Startup costs from franchise filings
How much does it cost to open a hair 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: those are the medians of their low and high estimates for one new location, from the franchise fee to the first months of working capital. The biggest single cost is build-out and construction, typically $60,000 to $145,000. An owner opening independently pays no franchise fee and can often spend less on the space, which the budget below lets you test line by line.
- Typical range
- $180,990 to $390,200
- Lowest to highest filed
- $138,200 to $462,000
- Filings compared
- 5 brands
Read from Minnesota's franchise registry on October 16, 2026. Build your own budget ยท Download every line (CSV)
By brand
What 5 hair salon franchises say it costs to open
Item 7 of each franchise disclosure document, the legally required estimate of the initial investment for one new location, low and high.
| Brand | 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. | $138,200 to $390,200 | $40,000 | $25,000 to $145,000 | 1,200 sq ft |
| Cost CuttersFDD issued Oct 2025 | $180,990 to $342,340 | $39,500 | $65,500 to $127,500 | 800 to 1,200 sq ft |
| Fantastic SamsFDD issued May 2025 | $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 | $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 | $185,930 to $323,460 | $39,500 | $60,000 to $120,000 | 900 to 1,200 sq ft, 6 to 8 stations |
By cost
Where the money goes when you open a hair salon
The median low and high of each kind of cost across these brands. A brand that folds a cost into another line is left out of that line's median, so the lines are a checklist, not a sum.
| Cost | Median low to high | Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Build-out and constructionLeasehold improvements, plumbing, electrical, flooring, lighting and finishes, less any landlord allowance. | $60,000 to $145,000 | 5 |
| Furniture, fixtures and equipmentChairs, stations, shampoo units, treatment beds or devices, reception and waiting furniture. | $25,500 to $55,000 | 5 |
| SignageExterior sign and interior graphics. | $6,000 to $13,500 | 4 |
| Computers, POS and softwarePoint of sale, computers, phones, music and security systems, software set-up. | $2,440 to $4,040 | 3 |
| Opening supplies and retail stockBackbar and service supplies, linens, sanitation, retail products for the shelf. | $5,000 to $10,000 | 5 |
| Grand opening marketingPre-opening and launch advertising, promotions and events. | $10,000 to $15,000 | 5 |
| Rent and deposits before openingSecurity deposit, rent before opening, utility deposits. | $3,000 to $12,000 | 5 |
| Professional fees, permits and licensesArchitect and design, legal and accounting, building permits, business and establishment licenses. | $4,500 to $12,000 | 4 |
| InsuranceFirst premiums or deposits for liability, property and workers' compensation cover. | $1,500 to $3,000 | 3 |
| 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 $45,000 | 5 |
| Other opening costsTravel, utilities set-up, uniforms and costs the filing does not put elsewhere. | $4,000 to $10,200 | 1 |
| Franchise feeFranchisees only. The one-time fee paid to the franchisor for the right to open. | $39,500 to $39,500 | 5 |
| Franchise training and travelFranchisees only. Travel and living costs to attend the franchisor's training. | $2,050 to $4,500 | 5 |
Your budget
Budget a hair salon of your own
Start from the filed medians, without the franchise fee or the franchisor's training travel, and replace each line with your own quotes.
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.
Reading the filings
What these numbers mean for a hair salon
- Most of these brands are walk-in haircut chains: Great Clips ($187,800 to $419,900), Supercuts ($185,930 to $323,460) and Cost Cutters ($180,990 to $342,340), with Fantastic Sams and the children's salon Cookie Cutters beside them. Their units are small, about 800 to 1,400 sq ft with six to eight stations, which keeps the totals down.
- A full-service salon with a color bar costs more to fit out than these: more shampoo bowls and the plumbing behind them, more backbar stock and usually more space. Price its build-out and equipment from the upper half of the ranges above, and get shampoo units and chairs quoted by the makers.
- The cheapest way into the trade is not a new salon at all: renting a chair or a salon suite, where the landlord has already paid for the build-out. The stylist pay calculator compares commission with booth rent before you sign anything.
Questions
Opening a hair salon: costs, answered
How much does it cost to open a hair salon?
What is the biggest startup cost for a hair salon?
How much working capital do you need to open a hair salon?
Is it cheaper to open a hair salon without a franchise?
Plan the rest
Before you sign a lease
- Write it up with the salon business plan template
- Find a name and a free domain for a hair salon
- See what the business could pay you once it is open
- Check what salons keep after costs, from Census data
Startup costs for other beauty businesses
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