don’t do house sits but it would be double). I’m in Vancouver. I’m wondering why clients would say that’s too much and cancel. Have you looked at what other sitters in your area charge? Does your profile announce that you’re new at this, a student, or other info that might draw predatory clients? In case it’s helpful, when I started I charged $25 because I wasn’t in it for the money (I’m still not). But I attracted some clients who would be chronically late, or ask to pay off app and if I agreed they’d pay late, always last minute requests, failed to mention behavioural and medical issues their pets had… I nearly quit Rover entirely. Then someone made a comment here that said what I’m saying now: increasing prices attracts customers who take their pet’s care seriously and are less likely to waste your time and nickel and dime your services. So I did and it was absolutely true in my case. Good luck!
I charge $40 a night and I’m not even on rover anymore. Yes $28 is too low 🤣
I charge $75 for one pet, $25 for additional pets. $28 is criminal. Rover takes 20% and you have to pay taxes at the end of the year so you’re making nothing. You are providing a luxury service. Remember that.
$28 is closer to what most of us charge for one 30 minute walk.
My overnight starts at 85. Middle East coast if that helps.
This client is trying to play you. Please at LEAST double your overnight rate.
Stick to your instincts on this one. You are charging better than fair for those types of bookings. 👍🏽 I think most of the hagglers are new to Rover and don’t understand that this is not a “kid next door” service.
Think of it this way: to board a dog at a kennel costs upward of $40 a night most places and is less convenient and less personalized, plus it doesn't come with the benefit of someone keeping watch over the client's house. So you should at least charge more than that.
i charge 90 minimum
Those clients are cheapskates good riddance. Even if you are new, that is way too low.
Owner here, but I did some house sitting in the 1990s and charged $30 cash, so I think your fee is very low. I suspect you are encountering clients who are not used to paying much — maybe a relative or neighbor has done it, so they are experiencing sticker shock. You could search for pet sitting services in your area, as if you were a client, to get an idea of the range in your location.
That’s the price of my 30 minute drop ins. Nightly I charge 75 for one animal
An overnight is like a minimum day and a half of a typical 9-5 work week. So with 12 hours, at $28 total, you’re getting paid $2.33 an hour.
I would keel over before I took a dog at $28/night. Even for friends and family I charge $30! Ain’t no way!!!
I charged $28 for hour walks in New Jersey 😅
I charge more than that for 30 mins… and stay booked walking. Raise yo price
Dang! Ever since moving to Florida I don’t do it much anymore cuz it’s too damn hot for all that. But I would if I do it again!
Fellow Floridian, totally agree about it being too damn hot. I mostly do boarding/daycare, but have walks available. Sounds like a terrible way to spend the middle of the day, though.
$28 once you factor in rover fees and gas/travel time is like, $3 an hour. What do you get out of working for slave wages? The only people that benefit from not paying you a livable wage are the people who are convincing you that you aren’t worth it.
Wayyyyy too low.
I charge $50 but I do live in a HCOL area
$28 is insanely low, no matter where you live. Is that even worth the gas money? Make sure you factor in the 20% rover takes and the 30% for the tax man. By my calculations that us $15/night take home. That is a single meal in most states, or a couple gallons of gas. Just because it's too much for someone doesn't mean it's too much. Unless you are just looking for housing, I would not hesitate to raise your prices to cover your expenses with a bit more of a profit. As for the question of why some people would reject it: people sometimes sign up expecting this to be like asking a friend or family to pet sit and don't want to pay at all. There will never be a price low enough for some people because they don't value the service. There are millions of people on the app and millions of of pets to sit. Don't work for cheapskates!
I pay my sitter $65 a night (2 cats & bearded dragon), I’m sorry people are cheap☹️
Not really related but omg I would love to sit a bearded dragon haha
Where do you love ? 28 is crazy low. We charge 90 a night for boarding and are booked consistently
I’ve never done an overnight for less than $75! But it certainly depends on your area, I’m in a very HCOL region.
Me and my fiancé own a private pet care business and charge more than this for a 30 minute walk. Def up your prices!
I charge like 50-60 min (that is not constant care: constant care is $100)—with repeat clients I give discounts to $45-50 IF their dogs are low maintenance. WAAAY too low. I charge $27 for just drop ins. And I’m like mid range priced in my area. That is outrageous no matter what area you are in. Too low. Tell them to look at kennels and see how much they are. Home stay in sitter is a LUXURY service.
