I’m currently involved in a new salon project. The salon owner plans to open a new unit in a central city location.
Rents are very high in the area, but she has found this super nice location, which I know will look cool when she’s done.
The problem is just that it is quite small. So I thought to myself, what is the average square footage of a salon? I decided to find out.
What is the average size of a salon? The average size of a salon is 1’500 square feet (140 square meters). Nail salons are, on average, 1’300 sqft (120 m²), while hair salons average around 1’500 sqft.
Source: First Research Industry Profile: Hair Care Services Industry Profile
How Many Square Feet Do You Need For a Salon?
The average size of 1’500 sqft is a good reference point but the size you need depends on how many stylists are working in your salon. A salon needs about 175 sqft per stylist so if you have a space of 1’500 sqft you can fit up to 8 stylists in the salon.
You also want to consider how spacious you want your salon to feel and whether you plan to use the space for events and other activities where you’ll need some non-occupied areas.
Fitting 8 beauticians into 1’500 sqft can be a bit on the tight side, and you will need to carefully select the furniture (styling stations, backwash, etc.) that you would install to optimize the use of the area in this case.
You can check out my recommended salon equipment here.
Let’s look closer at the space you’ll need for different areas in your salon.
Salon Room Size Guidance
Below are some reference points on the space you’ll need per room in the salon. Note that these are just some recommendations, and you’ll ultimately have to decide how much space you’ll need for each part to be comfortable.
| Salon Area | Size |
| Styling Station | 35 sqft (5×7) |
| Shampoo Area | 36 sqft (4×9) |
| Manicure | 16 sqft (4×4) |
| Pedicure | 32 sqft (4×8) |
| Spa Room | 100 sqft (10×10) |
| Retail Area | 100 sqft |
Beyond the retail area and treatment rooms, you should also consider space for an office, laundry room, changing room for staff, storage/ closets, restroom, and a staff room.
How Close Can Salon Clients Sit?
As you optimize your salon space, you want to ensure you are not jeopardizing the salon experience. Your clients want some privacy and space and do not want to feel crammed in with your other clients. You should also ensure sufficient space for a good working environment for your staff.
What is the right distance between salon chairs? To avoid clients sitting on each other, you should try to allow at least 40 inches between salon chairs.
Learn more about my recommended salon chairs here.
What is the right distance between shampoo stations? You should allow 32 inches left to right for each shampoo station and 36 inches behind the station for the stylist.
Learn more about my recommended shampoo stations here.
Beyond the treatment areas, there should also be space for staff and clients to move around in the salon.
What Does It Cost to Rent a Salon?
What does it cost to rent a salon? The average salon rent ranges from $1 to $2.5 per square foot, or about $2,000 per month if the salon is 1,500 sqft. The costs primarily depend on the location and the state of the property.
To find the right location for your business, you’ll have to balance location, state of the property, and cost.
Choosing the Salon Location
“What are the three most important drivers of the success of any retail business? Location, location location.”
That is a pretty old saying and I believe that the new digital media is maybe changing that now as there are many more ways that you can get new salon clients than by catching them walking by. However, for a salon business, the location is still very important and I expect it’ll continue to be for some time to come.
You can greatly benefit from picking a salon location in an area with high traffic, with potential new clients walking by.
Particularly good areas are shopping malls or high street locations in the city.
Of course, such a location will also drastically increase the rent, so you’ll need to balance the value of being close to potential new clients and the space you can afford.
To help you choose a good location for your salon, I recommend you read my complete salon location guide here.
Other Articles You May Find Helpful
If this article was useful to you’ll also want to read my articles:
- The tools you need to grow your salon business
- My recommended hair salon equipment
- Salon marketing ideas you can implement today to grow your business forever
I would love to hear how you have designed your salon layout. How large is your salon space? How many people work in it?
