Startup costs from franchise filings
How much does it cost to open a salon?
Opening a hair salon costs $180,990 to $390,200, going by the 5 hair salon franchises whose current disclosure documents are on file in Minnesota: the medians of their low and high estimates for one new location. Other beauty businesses cost more to open, up to a day spa at $916,674 to $1,409,460. Across all 39 beauty franchises compared here the middle is $399,500 to $729,603, and every brand and every line is below.
39 filings, read from Minnesota's franchise registry on October 16, 2026. How the figures work ยท Download every line (CSV)
By type of business
What it costs to open each kind of beauty business
The medians of the brands' low and high estimates for one new location, franchise fee included. Each row has its own page with every brand and every line.
| Business | Typical cost to open | Lowest to highest filed | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair salon | $180,990 to $390,200 | $138,200 to $462,000 | 5 |
| Barbershop | $265,690 to $580,500 | $207,000 to $772,500 | 5 |
| Lash studio | $301,283 to $523,675 | $202,170 to $719,754 | 4 |
| Waxing studio | $339,945 to $646,195 | $331,600 to $776,950 | 3 |
| Blow-dry bar | $368,920 to $726,660 | $327,860 to $1,029,249 | 2 |
| Med spa | $513,581 to $826,739 | $232,900 to $1,231,677 | 2 |
| Nail salon | $538,492 to $740,783 | $172,722 to $944,045 | 4 |
| Massage studio | $545,695 to $850,015 | $320,891 to $1,046,506 | 4 |
| Tanning salon | $755,390 to $1,263,712 | $676,290 to $1,448,000 | 3 |
| Day spa | $916,674 to $1,409,460 | $496,450 to $2,022,969 | 2 |
| Salon suites | $945,028 to $1,748,296 | $675,106 to $2,301,538 | 5 |
What the filings show
Three things every salon budget gets wrong
The space is most of the money. Build-out and construction is a median 41% of each brand's low estimate, more than any other line. A space that was already a salon, with water and drainage where the shampoo bowls or pedicure chairs go, is the largest saving an owner can find.
The franchise fee is the small part. It is a median 11% of the low estimate (a median of $45,000). The rest is what any owner pays: the build-out, fixtures, signage, deposits, opening stock and the cash to get through the first months.
The cushion is part of the cost. Brands budget a median 8% of the low estimate as working capital for the first months, because a new salon's chairs fill gradually. A budget that stops at the opening day is short by about that much.
Your budget
Build your own startup budget
Pick what you are opening and a starting point. Every line starts from the filed medians without the franchise-only costs; replace each with your own quotes and download the result.
Each line starts at the middle of the brands' low estimates across 5 filed hair salon disclosures, with franchise-only costs left out. Replace any figure with your own quote; switching the business or the starting point resets the lines.
Build-out and construction
Leasehold improvements, plumbing, electrical, flooring, lighting and finishes, less any landlord allowance.
$60,000 to $145,000median of 5 filings
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
Chairs, stations, shampoo units, treatment beds or devices, reception and waiting furniture.
$25,500 to $55,000median of 5 filings
Signage
Exterior sign and interior graphics.
$6,000 to $13,500median of 4 filings
Computers, POS and software
Point of sale, computers, phones, music and security systems, software set-up.
$2,440 to $4,040median of 3 filings
Opening supplies and retail stock
Backbar and service supplies, linens, sanitation, retail products for the shelf.
$5,000 to $10,000median of 5 filings
Grand opening marketing
Pre-opening and launch advertising, promotions and events.
$10,000 to $15,000median of 5 filings
Rent and deposits before opening
Security deposit, rent before opening, utility deposits.
$3,000 to $12,000median of 5 filings
Professional fees, permits and licenses
Architect and design, legal and accounting, building permits, business and establishment licenses.
$4,500 to $12,000median of 4 filings
Insurance
First premiums or deposits for liability, property and workers' compensation cover.
$1,500 to $3,000median of 3 filings
Working capital (first months)
Cash to cover payroll, rent and bills until the business pays for itself, usually the first three months.
$15,000 to $45,000median of 5 filings
Other opening costs
Travel, utilities set-up, uniforms and costs the filing does not put elsewhere.
$4,000 to $10,200median of 1 filing
Your startup budget
$136,900
Franchised hair salon units disclose a median of $180,990 to $390,200, franchise fee included.
