How to start a dog grooming business from home

Updated 2026-10-17. Written with Betty, Pawdmin’s co-founder and a home-based groomer.

1. 1

   Decide where you will groom: home, mobile or salon

   Home has the lowest overhead and no commute: one tub, one table, one dog at a time. Mobile adds a vehicle, fuel and routing but reaches clients who will not travel. A salon adds rent, build-out and usually staff. Most solo groomers who want to earn more with less stress start at home or from a small studio, and that is the path this guide follows.

2. 2

   Handle the legal basics for your area

   Register the business (a sole proprietorship or LLC, depending on your situation), open a separate bank account, and check whether your city or county requires a home-occupation permit or has zoning limits on client traffic. Get general liability insurance that covers animal care; many groomers also add care, custody and control coverage. Rules differ by state and city, so confirm with your local small-business office. Grooming is not federally licensed in the US; a few states and cities regulate it.

3. 3

   Set up a safe space and the right equipment

   You need a non-slip tub with a sprayer, a sturdy table with a grooming arm, a high-velocity dryer, ventilation, good lighting, and a secure place for a dog to wait. Buy quality clippers, blades, shears and brushes; cheap tools cost more in time. Plan for water, electricity and cleanup, and keep a first-aid kit and your vet's number within reach.

4. 4

   Choose your pricing model before your first client

   Most groomers copy the salon they came from and price per breed or size. That caps your income at the slowest dog's price. Pricing by time pays you for the actual work: a matted doodle takes longer than a tidy one and should cost more. Work out what you need per hour from your target income, hours and costs, then set a new-client rate you are slightly nervous about. Pawdmin's free calculators do the arithmetic.

   Find your real hourly rate today → | Work out time-based prices →

5. 5

   Write your policies and put them in a signed agreement

   Decide now on vaccination requirements, cancellation and no-show fees, late pickup, matting and shave-down consent, aggression and senior-dog policies, and photo permission. Put them in an intake application and a release agreement every client signs before the first groom. Clear boundaries attract the clients you want and filter the ones you do not.

6. 6

   Pick software that fits a one-person business

   From day one you need client and pet records with vaccine dates, estimates, a calendar, automatic confirmations and reminders, card payments and signed waivers in one place. Choose by fit: a solo home groomer does not need per-van pricing, staff schedules or boarding modules. See our guide to which grooming software is best, by business type.

   Which grooming software is best, by business type → | Pawdmin pricing →

7. 7

   Get your first clients at your new rate

   Start every new client at your real price; it is far harder to raise prices later than to start right. Claim your Google Business Profile, put a simple website with your application form online, tell local vets, trainers and pet stores, and pick a niche if you can (doodles, small dogs, seniors). Ask every happy client to tell one friend. Word of mouth fills a one-person book faster than ads.

8. 8

   Design your week, then raise prices as you fill

   Decide how many dogs a day you can groom well and stop there. Leave buffers, finish early, and protect your days off. When your book fills, do not add dogs: raise the new-client rate and move existing clients up in tiers. That is how a home groomer goes from a salon wage to a premium business.