How Much Should You Charge for Dog Grooming? A Pricing Guide for Groomers

Ask ten groomers what they charge for a full groom on a doodle and you will get ten different answers, sometimes $60 apart. Pricing is the decision that determines whether your grooming business thrives or slowly burns you out, and most new groomers get it wrong in the same direction: too low.

This guide gives you a framework for pricing grooming services properly, current 2026 benchmarks, and scripts for the part everyone dreads, raising prices.

Why Groomers Underprice (and Why It Backfires)

New groomers price low for understandable reasons: fear of losing clients, imposter syndrome, or copying the cheapest competitor in town.

The problem is math. Grooming is physical, skilled, time limited work. You can only groom so many dogs per day, which means your income has a hard ceiling set entirely by your average ticket. A groomer doing six dogs a day at $65 makes $390. The same day at $85 makes $510. Same hands, same hours, $30,000 more per year.

Low prices also attract the most price sensitive clients, who are statistically the most likely to no show, haggle, and leave for whoever is $5 cheaper.

The Four Factors That Should Set Your Prices

1. Size and Breed

The foundation of every grooming menu. A chihuahua bath and a great pyrenees full groom are different jobs by hours, not minutes. Most groomers use size tiers (small, medium, large, extra large) with breed adjustments for coat intensive breeds like doodles, poodles, and huskies.

2. Coat Condition

Matting is time, and time is your inventory. Build dematting into your pricing as a clearly communicated add on, either hourly or per severity level. Publishing this policy up front also protects you from the awkward doorway negotiation.

3. Service Level

Structure your menu in clear tiers:

• Bath and brush: wash, dry, brush out, nails, ears

• Bath and tidy: everything above plus face, feet, and sanitary trim

• Full groom: everything above plus a full haircut

Three tiers is the sweet spot. Clients understand it instantly and it creates a natural upgrade path.

4. Your Market

Urban and affluent suburban markets support meaningfully higher rates than rural areas. Price against your local market, not a national average, and remember that being the cheapest in town is a race you do not want to win.

2026 Grooming Price Benchmarks

Ranges vary by region, but these are realistic US benchmarks for 2026:

Bath and Brush

• Small dogs: $35 to $55

• Medium dogs: $45 to $70

• Large dogs: $60 to $90

• Extra large or heavy coated: $80 to $120

Full Groom

• Small dogs: $60 to $90

• Medium dogs: $75 to $110

• Large dogs: $95 to $140

• Doodles and heavy coats: $120 to $200+

Common Add Ons

• Dematting: $15 to $30 per 15 minutes

• Teeth brushing: $10 to $15

• Flea treatment: $15 to $25

• Nail grinding: $10 to $15

• Deshedding treatment: $20 to $40

Mobile groomers should sit 20 to 30 percent above these ranges. Convenience is a premium product and your clients know it.

How to Raise Your Prices Without Losing Clients

Every groomer eventually needs this, and it goes better than you fear. A few rules:

Give Notice, Keep It Short

Two to four weeks of notice, delivered in one or two sentences. "Starting March 1, my full groom pricing will be updated to reflect current costs. Thank you for trusting me with your pups." No apology paragraph. Apologizing invites negotiation.

Raise Annually in Small Steps

A $5 to $10 increase every year is nearly invisible. A $25 correction after four frozen years feels like an event. Small and regular beats rare and dramatic.

Expect to Lose Almost No One

Groomers consistently report losing only the clients they were quietly hoping would leave anyway. The bond between a client, their dog, and a trusted groomer is worth far more than $10.

Make Your Prices Work Harder With Clean Booking

Pricing strategy falls apart when the schedule leaks. Every no show is your most perishable inventory, an appointment slot, going to waste, and every unbooked gap between appointments is margin lost.

Furbello helps on both ends: clients book from your live menu online so pricing is clear before they ever arrive, automatic reminders keep no shows rare, and your calendar stays full without you playing phone tag. When your prices are right and your slots are full, the business math finally works in your favor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I list my prices on my website?

Yes, at least starting prices. Hidden pricing filters out no one and creates friction for the majority of clients who just want to know if you are in their budget before booking.

How do I price doodles fairly?

By time. Doodle coats routinely take 50 to 100 percent longer than similar sized dogs, and your pricing should say so explicitly. Doodle owners are used to it.

Should I charge a no show fee?

Many groomers now require a card on file with a clearly stated no show or late cancellation fee. Paired with automatic reminders, it nearly eliminates the problem.

Price Like a Professional

Your prices are a statement about the quality of your work. Set them from real math instead of fear, publish them clearly, raise them a little every year, and let a full calendar do the rest.

Furbello gives groomers online booking with clear service menus, automatic reminders, and client records in one app. Start your free trial and put your new pricing to work.