Every filing
All 39 filings compared
Each brand's newest franchise disclosure document on file in Minnesota. The brand name links to the filed document.
| Brand | Business | Total initial investment | Franchise fee | Build-out | Unit described |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookie CuttersFDD issued Mar 2026As printed in the filing, its low total ($138,200) is $500 more than its lines add up to ($137,700); the table shows the printed total. | Hair salon | $138,200 to $390,200 | $40,000 | $25,000 to $145,000 | 1,200 sq ft |
| Cost CuttersFDD issued Oct 2025 | Hair salon | $180,990 to $342,340 | $39,500 | $65,500 to $127,500 | 800 to 1,200 sq ft |
| Fantastic SamsFDD issued May 2025 | Hair salon | $171,500 to $462,000 | $40,000 | $30,000 to $250,000 | 1,000 to 1,400 sq ft, 8 stations |
| Great ClipsFDD issued Mar 2026 | Hair salon | $187,800 to $419,900 | $20,000 to $35,000 | $70,000 to $200,000 | 900 to 1,200 sq ft |
| SupercutsFDD issued Oct 2025 | Hair salon | $185,930 to $323,460 | $39,500 | $60,000 to $120,000 | 900 to 1,200 sq ft, 6 to 8 stations |
| Floyd's 99FDD issued Jul 2026 | Barbershop | $399,500 to $772,500 | $49,500 | $185,000 to $400,000 | 1,200 to 1,600 sq ft, 10 to 12 chairs |
| RoostersFDD issued Oct 2025 | Barbershop | $265,690 to $432,390 | $39,500 | $85,000 to $175,000 | 1,000 to 1,400 sq ft, 6 stations |
| Sport ClipsFDD issued Apr 2026As printed in the filing, its low total ($236,800) is $7,800 more than its lines add up to ($229,000) and its high total ($580,500) is $5,500 more than its lines add up to ($575,000); the table shows the printed total. | Barbershop | $236,800 to $580,500 | $30,000 to $69,500 | $108,000 to $290,000 | 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft |
| The BarbershopFDD issued Apr 2026 | Barbershop | $207,000 to $352,600 | $40,000 | $80,000 to $170,000 | 1,100 to 1,800 sq ft |
| V's BarbershopFDD issued Mar 2026 | Barbershop | $290,000 to $690,000 | $40,000 | $60,000 to $280,000 | 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft |
| FrenchiesFDD issued Mar 2026As printed in the filing, its low total ($472,883) is $1,000 more than its lines add up to ($471,883) and its high total ($550,060) is $3,870 more than its lines add up to ($546,190); the table shows the printed total. | Nail salon | $472,883 to $550,060 | $50,000 | $217,704 to $229,363 | 1,200 to 1,800 sq ft, 12 to 16 stations |
| Hammer & NailsFDD issued Mar 2026 | Nail salon | $694,300 to $944,045 | $60,000 | $278,000 to $382,545 | 1,700 to 2,200 sq ft |
| Regal NailsFDD issued Mar 2026 | Nail salon | $172,722 to $721,866 | Not listed separately | $150,000 to $545,000 | 400 to 1,500 sq ft |
| TownhouseFDD issued Jan 2026 | Nail salon | $604,100 to $759,700 | $40,000 | $415,000 to $485,000 | 700 to 1,400 sq ft |
| Amazing Lash StudioFDD issued Mar 2025As printed in the filing, its high total ($719,754) is $18,650 less than its lines add up to ($738,404); the table shows the printed total. | Lash studio | $464,464 to $719,754 | $50,000 | $220,550 to $380,000 | 1,000 to 1,700 sq ft |
| Deka LashFDD issued Aug 2025 | Lash studio | $285,900 to $460,850 | $59,900 | $80,000 to $158,000 | 750 to 1,250 sq ft, 3 to 5 beds |
| LashBarFDD issued Jul 2026 | Lash studio | $202,170 to $294,670 | $45,000 | $68,000 to $100,000 | 700 to 1,000 sq ft, 4 to 6 seats |
| The Lash LoungeFDD issued Mar 2026 | Lash studio | $316,665 to $586,499 | $50,000 | $130,000 to $294,967 | 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft, 6 to 9 stations |
| European Wax CenterFDD issued Apr 2026 | Waxing studio | $331,600 to $776,950 | $36,000 to $45,000 | $147,000 to $386,000 | about 1,400 sq ft, 5 to 6 rooms |
| Radiant WaxingFDD issued Mar 2025 | Waxing studio | $387,788 to $554,947 | $50,000 | $143,325 to $238,350 | 1,200 to 1,800 sq ft |
| Waxing the CityFDD issued Mar 2026 | Waxing studio | $339,945 to $646,195 | $42,500 | $114,200 to $290,220 | 1,200 to 2,000 sq ft, 4 to 6 rooms |
| Elements MassageFDD issued Mar 2025 | Massage studio | $515,789 to $729,603 | $40,000 | $250,000 to $365,000 | 1,700 to 2,200 sq ft |
| Hand and StoneFDD issued Apr 2026 | Massage studio | $320,891 to $864,729 | $39,600 to $49,500 | $132,310 to $423,538 | 2,200 to 3,200 sq ft |
