How much should a mobile hairdresser charge?
Mobile hairdressing gives clients the convenience of a salon visit in their own home — and that convenience is worth charging for. This guide covers typical UK prices for mobile hairdressers in 2026, how to structure travel charges, and the calculations behind setting rates that actually work.
Typical UK mobile hairdresser prices in 2026
These ranges cover typical mobile hairdresser prices across the UK. London-based mobile hairdressers often sit 20–30% higher. Prices assume a standard travel radius — additional travel charges may apply on top.
Cut and blow-dry (short/medium hair)
£45–70
Cut and blow-dry (long/thick hair)
£55–85
Blow-dry only
£25–45
Full head colour (semi/permanent)
£65–110
Full head highlights
£80–140
Half head highlights
£60–100
Balayage / ombré
£90–160
Colour and cut package
£110–180
Toner only
£25–45
Kids cut (under 12)
£20–35
Wash and set (older clients)
£25–40
How to structure your travel charge
Travel cost is the defining difference between mobile and salon-based hairdressing. Getting the structure right avoids under-charging for distant clients while remaining competitive locally.
Flat fee within a set radius
Include travel within, say, 5 miles in your listed price. Charge £5–10 for 5–10 miles, £10–15 for 10–15 miles. Simple for clients to understand and easy to enforce.
Per-mile charge beyond a free radius
Some mobile hairdressers charge 45–50p per mile beyond a free zone. This is honest and tracks actual fuel cost but requires clients to calculate their own charge, which can feel opaque.
Time-based travel charge
£1–1.50 per minute of drive time. A 20-minute journey adds £20–30. This accounts for traffic more fairly than pure mileage but is harder to quote in advance.
Build travel into all prices
Price at a level that covers average journey times without a separate line item. Works if most clients are within a predictable radius. Breaks down if you take distant bookings without adjusting.
Whatever structure you use, state it clearly on your booking page before clients confirm their appointment. An unexpected travel charge on the day of the visit is the most common source of client complaints for mobile hairdressers.
Colour pricing: covering product and processing time
Colour is where many mobile hairdressers lose margin without realising it. The cost calculation for a colour service needs to include:
Product cost
Colour, developer, foils, gloves, bowl, clips. Typical cost per service: £8–18 depending on technique and coverage.
Application time
Full head permanent colour takes 30–60 minutes of active work. Highlights or balayage: 45–90 minutes.
Processing time
20–45 minutes of development where you can't be doing anything else billable. Unlike a salon, you can't serve another client during this time.
Wash, tone, and dry
Another 20–40 minutes post-development.
Travel
As per your travel charge structure above.
A full head colour with cut and dry, door to door, can easily take 3.5 to 4 hours including travel. At a target of £30 per productive hour, that's £105–120 minimum to break even — and that's before your take-home profit. If you're charging £70 for this combination, reconsider.
Setting a minimum visit fee
A 15-minute fringe trim isn't a viable appointment on its own for a mobile hairdresser. Travel costs and time mean very short services don't make commercial sense unless combined with other treatments. A minimum visit fee — or a minimum service requirement — prevents this.
Common approaches: a minimum charge of £40–60 per visit regardless of services booked; or a policy stating that a minimum of two services must be booked per appointment. State this prominently — not in small print — and clients who understand your business will respect it.
Taking online bookings as a mobile hairdresser
Mobile hairdressers who rely on text messages and calls for bookings spend far more time on appointment admin than those using an online booking system. A booking page also makes it easy to list your services with clear prices, include your travel policy, and collect a deposit upfront.
Nextro is designed for mobile and home-based hairdressers — clients book and pay online, deposits are collected automatically, and reminders go out before each appointment. See pricing.
Try Nextro free for 14 days
A booking page for mobile hairdressers with clear pricing, travel charges, and upfront payment. Spend less time on admin and more time with clients.
Start free trial