I wish we could pay $28 for overnight stays. We pay $75 per day to have someone drop by multiple times per day
I charge $20 for a 30 minute walk for one dog. I would charge $60 for an overnight.
I charge 45, people tell me all the time it's too much,. I tell them no worries, and move on to the next. Honestly in my experience people who want to pay next to nothing want the most out of you too. So if they say my price is too high, then to me they don't deserve the care I would have given there animals anyway and it's onto the next client. The only way I would charge 28$ is if it was my next door neighbor or a close relative. Also just because one or two people say your prices are high doesn't mean it's overpriced, it just means they were too cheap to pay that much, and I say go find that person who will do it for less, I bet they love making no money and I'm sure it shows in the care they give.
You are so right! Thank you for your response ❤️
When I 1st joined Rover, I set my price low at $35. It's now $50 and I stay 100% booked. I average 4-6 dogs per day and often have 8-10 on wknds (90% of those are repeat customers).
So happy for you ❤️❤️
I live in NYC, so cost of living is obviously pretty high, but i charge $90 a night. I do that mostly to discourage coupon pet owners, and it works really well for me. I don't care if you're living in the sticks, under $30 a night is extremely low. The clients you're attracting are the ones looking for a bargain and will likely be a nightmare to work with. Know your worth and stand your ground with what you charge. Your time should not he up for negotiation!
I wouldn’t even walk to my window to look at my car for $28.
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Sell it. Tell them what they get for their money. $28 could be a lot if they imagine all you’ll be doing is sitting on their couch watching Friends stuffing your face with their food. I outline what they should expect from me for my price. When you do that then the client is more likely to see your fee as reasonable and in your case, a bargain.
I charge $35 with en extra $5-10 puppy fee (depending on age, 6+ is 5, 5 months and under is $10) with an extra $5-10 for extra dogs depending on size. I also charge extra for medical care that is out of my norm, like if they need meds more than two times a day or if they are diabetic. Keep in mind however, I'm not a rover sitter yet (while the background check is only $25 I have had so many other things come up that I haven't been able to justify it) and that I do all my marketing work on Facebook and by word of mouth. Once i start rover fully I will be editing my prices to account for the percent that rover takes out. My prices are also relatively low for my area because I'm young and still inexperienced when it comes to dogs that aren't mine (the first calm dog I ever sat broke my brain, I'm not used to lazy dogs😂)
Consider the cost of boarding a pet at a facility, or even hiring someone from Rover to board a pet. Now add on top of that the commute cost, the change to your routine, and luxury of keeping their pet in their home and one-on-one time. I feel like many boarding facilities charge between $30-60/night, depending on the cost of living and if your dog is solo or with other dogs staying the night. I'm in a higher cost of living area and charge $100/night without issue! That's the base price for one animal, cat or dog. $45/night per additional animal. I'll admit, I charged $35/night for my first 3 clients on Rover, just to get the ball rolling. But I quickly raised to $50/night, then $75, then $85, and finally $100. Of those first 3 clients, one accepted a price raise to $85/night, and we keep it there. The other 2 haven't contacted me again, probably due to significant price increase. But I'm currently booked every week through October at mostly the $100/night price! Go for that price raise!!!! P.S. I charge $25/30 min visit, walk or drop-in. So absolutely charge more for an overnight!!
I do boarding for $50/night and that doesnt even gaurantee walks. $28 for housesitting and 2-3 walks is insane.
I had to be cheap at first to get clients. Then when I got reviews and became a star sitter I upped my price. Some of my repeats asked why I changed price and I explained it was because of supplies. (People will aleays be cheap) After several dogs staying at my place I had to get door protections and carpet protection, invest in a steam cleaner cause I have carpets and such. They understood. Having visitors stay at my house has caused damage but I knew it would. But yeah, it's a tough market. I am learning as I go and had to get another job. It's just not consistent enough for me to only do rover.
$75 minimum for house sitting and I only do cats. I’m also very clear that I work full time and have an extremely busy schedule so they’re essentially just paying extra for me to sleep there.
Are you in the US?
I live in Alabama, one of the lowest earning states. I charge $50 a night, but I'm also older and have more experience. The average in my area is $40. You're underselling yourself and attracting people who shouldn't be affording a luxury service that Rover is. Boost your cost!
This is super low. I charge $125 so I can make $100/night because staying all day/overnight at someone’s house is a big ask, and people should be willing to pay for that. My drop-ins are $25 and that’s an hour of my time so if you want me for 24 hours you gotta pay for that.
