Test whether the completed appointment mix and realized ticket can support paid groomer time, equipped premises and opening cash. This California profile connects official wage and population benchmarks to a defined operating scenario.
Fixed-site dog grooming salon with three paid groomers and dedicated bathing and client-handoff coverage
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared September 9, 2026
We examined the available wage records for this fixed-site dog grooming salon with three paid groomers and dedicated bathing and client-handoff coverage, checked the Census population observations and calculated the staffing implications using the stated wage benchmarks. The results below show what that completed analysis establishes.
The same roster costs $16,856 at the selected California wage benchmarks versus $15,406 at national medians, including the stated employer-cost allowance. This isolates wage differences; it does not compare local rent or customer spending.
Inspect the roles and source rows →The reference operating month is below EBIT break-even. Its assumed 10 completed appointments per trading day must increase to 10.2, or its price and costs must change.
See the calculation and cash results →| Component | What the evidence establishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wage records and state population | Selected May 2025 occupational records and July 2024/2025 Census estimates, with exact fields and source rows. | Source records checked |
| Paid payroll and break-even | Calculated from observed wage benchmarks and the explicitly modeled roster, employer allowance, price and costs. | Derived result |
| Opening budget and commercial costs | Published fit-out, equipment, occupancy and other allowances define this comparison scenario. State-specific commercial quotes have not yet replaced them. | Reference assumptions |
| Revenue | $27,600 per mature month follows 10 completed appointments per trading day at the stated price. It is not observed sales or a researched state revenue average. | Modeled sales assumptions |
Each test changes one input from the published reference. These are sensitivity tests, not local market forecasts or probability ranges.
| Test | Monthly EBIT | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Published reference | -$401 | The stated inputs on this page |
| 20% fewer sales units | -$5,259 | 8 completed appointments per trading day; other inputs unchanged |
| 25% higher occupancy cost | -$1,276 | $4,375 per month; other inputs unchanged |
| 10% higher wage rates | -$2,087 | Same paid roster; employer allowance unchanged |
The completed research covers the source observations and analysis described here. The funding and revenue scenarios still contain commercial assumptions; they are not a completed local feasibility study. Read the evidence and its limits.
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.
The pilot adds business-specific employer-sector evidence, county collection strata, occupational wage context and selected official rules before any California startup-cost, revenue, profit or payback result is claimed. The 2023 County Business Patterns extract reports 2,591 employer establishments and 17,383 employees in NAICS 812910 for California. Nationally, the same file reports 25,551 employer establishments and 175,116 employees.
| County | Research use | Employer establishments | Employees | Employment / payroll flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | Large-market stratum | 685 | 3,709 | G / G |
| Sacramento County | Mid-sized-market stratum | 75 | 439 | H / G |
| Shasta County | Smaller-market stratum | 16 | 103 | G / G |
CBP and Economic Census cover the broader pet-care industry. County strata organize evidence collection and are not demand rankings or automatic state weights. G and H are retained Census disclosure/noise flags. The 2022 Economic Census reports 2,579 establishments and $1,388,140,000 of employer receipts in the same broad industry, an arithmetic $538,247 per establishment. That mean is not a median salon result or a startup forecast.
| Geography | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $17.70 | $18.60 | $21.71 |
| United States · cross-industry | $14.34 | $17.00 | $19.26 |
| United States · adjacent NAICS 812900 | $14.16 | $16.92 | $18.56 |
Animal Caretakers includes groomers and workers in kennels, shelters, pet stores and other settings. It is not a skilled-groomer hiring quote, commission plan or NAICS 812910 wage. The May 2025 BLS query returned no exact NAICS 812910 industry row. NAICS 812900 is the closest published national aggregation found, but it is broader and is not a pet-grooming-specific wage series.
| Decision input | Captured finding | Applied to the published calculation? |
|---|---|---|
| State wage floor | California's minimum wage is $16.90 per hour from January 1, 2026; local rates can be higher. | Context only; the published calculation uses the May 2025 OEWS state median. |
| Los Angeles wage floor | The City of Los Angeles minimum wage is $18.42 per hour from July 1, 2026 for covered work within city boundaries. | Not applied; verify the exact address and covered work. |
| Workers' compensation | California requires workers' compensation coverage even when an employer has one employee. | Not applied; classification and a bound salon quote remain missing. |
| Los Angeles County facility route | Within DACC jurisdiction, grooming businesses are inspected animal facilities and the licensing path includes planning and building review. | Not applied; jurisdiction, address, current fees and required improvements remain unresolved. |
No. The collection contains 6 potentially useful or partial direct pages across 2 of the three selected strata and 0 standardized same-dog quotes. Useful Los Angeles and Sacramento menus were found, but no qualifying Shasta County sample and no same-dog standardized quote set were obtained. Starting prices, broad ranges and chain pages do not establish a realized state ticket.
