Benchmarks / Hair salon
Great Clips franchise cost 2026
From the Great Clips Franchise Disclosure Document (Great Clips, Inc.), issued March 30, 2026. Every figure below cites the FDD item and the page number printed in the document.
Initial fee · Item 5, p. 9
$20,000
plus a $5,000 initial ad fund contribution
Royalty · Item 6, p. 12
6% of sales
Ad fund · Item 6, p. 12
5% of sales
Cost to open · Item 7, p. 15
$188K–$420K
Required ongoing fees
What the FDD says you keep paying after you open, in its own terms.
| Fee | Amount, as stated in the FDD | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Continuing franchise fee | 6% of gross sales | Item 6, p. 12 |
| Ad fund | 5% of gross sales Great Clips adds that you will likely need to spend another 1–3% of sales on local advertising; not included here. | Item 6, p. 12 |
| Local co-op dues | Varies by co-op; system average $100 a month | Item 6, p. 13 |
| Recruiting technology fee | $750 a year | Item 6, p. 13 |
| Training fee | $200 a year | Item 6, p. 12 |
| Salon maintenance | $3,000–$9,000 a year (franchisor’s estimate) | Item 6, p. 14 |
| Rent | Paid to your own landlord. Item 19 reports median occupancy cost (rent, CAM, taxes) of $45,711 a year at 2,376 reporting salons. | Item 19, Table 2, p. 54 |
Not turned into a yearly figure: The extra 1–3% of sales in local advertising Great Clips says you will likely need; Remodel every 7–10 years ($20,000–$80,000); Franchisee meetings and events ($345–$550 each).
ALL-IN COST MODEL · PREVIEW
At $390,685 a year in sales, the median 2025 total sales of 4,158 salons (Item 19, p. 53):
- Continuing franchise fee ITEM 6, P. 12$23,441
- Ad fund ITEM 6, P. 12$19,534
- + 4 more required fees and rentin the full model
Required fees and spend: $48,125–$54,125 a year (12.3%–13.9% of sales), before rent.
With Item 19 median occupancy cost: $93,836–$99,836 a year.
At launch, the full model shows every line converted to a yearly figure with its page cite, the same model at the low and high Item 19 sales levels, the one-time and conditional costs, and an alert when a new filing changes any of it.
See plans →Source
Great Clips, Inc., Franchise Disclosure Document issued March 30, 2026. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, file 640577, registration effective March 30, 2026. 413 pages.
Open the filing on the Wisconsin DFI site, then click Download under Franchise Disclosure Document for the PDF. Or search the Wisconsin franchise search for file 640577.
Checked October 31, 2026. Page numbers are the ones printed in the FDD.
What this does not include
The model covers fees and required spend set by the franchise system. It leaves out labor, food or supplies, insurance, utilities, loan payments and taxes, which the FDD does not fix. This is research, not legal, tax or investment advice. Read the full FDD and have a franchise attorney review it before you sign.