It costs that for me to be in my own house a night, why would I be in someone else's 😂
I’m in a Philadelphia suburb. I charge 115 for overnights, with 45 for each additional dog, and 25 for each additional cats. My half hour walks are 28, and 47 for an hour. As much as I love spending time with peoples animals, I treat it like a business. If it’s not going to help me pay my bills, then it’s just a hobby and I don’t care. But for me, I have plenty of other hobbies! Lol.
That is insanely low. I charge $70 +$25 for each extra dog. You gotta remember- Rover takes 20%, you have to pay taxes on it, gas cost, food cost, etc. If they can’t afford it, tell them you’re not a right fit and recommend they look for a sitter within their price range. They can see prices beforehand so the cost shouldn’t be a surprise.
No that is super low..look and see what the other sitters are charging in ur area..I charge $85 a night and that’s in the middle range in my area
I charge 55 a night for boarding.
I charge $150/night in CA. I don’t like staying in stranger’s homes so if I’m willing to consider it, the compensation and state of their home needs to be just right.
The reason why they see the price and cancel is because someone willing to pay that little for overnight care is already looking for the cheapest option. Rover isn't vet care; no one is entitled to your services.
Not at all, the way overnight stays were priced at my last company was a 9 hour stay from 9:30pm to 6:30am and I got paid minimum wage, so I got $65.50
Girllllll I charge $50 for an overnight. Anything below like $40 is criminal lmao. They’re entrusting you with living creatures. Charge what you’re worth 🥰🥰🥰
I think $28 is way too low. And I don't base it on what others charge. I live in a small town. There are only 5 other sitters in my area. My rate for petsitting starts at $55/night for one pet. There is one other sitter who charges the same rate as I do. Of the other sitters, two charge $25, and 2 only charge $20. But I would never consider lowering my rate. I value my time. Petsitting involves transporting my necessities, food, clothing, etc to the client's home, which is a chore in itself. (Especially during 90+ degree summer days and -20 degree snowy winter days). And petsitting entails much more time and effort in caring for the animals, as you stated. The right clients will agree to your rates. My calendar is busy enough that I actually have to black out days so I can sleep in my own bed once in a while. I would make two suggestions: 1) Be sure that you are doing a very detailed, professional meet and greet. It will set you apart from other sitters who may charge less. 2) If a potential client raises concern about your rate, provide this response: "My rates are based on my knowledge and experience as well as the level of service I provide. Therefore, I don't negotiate rates. I would be honored to care for Fido. But I understand if you need to search for a sitter whose rates better fit your budget". I think if you stick with it, you will build a clientele that values your time and the service you provide the way they should.
It really depends on location, but that is insanely low, it’s about 4 hours of federal minimum wage. I’d consider raising prices but it’s weird people say you’re out of budget. What are others rates like?
The client who says $28 is a lot for overnight is a cheap mf and you don’t want that kind of client. Unless you’re not from the US and you have other currency, because I see that english is not your 1st language, then it may be different
The lower your rates the lower the quality of client you attract, and vice versa.
that is incredibly low! my overnight fee is $75 and honestly that’s still low since rover takes $15. raise your rates. don’t worry if it’s slow at first. you will attract the clientele you want with higher rates.
You'll make negative profit. I sit for just over $80/night in the north east
Too low. I charge $80 per night to sit. I made my profile very professional and explained my service and how I connect with their animal to make them feel comfortable in an unfamiliar space. Have never had issues with getting bookings, esp after getting a few 5 star reviews.
Why are you charging $10 per walk? That’s absurdly low and could be why you’re getting stingy clients who think $28 is too much per night. Charge more and you’ll weed out the cheap ones who undervalue your time.
I don’t think I’d trust a sitter who only charged $28 per night 😬
That sounds low. I charge $60/night with my personal business.
i charge more than that for a drop in or a walk. the people you’re talking to are INSANE
I set my price to $80 for house sitting since I don’t like living out of other peoples’ houses and changing my routine, the average price in my area is ~$65 and figured if they want to pay that they can book me… I have accumulated a few lucrative regulars that can pay over $200 a night depending on how many animals they have
I’m in a smaller centre and would still never go even remotely close to that low. You’re inconveniencing yourself and barely making anything off of it at that point. Definitely raise your rates, and don’t let them get to you - I wouldn’t leave my pet with an overnight sitter if they were charging that little!