| Item | Quantity | Unit price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional X electric grooming table | 4 | $1,199 | $4,796 |
| Electric lift fiberglass tub | 2 | $2,999 | $5,998 |
| Aeolian Pro forced-air dryer | 4 | $299 | $1,196 |
| Wall finishing dryer | 1 | $999 | $999 |
| Rolling cage bank | 1 | $5,050 | $5,050 |
| Named equipment subtotal | $18,039 |
This is a sourced subtotal for the named equipment only. It excludes freight, tax, installation, plumbing, electrical work, hot water, drainage, ventilation, waterproof finishes, laundry, hand tools, POS hardware, deposits, permits, insurance, opening inventory, marketing and working capital. It is not the cost to open a salon.
This separate case uses four paid groomers with 7 productive service hours per groomer per open day, 26 open days per month, 90% booked utilization and a 94% completion rate. Its inputs do not replace the site's published three-groomer-plus-bather reference.
| Service | Mix | Net price before sales tax | Groomer hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath and brush | 35% | $55.00 | 1.25 |
| Standard full groom | 55% | $90.00 | 2 |
| Premium or doodle full groom | 10% | $135.00 | 2.75 |
The weighted case produces a $86.75 realized appointment-revenue input, 13.07 completed appointments per open day, 339.8 per month and $29,478 monthly service revenue before sales tax.
The published reference remains Three groomers plus dedicated bathing, cleaning and client-handoff coverage, a $115.00 realized ticket, 10 completed appointments per trading day and 24 trading days per month. The table below displays the calculation passed to this renderer. The California column uses the May 2025 state Animal Caretaker median; the comparison holds the site's authored commercial assumptions constant and uses the national wage observation.
| Measure | California wage result | National-wage comparison | State minus national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loaded payroll per month | $16,856 | $15,406 | $1,450 |
| Mature monthly EBIT | -$401 | $1,049 | -$1,450 |
| EBIT break-even appointments per trading day | 10.17 | 9.57 | 0.6 |
| Reference funding scenario | $180,188 | $169,418 | $10,771 |
The published calculation also uses an authored 18% employer-cost allowance rather than a line-by-line California payroll build. This wage substitution is a disclosed reference calculation, not a completed state cost-and-revenue study.
Methodology: State Research Methodology v1 · SHA-256 070630227e550d1c97452d0b1e5cb807e85119cea7227775336507657e6097dd.
County Business Patterns: 2023, United States file. Observation period: 2023. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910, LFO '-'.
County Business Patterns: 2023, state file. Observation period: 2023. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910, LFO '-', FIPSTATE 06, 48 and 39.
County Business Patterns: 2023, county file. Observation period: 2023. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910 selected county rows; establishment, employment, payroll and disclosure/noise fields retained.
2022 Economic Census basic file. Observation period: 2022. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910, all establishments, United States and states 06, 48 and 39.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Observation period: May 2025. Retrieved 2026-09-09. Cross-industry state tables, occupation 39-2021 Animal Caretakers; exact NAICS 812910 industry row was unavailable.
OEWS industry and occupation query. Observation period: May 2025. Retrieved 2026-09-09. National occupation 39-2021 in NAICS 812900; the exact NAICS 812910 query returned no row.
