Domestic Services & Proration

Published by IHSSHours.com · September 13, 2026 · Updated October 11, 2026

Domestic services — primarily housecleaning — are one of the most commonly misunderstood IHSS categories. They are subject to a monthly hour cap and a proration formula based on who shares the home. Understanding how this works helps you accurately represent the recipient's needs.

What Domestic Services Covers

Under IHSS, domestic services covers housecleaning only — sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, and general tidying of the home. It does not include laundry (covered under Related Services) or personal care tasks.

The 6-Hour Monthly Cap

California caps domestic services at a maximum of 6 hours per month per household. This is a hard cap — regardless of the size of the home or the severity of the recipient's condition, no more than 6 hours per month may be authorized for housecleaning.

How Proration Works

If the recipient shares the home with other people, the 6-hour cap may be prorated based on how many rooms the recipient uses exclusively versus how many are shared. The formula is:

          Recipient's rooms = exclusive rooms + (shared rooms ÷ number of occupants)

          Prorated hours = (recipient's rooms ÷ total rooms) × 6 hrs

Example: A home with 4 rooms, where the recipient has 1 exclusive bedroom and shares 3 rooms with one other adult. Recipient's rooms = 1 + (3÷2) = 2.5 of 4 rooms = 62.5% × 6:00 = 3:45 per month.

On the formula itself. MPP 30-763.4 requires that a need met in common be prorated among the people involved, but it does not set out a room-by-room formula. The room-weighted calculation above is how many counties apply it; Disability Rights California describes the simpler version counties also use — 6 hours divided by the number of people in the home. Both approaches agree that only common areas should be prorated and that a room used solely by the recipient is assessed separately, and that a live-in attendant is not counted. If your county's figure differs from what you expected, ask which method they applied and how they counted the rooms.

Important Exceptions

Natural or adoptive children under 14 are not counted as occupants for proration purposes
If other household members are also IHSS recipients, hours may be further adjusted
Adults 18+ or children 14+ who could reasonably assist with cleaning may reduce authorized hours

Count your rooms accurately. Include all rooms used by the household — bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathrooms, and dining room. The more precise your room count, the more accurate your domestic services estimate.

Sources

MPP 30-757.11 — scope of domestic services; the guideline shall not exceed 6 hours per month per household unless the recipient’s needs require an exception
MPP 30-757.134 — routine laundry: 1 hour per week per household in-home, 1.5 hours where facilities are not in the home
MPP 30-757.135 — food shopping at 1 hour per week per household, and other shopping and errands at 0.5 hours
MPP 30-763.4 — assessing needs in shared living arrangements; a need met in common is prorated among those involved
MPP 30-763.47 — where the provider lives in, domestic and heavy cleaning are not provided in areas used solely by the provider
ACIN I-82-17 — of the twelve HTG services, only meal preparation and meal cleanup may result in a prorated need
ACL 08-18 (April 23, 2008), Q&A 11 — a recipient who eats separately from the household does not have meal services prorated for that reason

Regulatory citations verified against the CDSS Manual of Policies and Procedures and the CDSS Paraphrased Regulations (Social Services 620–626). Educational information, not legal advice. More on our sources and method: How we calculate estimates.

Educational information, not legal advice. Only your county can authorize IHSS services, and only after an assessment. IHSSHours.com is an independent resource and is not affiliated with CDSS or any county IHSS office. · More IHSS guides