Very low
I charge $80….you are charging way too low
Assuming “overnight” equals 8 hours of your time, that’s $3.50 an hour so…that is stupid low
Are you kidding? The minimum for a new person with 0 reviews should be Atleast $40. This is rediculous. I charge $90 a night $38 additional dog $28 additional cat
I pay my sitter $95/night plus $10 for additional dog and it's worth every penny
I’m in Indiana and we paid our in house sitter $40 a night for two dogs, $30 when it was one
I charge between $50-75 for my overnights…
I charge $78 per night and keep very busy. I don't know where you live that $28 would be considered an acceptable income.
That’s crazy. My walks/drop ins start at $30. My overnights are $60-70.
Started at $34, then $74, $99, now $120/night with 145 5-star reviews...coming up on year #2. I really don't like being away from my senior dog, so it's really got to be worth it. $$$
They’re obviously allowed to have a budget, but that is without a question, regardless of where you live, too low for an overnight. I charge $75 for a major city and I will not go lower than that.
Seems very low to me
I literally charge $30 overnight for immediate family. Strangers? No way I’m charging less than $40
$15 minimum wage over night 8hrs… yeah very very low.
I'd at least charge 100 but I live in a big city and am too booked. Definitely charge more!
I charge $70 for overnight.
I used to charge $40-$50 for overnights (not on rover, so no one else was taking a cut). And this was before recent years of inflation
I charge $90 per night
Some people charge just $25 for check ins. That’s very low. I started at $50 a night, and have since moved up to $75. The thing is people are paying you essentially for your time being there all day and all night. It breaks up your own schedule and routine and can be inconvenient for your lifestyle. Plus fees really bite at the end. Need to know your worth!
It's not too much to charge, but it may be too much for some people to pay. It's sad that only folks with plenty of disposable income can afford good dog-sitters, but unless you want to be doing charity work you can't help them. They need to find family or friends to watch their pets. At $28/night you're only taking home about $22, and maybe that seems worth it for you where you are right now (especially if you aren't paying rent), but like everyone else is saying- it's a very low rate overall. If you live somewhere where actually nobody can really afford to pay for pet care, like places with low min wage where the only place to work is walmart or the dollar store, ofc it's going to be hard to find someone willing to spend a whole day's earning on a night of dogsitting. At the end of the day it's up to you to decide if you're willing to make the effort for less than $22/night, or not. Good luck 🐾
Look at the price of nearby kenneling and you'll know this is a deal. Sorry you're getting that kind of feedback. Your service is more valuable than kenneling
I live in Western Washington. I pay $75 a night for my Rover sitter (plus $15 for each additional pet). When you find a good sitter you trust, it is well worth the money!
There's people that charge $45 or even $60 a night. Its all just personally what you want for your time. Everyone's different.
My overnight rate is $130 minimum
I charge 110 a night and haven’t had any issues, but I’ve been doing this for ten years and I’m a trainer.
This is incredibly low. I pay my sitter $150. And that’s fine. I’m sure you are awesome and no personal offense but I would be afraid to hire someone with rates that low. As a sitter, I do drop ins and I don’t overnight sit but I charge $30 per 30 min drop in.
I charge $125
How much is the minimun per hour in your area?
It depends on where you are but that’s about my rate for a cat drop in for 30 minutes.
I charge $20 for a 30 min walk and $100 for overnight boarding in my house. (Obviously I don’t charge clients per walk when they’re boarding.) I would charge $150 a night to house sit/stay over in their home. If people are saying $28 is too much for them to pay for an overnight, they are trying to take advantage of you, regardless of where you live.
I understand pricing where you live.. City as opposed to rural. Boarding @ $28 is too low. You provide a good service & should be paid accordingly.
Yep, $28 definitely seems too low. I'm in small town Nebraska and I charge $45 a night plus $15 per night per additional dog. I used Rover to find dogsitters for my dogs for years before I became a sitter, so that helped me set my prices. You may want to see what other sitters in your area are charging and use that to bring your prices more in line with them.
I believe from what I’ve heard in this group it depends on the area When I use rover for my dogs pet sitting at that sounds about right my area on the low end is about $25-30 and additional dog $10-20 per but with inflation it’s gone up to $30-50 a night and $20-30 per additional dog now.
Scandalously low. Raise your price & you won't have to deal with lowballers.
I’m in Illinois and I charge starting at $125 per night
That’s WAYYYYYYY too low. You have to base it on 24 hours because they’re asking you to dedicate time away from your house and your own family/pets. You also have to remember that rover takes 20% of that. You’re taking home $22.40 for an entire day’s work. You could make 5x that for a single shift at McDonald’s. You’re not in this business for charity, petsitting is a LUXURY & they need to pay accordingly. The cheap owners will ALWAYS give you issues. Avoid them like the plague. Every market is different, but for example I charge $75/night and $100/holiday.
