How much does it cost to hire a house sitter?

House-sitting can be a lifesaver when you’re leaving town for any length of time. Whether you work remotely, you’re taking a much-needed vacation, or you just want to road-trip for a few days, it’s wise to have a pro keep an eye on your house and pets while you’re gone. Your home is more likely to stay safe and you won’t have to wrangle the kitty into a kennel to travel with you. The national average pet-sitting price ranges between $20 and $30. Pet-sitting and house-sitting costs will vary based on where you live in the country and regional labor rates. Another factor in cost is how long you want the house-sitter to stay. Some people prefer to have the house-sitter stay the night at their house, perhaps to care for an elderly pet or simply to keep a watchful eye on the home at all times. Overnight stays will cost more, ranging anywhere from $50 to $100, depending on services provided. For day visits, house-sitting and pet-sitting prices will increase incrementally the longer the visit and the more service you want performed. For example, a quick 10-minute visit to feed and walk the pet and bring in the mail could be $12.50, a 25-minute visit could be $18, a 40-minute visit $25, and a 50-minute visit $32. For more, check out our tips for smart hiring on Thumbtack.

How much should you pay for a pet sitter?

Pet sitting provides your precious pet with in-home care. A pet-sitter can make a brief visit during the day to provide snacks, playtime or affection, or stay at your house for one or more nights to tend to your pet. Prices for pet-sitting will vary based on length of the visit. Nationally, pet sitting prices range from $20 to $30, although prices run higher for your sitter to stay the night. Prices will also be affected by where you live in the country. Here are some examples of average pet-sitting prices based on length of time and region:

30-minute visit: $17 in a small Texas town.
30-minute visit: $25 in Southern California.

45-minute visit: $28.
60-minute visit: $32.

Overnight stay (10 hours): $50 in Texas.
Overnight stay (10 hours): $85 in Southern California.

12 hours: $100.
24 hours: $200. This is a good option for a sick, elderly or brand-new pet that needs constant supervision.

Erin K.

Verified review

Earlier this year we went on a short vacation, the first since we became homeowners, and for lack of forethought our only option was to board our cat for the 3.5 days we were gone. While she made it through okay, we couldn't help but think it would be less stress for everyone involved if we just let her stay at home and had someone check in on her, so we began shopping for pet sitters prior to our long vacation this fall. To give some context, we had certain criteria for a pet sitter. We didn't want someone who we couldn't trust to take the job seriously, and truly wanted to hire someone who does this primarily for a living. There's a measure of trust that goes into this - you're giving someone virtually unrestricted access to your home and hoping that they will take care of your beloved pet as you would. It's a tall order. We had quite a few respondents to our postings, and out of all of them we chose Helene after our initial meet and greet. The things that stood out to us the most were Helene's earnest interest in pet care, her depth of knowledge, and her bonded/insured practice. This is her profession, not just something to make some money on the side. Helene asked all the right questions of us up front, which is what we were looking for. I'm happy to say things couldn't have gone better! We left on vacation for 12 days this autumn and received daily updates via email to let us know that our cat was being well cared for. We asked Helene to stop by for half hour daily sessions, inclusive of feeding/maintenance/play, and it seems to have gone off without a hitch. It was really great to have one less thing to worry about, and they seemed to have gotten along very well. We will definitely be contacting Helene again in the future for any pet sitting needs and encourage anyone reading this to do so as well.

Tracy R.

Cat sitting. I get email updates with pictures at each visit. Tremendous service. Angela is a great with taking care of the animals as well as taking in mail and other odds and ends. Highly recommend! Will use again.

Jenny R.

Jackie took care of our dog, cat, and rabbit when we were out of town. She was very professional during our first meeting and left a report of how the pet sitting went. We look forward to using Muttsley's again.

Christina H.

Susan has been cat sitting for us for over ten years and we have only positive things to say. First, she did cat sitting for one cat and now for our three. She always asks how they are doing along with detailed questions so she knows what is going on with them, their food and medicine issues, etc. She is easy to work with, 100% reliable, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and experienced. She has a very calm demeanor which our cats respond well to and she spends the time to play with them and give them attention while we are gone so that they are happy and in good spirits when we come home.

Karen S.

