How to price dog grooming services
Start from what an hour of your table costs, then price each groom by the time it really takes.
Updated October 20, 2026
The short answer
Work out what one groomer-hour must bring in to cover your costs, pay and profit. Time your real grooms by size, breed and coat. Price each service as its time multiplied by that hourly figure, then add set charges for matting, difficult dogs and add-ons. Check it against nearby shops last, not first.
1. Find your hourly number
Add up a normal month:
- Fixed costs: rent, insurance, software, phone, utilities, loan or van payments.
- Supplies: shampoo, blades, towels, bows, cleaning.
- Pay: wages or commission, payroll taxes, and your own pay as the owner.
- Profit: what the business should keep for repairs, slow months and growth.
Divide the total by the grooming hours you can really sell in a month (not the hours you’re open: leave room for breaks, cleaning and gaps). The result is what every hour on the table has to bring in.
2. Time your real grooms
For two or three weeks, write down how long each groom takes from start to finish, bath and dry included. Group them by size and coat. Averages from your own table beat any chart, because your speed, tools and clients are your own.
| What changes the time | What to do about it |
|---|---|
| Size | Separate prices or times for small, medium, large and extra large. |
| Coat type | Doodles, double coats and hand-scissored breeds get their own breed price. |
| Matting | A set matting charge, in steps or per 15 minutes, written in your policy. |
| Behavior | A difficult-dog charge when a dog needs a second person or extra time. |
| Time since last groom | A lower price for clients who come back on schedule, which also fills your calendar. |
3. Set the price
Price = minutes the groom takes ÷ 60 × your hourly number. Round to an even figure. Add-ons such as teeth brushing, nail grinding or a blueberry facial are priced by their own minutes and supplies.
Mobile groomers add the drive: either a travel fee per stop, or drive minutes built into each price.
4. Check the market, then decide
Call or look up three or four shops nearby. If you’re far below them, you have room to raise. If you’re above, make sure clients can see why: a shorter wait, a calmer room, a report card, a van at their door.
5. Raise prices without losing clients
- Give 30 days’ notice in a text or at the counter.
- Raise a little each year instead of a lot every few years.
- Start new prices with new clients first if you’re nervous.
- Say plainly what goes up, by how much and from when.
How WagTab helps
- Prices and times by size and breed for every service, so booking blocks the right amount of time.
- Matting and difficult-dog charges added at checkout, and spa days built from services.
- Reports by groomer and service show what each service brings in.
- Your booking page never shows prices, so you quote after you see the dog.
Pricing questions
Should I price dog grooming by the hour or by the dog?
Charge by the dog, but build each price from the hour. Clients want a clear price per groom; your hourly number keeps that price from falling below your costs.
How do I charge for a matted dog?
Write a matting charge into your policy and release form, show it to the client at drop-off, and add it at checkout. Charging by each 15 minutes of extra work keeps it fair for small and large dogs.
How often should groomers raise prices?
Once a year is easy for clients to accept. Recheck your hourly number at the same time, since rent, pay and supplies change.
Put your price list in, by size and breed
$20 a month for the whole shop. More guides: all guides