| Massage EnvyFDD issued Apr 2026 | Massage studio | $695,870 to $1,046,506 | $28,000 to $45,000 | $405,000 to $551,000 | 2,300 to 2,800 sq ft |
| MassageLuXeFDD issued Apr 2026 | Massage studio | $575,600 to $835,300 | $32,500 to $42,500 | $384,500 to $478,200 | 2,200 to 2,800 sq ft, 7 to 10 rooms |
| SpaviaFDD issued Apr 2025 | Day spa | $496,450 to $795,950 | $59,500 | $288,000 to $485,000 | 2,600 to 3,300 sq ft |
| Woodhouse Day SpaFDD issued Apr 2026 | Day spa | $1,336,897 to $2,022,969 | $60,000 | $645,182 to $921,700 | 5,000 to 7,000 sq ft |
| Blo Blow Dry BarFDD issued Apr 2026 | Blow-dry bar | $327,860 to $424,071 | $45,000 | $134,650 to $184,900 | 700 to 1,000 sq ft |
| DrybarFDD issued Mar 2025 | Blow-dry bar | $409,979 to $1,029,249 | $50,000 | $81,500 to $493,500 | 1,100 to 2,200 sq ft, 8 to 12 chairs |
| MYSA Medical & Wellness SpaFDD issued Apr 2025 | Med spa | $232,900 to $421,800 | $50,000 | $25,000 to $85,000 | 1,200 to 3,000 sq ft |
| VIO Med SpaFDD issued Apr 2025 | Med spa | $794,261 to $1,231,677 | $50,000 | $240,000 to $420,000 | 1,500 to 2,200 sq ft |
| GLO TanningFDD issued Apr 2026 | Tanning salon | $759,200 to $1,448,000 | $45,000 | $258,000 to $565,000 | 1,500 to 5,000 sq ft, 15 to 25 beds |
| Palm Beach TanFDD issued Apr 2026 | Tanning salon | $755,390 to $1,263,712 | $30,000 | $250,000 to $400,000 | 2,200 to 2,600 sq ft |
| Sun Tan CityFDD issued Mar 2025 | Tanning salon | $676,290 to $1,114,750 | $0 to $30,000 | $250,000 to $350,000 | 17 beds, new construction |
| My Salon SuiteFDD issued May 2025 | Salon suites | $675,106 to $1,682,095 | $50,000 | $353,351 to $984,638 | 5,039 to 7,940 sq ft |
| Phenix Salon SuitesFDD issued May 2026As printed in the filing, its low total ($945,028) is $1 less than its lines add up to ($945,029); the table shows the printed total. | Salon suites | $945,028 to $2,301,538 | $52,500 | $734,947 to $1,416,029 | 5,166 to 10,000 sq ft |
| Salons by JCFDD issued Apr 2026 | Salon suites | $1,352,200 to $1,900,500 | $60,000 | $875,000 to $1,260,000 | 5,000 to 7,000 sq ft |
| Sola SalonsFDD issued Apr 2026 | Salon suites | $950,214 to $1,748,296 | $60,000 | $566,633 to $1,146,784 | 4,200 to 9,000 sq ft, 18 to 43 studios |
| The Look Salon SuitesFDD issued Sep 2025 | Salon suites | $676,081 to $1,217,272 | $55,000 | $444,580 to $904,934 | 3,500 to 6,000 sq ft |
Method
How these figures are put together
Every franchisor selling in the United States must give buyers a franchise disclosure document, and its Item 7 states the estimated initial investment for one location as a table of costs with a low and a high estimate. Minnesota, which registers franchise offers, publishes the filed documents on its CARDS registry. We took the newest filing of each beauty franchise we could find there (39 brands, filed between April 9, 2025 and September 14, 2026) and copied its Item 7 table line by line.
Brands name their lines differently, so each line is also filed under one kind of cost (build-out, equipment, signage, working capital and so on) to compare them. Every figure was checked against the filing's own text, and each brand's lines were added up against its printed total; where a filing's own arithmetic is off, the table keeps its printed total and says so. A typical range is the median of the brands' low totals to the median of their high totals.
The budget worksheet starts each line at the median for that kind of cost and leaves out the costs only a franchisee pays (the franchise fee and travel to the franchisor's training). The filings describe new locations built to a brand's standards, often in a shopping center, so they are a ceiling-minded checklist for an independent opening rather than a quote.
Questions
Salon startup costs, answered
How much does it cost to open a salon?
What is the cheapest beauty business to open?
What costs the most when opening a salon?
Where do these startup cost numbers come from?
Can I open a salon for less than this?
Writing it up for a lender? The salon business plan template walks through every section, and the salon name generator finds a name with a free domain to put on the cover.
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