Dog grooming price guide · 2026
How much to charge for dog grooming.
What US salons charge for a full groom by size, coat and region, and whether that number works for an hour of your table time. Pick a dog and see the range.
- From public US price data
- Updated October 2026
- Free, no email needed
What should this groom cost?
At $90 this groom earns $15 an hour less than your target. You’d need about $120 for 2 hours, or to get it done in 90 minutes.
An estimate from public US salon prices (Groomlocal, Bark, Thumbtack), not a quote. Groom times are what salons on Packyard typically book.
The short answer
A typical full groom, before tip
Bath, haircut and nails at a US salon, blended from the public price data below. Every bar sits on the same $0–$200 axis so you can compare at a glance.
Coat
Coat changes the price as much as size
Two 40-pound dogs can be an hour apart on the table. A smooth-coated beagle mix is a bath, a dry and a tidy. A 40-pound doodle is a long dry, a brush-out and a full scissor finish.
Salons on Packyard see the same pattern. They price a full groom by size and coat, and doodle and poodle coats often cost close to double a short-coated dog of the same size.
Typical surcharges
Coat ranges from Bark; surcharges from pricing guides by Franpos and Sniffin’ Around. Matting is where most price arguments start: put a per-15-minute dematting rate on your list and say it before the groom. Here’s the script.
Where you work
Your area matters more than any average
A national average hides a huge spread. Bark puts big metros 30–50% above smaller towns for a medium-to-large full groom.
Even neighbouring states differ. In Groomlocal’s October 2026 index, the median full groom is $80 in Washington and $70 in Oregon.
Mobile typically runs 20–30% above salon prices. Tick “Mobile” in the calculator to see it, or compare salon, mobile and home-based grooming.
Before you set a number: look up four or five salons within a 20-minute drive and note what they charge for a medium doodle and a small shih tzu. That’s your market, whatever the national figure says.
The check most price lists skip
Check the price against your hourly rate
The market tells you what clients will pay. It doesn’t tell you whether that price works for you.
Salons on Packyard book about one hour for a small dog and about two hours for a medium or larger dog. At the market middle, that’s about $75 for small and $90 for medium. The time doubles, but the price only goes up by a fifth.
Charge the market middle for every size and your medium and large dogs can earn far less per hour than your small ones.
- 1Set an hourly target Work back from your costs and what you want to take home, then divide by the hours a dog is actually on the table each week. The business plan guide walks through it.
- 2Time real appointments Two or three of each size and coat. What you think a groom takes and what it really takes are usually different numbers.
- 3Price each cell at time × target Then compare with your local market. Far above it? Find ways to work faster. Far below? Raise the price. The market will usually bear more than you fear.
Add-ons
À la carte prices
Charge separately for things only some dogs need. If more than half your dogs get an add-on, fold it into the base price.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
None of these is a formal survey. Most come from directories and marketplaces, and they don’t agree exactly. That’s why this guide shows ranges.
- Groomlocal PNW index Oct 2026Starting prices from 174 Washington and Oregon groomers Small $80 · Medium $92 · Large $115 · XL $128
- Bark 2026National averages from Bark’s marketplace Small $62 · Medium $77 · Large $95 · Giant $120
- Thumbtack Oct 2026Marketplace quotes Typical $79–$136, national average $104
- Petco third-party listBig-box chain, the low end of the market XS $38 · S $42 · M $47 · L $57 · XL $66
Don’t price against Petco. A chain runs on volume and its own staffing. An independent salon competes on the groom, the relationship and the time slot.
Keep going
Turn the number into a price list
- Template Dog grooming price list template A free Word price list by size and coat, with add-ons, dematting and policies.
- Guide Pet grooming business plan Where your hourly target comes from: costs, hours and take-home pay.
- Script Matted dog markup How to charge for matting without an argument at pickup, with a script.
- Policy Grooming deposits When to take a deposit for long or first-time grooms, and how much.
Pricing questions
How much should I charge for a full dog groom?
A typical US salon full groom (bath, haircut and nails) runs about $60–$90 for a small dog, $75–$110 for a medium dog, $90–$140 for a large dog and $110–$180 for an extra large dog, before tip. Adjust for coat and for where you work.
How much more should I charge for a doodle?
Pricing guides typically add $20–$40 for doodles and poodles over the base price for the size. Salons on Packyard often charge close to double for a doodle compared with a short-coated dog of the same size.
How much should I charge for a nail trim?
A nail trim on its own is typically $20–$25. It’s a short appointment, so it earns well per hour.
Should I price by breed or by size?
By size and coat. “Poodle” covers a ten-pound toy and a sixty-pound standard. Weight is on the vet paperwork, and coat shows in a photo.
How much more does mobile grooming cost?
Mobile grooming typically runs 20–30% above salon prices, according to Bark.
How often should I raise my grooming prices?
Review them once or twice a year. Small, regular rises go down better than one big jump after years of nothing. Give regulars notice in writing.
Quote it once, on the booking page.
Packyard shows each service’s price and length to clients when they book online, so the number is agreed before the dog arrives.