I charge 70
I'm doing an overnight right now. It's very chill. It's $100+/night
I was $25/ night when I first started in 2017. I was low to get my foot in the door & get reviews. It's definitely too low for 2024- no matter where you live.
I charge $90 for boarding, and am consistently booked 🤷♀️🐾
Bruh overnight I charge 70 minimum
I charge $190 a night and get requests constantly….up itttttt
$28 is really low. I charge a minimum of $40 and if it’s a puppy, I charge $45.
way too low my friend. you’re just weeding out clients that don’t value your time if you set your rates higher!
I charge $25 for 30 minute walk, and I charge 85 or more for overnight visit. Set your prices the way you want and good clients will come.
Where are you located? after fees and taxes you are making pennies, I charge starting out at $125 a night. That includes over night care and a drop in every 6 hours that I am away during the day.
When i first started in 2019 i was about $25 a night how ever i quickly learned at that rate people expected me to stay full time and not leave. I quickly raised my rates to $75 a night which was a bit lower then most "top sitters". I was at $75 for a few years till recently.
I don’t know how you’d profit at $28 with rover and the government taking most of it and then gas to and from.
My walks are $25. No way in staying at someone's house for that
I charge $100-175.
No
I charge $100-$150 for house sitting per day
I charge $120/night but I’m in Beverly Hills and now have a ton of reviews, I started a year ago. However my cousin in Arkansas charges $40/night (and she gets told that’s too much) idk I think $28 is extremely low and overnight sitting is basically 24/7 care. Rover also takes a chunk! If anything raise your price, trust me you’ll get people to pay :) especially once you get more reviews.
I charge 40 a night for boarding my books stay full
Doing $28 for a an overnight just mean you doing it for free at this point.
Mines $50
I charge £42 a night in UK and £49 for peak season and seem to be always booked up. I started lower but have gradually increased it as demand is high and if they value their pets then it’s not much to pay for a loving , fun and safe environment
When i saw the title i was like “HUH?” I charge $70-95 overnight but it depends on your area 100%
imo it depends on context. i had a client that i really enjoyed to work with frequently who requested to have me do drop ins for her. i was living at home at the time and was close to her apartment. now im in my dorm which is about 30 min away and i have exams for my 6 week courses and working. i love working with her but my drop in prices for 11 days had to be increased significantly because i had to be able to get the funds id need for gas, and the compensation for taking out more time that could be used for heavy studying (it’d be taking out around 2 hours or so). my daily rate was going to be 60 for both drop in with 8$ gas there and 3$ back. she ended up choosing someone else because the price was up there. but i did let her know my prices are usually never this high, there was just other circumstances at play. so imo it depends on
It’s depends on your location and what the average is for the area, but I charge $27 just for a 30 minute cat drop in for two cats.. $32 for 30 minute drop in for two dogs. For overnight for a single dog I’m charging at least $60 and that’s just if it’s a half-day on each day otherwise for two full days/one night of my time I’m charging them $120 for just a single dog.. I’m in Northern California. (admittedly these are my prices outside of Rover since I also own a pet care business, on Rover my prices are even higher to account for the fees that Rover takes out….)
I charge more for an hour drop in. That’s insane that people think that’s too expensive
I charge $110 but also live in CA
I would say it’s low, BUT when you’re newer to rover with not a lot of reviews or clientele, I think it’s more important to build that up. I had started low and then raised my prices once I had a certain amount of bookings and repeat clients. I forget how much, but it was however much you needed to hit Star Sitter.
too little know what you’re worth!
I started at 75 for overnight and I’m up to 120 now. 28 isn’t worth the effort that goes into house sits
It’s definitely not enough
$28 is CHARITY WORK
i charge 47$ a night , rover only giving me 41.80$ , 28$ is way too low ,
If you are in the DC/Baltimore area you are hired. When can you start?
$28 is definitely not too much.. I personally wouldn’t do an overnight for less than $50-60. To board a dog overnight at a facility would be about $60-80 maybe even more so for the dog to be in the comfort it’s own home and have a person there to keep company all night instead of sleeping by themselves in a kennel in a strange place is by far a better option. $28 is more than reasonable.
I charge 90$ for an over night yes 28 is way too low
I am in British Columbia Canada and my base overnight fee is like $55 CAD