Short answer
Professional carpet cleaning in the Leander area is generally priced per room or per square foot, with most companies treating an average room as roughly 200 to 250 square feet. Room count pricing normally covers carpeted living areas only, and stairs, hallways, tile and upholstery are usually priced separately. Get the room definition and what counts as extra in writing before booking.
How carpet cleaning is priced
There are two common models. Per room pricing quotes a flat rate for a set number of rooms, which is simple but depends entirely on how the company defines a room. Per square foot pricing is more precise and tends to be fairer on unusual layouts.
Neither is inherently better, but comparing a per room quote against a per square foot quote without knowing the square footage is not a real comparison.
What counts as a room
This is where most quotes go wrong. We treat an average room as 220 square feet. A large open plan living and dining area is frequently two rooms by square footage even though it feels like one space.
Ask any company what square footage they count as one room, and ask what happens if a room is larger than that.
What is usually not included
Room count pricing normally applies to carpeted living areas. Stairs are typically priced per step or as a flat add on. Hallways, closets, tile and grout, area rugs and upholstery are usually separate.
None of that is a hidden fee if it is disclosed up front, which is the part worth checking.
Things that legitimately raise the price
Heavy soil in traffic lanes needs extra pre-treatment and agitation. Pet odor requires source treatment rather than surface cleaning. Stain removal on set stains takes dedicated products and time.
Protective treatment applied after cleaning is optional. These are real additional work, not upsells, but they should be quoted before the job starts.