When it comes to pricing their services, dog grooming business owners have two main options: all-inclusive pricing and base pricing with add-ons. Both models have their pros and cons, and it’s important to understand the differences between them so you can choose the one that’s right for your business.

ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING

Under this model, a single price is charged for the entire grooming service, which includes all of the standard services and any additional services or special products needed. For example, a dog that comes in needing a special conditioning treatment or sensitive skin products will be charged the same as a dog that does not. 

PROs:

• Simplicity: All-inclusive pricing is straightforward and easy for clients to understand. 
• No surprises: With all-inclusive pricing, clients don’t have to worry about unexpected charges or add-ons, which can be a turn-off for some clients. They know exactly what they’re paying for and can budget accordingly.
• Increased customer loyalty: Clients appreciate the transparency and simplicity of all-inclusive pricing as well as the idea that they “get it all” no matter what, which can lead to increased loyalty.
• Higher profit margins: If priced properly, the “extra” time and products used on certain dogs will lead to higher profit margins.

CONs:

• Lower profit margins: If not priced properly, the “extra time and products used on certain dogs can lead to lower profit margins on those particular grooms. 
• Price hagglers: You may have to deal with clients who will try to haggle down your pricing because “they don’t need” any extra services.

Groom Haüs, a leading production company in the dog grooming industry, is celebrating their 3-year anniversary by relaunching as a membership-based platform. Groom Haüs is known for its high-quality production and content, awesome close-ups, and top-tier instructors..

Groom Haüs is now offering a single all-access membership for $35/month, giving members complete access to their full course library, live webinars, bonus content, business tools, affiliate discounts, and other awesome member perks. The membership is month-to-month and can be canceled at any time. Access to the Club Haüs social community on the Groom Haüs website is always free and serves as a safe space for all groomers and pet care professionals to network, share ideas, and connect without algorithms.

Members of Groom Haüs can enjoy complete access to their Course Library, which offers high-quality educational dog grooming courses available from beginner to advanced continued education taught by top instructors in the industry. The Course Library is ever-growing with multiple new courses and tutorials being added monthly, as well as live webinar events to give members the opportunity to join in, ask questions, win giveaways, and interact with other members in the live chat.

“We are so excited to relaunch Groom Haüs as a Membership platform and provide groomers of all levels with an affordable all-in-one resource for their professional development,” said Nina, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Groom Haüs. “This is more than just a dog grooming educational library – it is a community and platform for groomers to network, connect, and learn!”

The launch of the Groom Haüs membership program marks a significant milestone in the company’s goal to make high-quality dog grooming education more accessible to groomers worldwide. The membership program provides dog groomers with tools to help them learn and grow in the industry. With their growing library of educational resources, exclusive content, and member perks, Groom Haüs is hyper-focused on their vision to revolutionize the dog grooming industry and inspire the next generation of groomers.

If you are thinking about starting your own dog grooming salon or mobile grooming business one of the hardest things to determine is how much you should be charging for your grooming services. Determining HOW to price and how MUCH to price is part math, part preference. 

HOW to Price

Before you even think about how MUCH you should be pricing your services, you have to decide HOW you are going to price them. Many groomers opt to leave off any public pricing of their services as they prefer to quote each new client based on a better understanding of all the factors that go into figuring out the price of a grooming service. 

In order to do this, you have to evaluate each new client first (either over the phone, through text/DM with photos, or a form on your website) then base the price off how long you think it will take to complete the groom and multiply that by your hourly rate. Estimating how long you think it will take to complete a groom is just that – an estimate. So always be sure to communicate this to the client and let them know if during the groom it seems like it may take longer than you originally anticipated (i.e. the coat is much more matted than you thought, or the dog is being difficult).

If you decide you would like to have more of a menu of services that list your “starting at” prices (never lock yourself into a set price with grooming services) you will most likely be charging based on size (i.e. toy, small, medium, large, giant). Charging based on size leaves things a bit up to interpretation for the pet parent, so you may come into issues where they get upset because they consider their dog small when it is really medium-sized. You can list weight ranges under the sizes to better define them, but to keep people honest you will have to invest in a scale and weigh the dog before each visit. 

The issue with charging by weight/size is that dogs come in many shapes and coat types. One 50lb dog breed (let’s say a Bulldog) may require much less time to groom than another 50lb dog breed (let’s just go with a Doodle ). On the same note, a 10lb dog (Shih-tzu in full coat) may require far more time to groom than a 50lb dog (that same Bulldog). Unfortunately, there is no easy way to determine pricing based on weight/size so you may have to adjust your pricing and add disclaimers as needed.

Whatever you decide, you want to make sure it is as simple as possible and easy to understand for a pet parent. It is also good to note visibly by your menu of services (whether it has pricing or not) that: “Pricing is determined by your pet’s coat condition, temperament, time since last groom, and other factors and can change from appointment to appointment.” Every pricing structure for dog grooming has its pros and cons. You must determine what will work best for you and your grooming business and adjust accordingly and regularly.