Sally looks forward to her visits from Brenda and Jennifer each week. 2Hearts2Paws are reliable, flexible and fun! They care about the pets they see and go the extra mile in the rain, sleet, snow or cold to make sure everyone is happy with tails waggin'!

Linda G.

Michelle groomed my 15-year-old dog, who suffered from arthritis and had bad back legs. Brownie had medium-long hair that shed like crazy and hadn't been professionally washed or brushed for years. After 90 minutes, she emerged from Michelle's van looking clean and sleek. I've recommended her service to my pet-sitting customers. It was a little pricey, but you get convenience (especially for dogs averse to car rides) and a groomer with a lot of experience and knowledge.

Logan H.

We just started utilizing crazy paws for our new puppy during the day. Tiaya is very knowledgeable and flexible. She has really put us at ease and we have loved working with her!

Sandra B.

I have utilized From My House To Yours pet sitting service for more than six years now. Karen and her team have taken excellent care of my dogs and my home. They have provided pet visits during the week while my husband and I are at work and also when we are on vacation. Karen and her team are loved by my dogs. My dogs look forward to seeing their pet sitter and I am confident of the care that is provided to my dogs when I am away from home. I highly recommend the service they provide and I am confident of the love that they show to the pets in their care.

Diann M.

Mary and her husband helped us out in an emergency when our regular pet sitter couldn't take care of our dog. I would have no problem calling them again. Also, the reference they gave told me she would highly recommend them. Price was reasonable aso well.

Kristy Z.

Lisa has been my pet sitter for over 4 years now. Loyal, trustworthy and dependable are her 3 greatest attributes and the most important part is my dogs just love her! She is just great with them! She has even rushed one of my dogs to my vet when she was at my house pet sitting. My dog cut herself on my fencing deep enough to require stitches. I highly recommend her!

Denise K.

Heather is our pup's favorite friend! We know that we can always count on her for daily visits, as well as help if anything last-minute pops up. As a first time dog owner, I value Heather's opinion and insight on what's best for our pup!

Michael L.

Paula was absolutely phenomenal. I recently was working 12 hour days for 2 weeks straight and needed a dog walker to take my 2 dogs out twice a day. I hired Paula off of Thumbtack and wow I couldn't have asked for a nicer, incredibly reliable, and trustworthy dog walker. She passed along updates on the dogs and always kept me in the loop on the pups. She was very kind and very passionate about what she does. I would give her 10 stars if I could. Paula is definitely my go to dog walker from here on out and I passed out a couple of her cards to my neighbors with dogs. If you want a great dog walker, do yourself a favor and hire Paula!!

Dylan S.

Robert was amazing in taking care of my dog. He was extremely professional and responsive. I loved getting photo updates of how my dog was doing. I also greatly appreciated that Robert was trained in pet CPR and was independently insured - definitely kept my mind at ease whilst I was gone. I recommend Robert and the Pigglesworth Pet Project very highly!

Thumbtack Customer

Connie has done a wonderful job pet sitting our 2 cats. It's very easy to schedule with her and she always texts us updates and photos when we're out of town. I would recommend her without hesitation!

Kristen B.

Tiaya has been the most accommodating and wonderful person to work with. They are there any time my schedule changes and are always willing to shift things around to ensure that my puppy is taken care of. Definitely recommend using Crazy Pawz for all of your pet needs.

Karen C.

Jeanne was wonderful to work with. Our dog Daisy was well loved during her stay and well cared for. She’s shy but warmed up to Jeanne right away. We felt great leaving Daisy in her care. We highly recommend TLC Pet sitting and appreciate Jeanne!! Jeanne replies promptly to email, texts and phone calls.

Mitch M.

I was desperate for a dog walker when my local high schoolers went off to college. Todd has been great. Wally, my kind of tough mixed breed shelter dog really likes him and Todd has never let me down.

Terry T.

Even though I didn't eventually need a walker, I was impressed with the prompt, polite, and accommodating responses from your employee. If I should need dog walking services in the future, I surely will contact you.

Brenda K.

I hired Barb Carter to take care of my cat for a week. She was terrific. I received daily updates about how my cat was eating and how active. My cat had no trouble adjusting to Barb and went right to her lap. I will definitely hire her again. I felt relieved to have left her in such capable and caring hands.

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