Grooming salon equipment and packages. Observation period: Live listed prices on September 9, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Minimum wage frequently asked questions. Observation period: Effective January 1, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
2026 minimum wage. Observation period: Effective July 1, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Employer information. Observation period: Current guidance. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Facility licensing. Observation period: Current page. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Grooming pricing. Observation period: Prices effective January 1, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Grooming menu. Observation period: Live menu; no separate effective date shown. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Redding grooming location page. Observation period: Live chain starting-price page; excluded from comparable local sample. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
The methodology was approved on September 6, 2026. The completed work on this page covers wage and population analysis. The opening costs, operating costs and revenue below remain a reference scenario while local commercial evidence is collected.
| Evidence family | Current status | Required work |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Local evidence incomplete | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Local evidence incomplete | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | Wage benchmark available; employer costs unresolved | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Local evidence incomplete | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Local evidence incomplete | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
A national equipment price may be reused where its configuration, delivery and taxes apply. Missing rent, selling-price or demand evidence cannot be filled with a shared state default. Until that evidence exists, no researched state funding or revenue total is claimed.
The Census estimate for California is 39,355,309 people. It declined by 9,465 between July 2024 and July 2025 (−0.02%). This statewide movement cannot identify a viable catchment, completed-appointment mix or realized service ticket.
Using the same paid roster, California occupational wages produce $16,856 of monthly loaded payroll. That is +9.41% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($15,406). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows
Fixed-site dog grooming salon with three paid groomers and dedicated bathing and client-handoff coverage. A leased neighborhood dog grooming salon with a defined bath-and-groom service mix, three paid groomers and separate bathing, cleaning and client-handoff coverage.
Three groomers × 8 paid hours × 75% productive appointment time ÷ 1.45 weighted groomer-hours per completed appointment supports 12 whole appointments per day after conservative rounding. The authored mix is 30% bath-and-brush at 1 groomer-hour, 50% standard full grooms at 1.5 hours and 20% long full grooms at 2 hours. Bathing, drying, safe holding, cleaning, dog behavior, late handoffs and the actual diary can reduce this ceiling.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| completed appointments per trading day | 10 |
| Net selling price per completed appointment | $115.00 |
| Trading days / month | 24 |
| Variable cost share | 12% |
| Occupancy / month | $3,500 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $3,000 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
6% shampoos, conditioners, blade care, bows and other appointment consumables plus 4% payment processing and 2% variable laundry and rework allowance; employee compensation remains in payroll. Utilities and fixed laundry service $900; insurance $450; marketing $600; scheduling, communications and administration $550; cleaning, waste, pest control and professional costs $500 per month. Maintenance investment is modeled separately at $400 per month.
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three groomers, including lead and appointment coordination39-2021 · Animal Caretakers · State observation | 576 | $18.60 | $17.70–$21.71 | $10,714 |
| Bathing, cleaning and client-handoff coverage39-2021 · Animal Caretakers · State observation | 192 | $18.60 | $17.70–$21.71 | $3,571 |
Base wages total $14,285 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $2,571, giving $16,856 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a state-specific payroll tax calculation or benefits quote for California.
Animal Caretakers is a broad occupational benchmark that includes pet groomers as well as workers in kennels, shelters, pet stores and other animal-care settings. It does not establish a groomer hiring quote, skill premium, commission plan or lawful compensation arrangement. All groomer, bathing, cleaning and client-handoff work is paid in the reference roster, including the owner-lead role. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| Water-resistant fit-out, plumbing, electrical and ventilation allowance | $38,000 |
| Tubs, dryers, grooming tables, clippers and salon equipment | $32,000 |
| Safe holding, laundry, POS, security and furnishings | $10,000 |
| Professional and setup allowance | $5,000 |
| Opening shampoos, consumables and protective supplies | $2,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $7,000 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $2,107 |
| Total payments before opening | $96,107 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 96 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
The reference assumes card or cash payment at client pickup within the service day. Deposits, cancellation charges, refunds, chargebacks and delayed commercial accounts need a separate collection policy and cash schedule. Opening consumables are funded upfront; replenishment is represented in variable expenses. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
At the assumed 10 completed appointments per trading day, the reference scenario loses $401 per mature month after paid labor and depreciation. The break-even threshold is 10.2 completed appointments per trading day. More starting cash alone does not solve that operating gap.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $27,600 |
| Variable operating costs | $3,312 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $16,856 |
| Occupancy assumption | $3,500 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $3,000 |
| EBITDA | $932 |
| Depreciation | $1,333 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$401 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $400 |
| Mature project cash flow | $532 |
EBIT break-even revenue is $28,056 per month: $24,689 of fixed costs plus depreciation divided by a 88% contribution margin. At $115.00 per completed appointment, that means 10.2 completed appointments per trading day and 84.7% of the stated capacity.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $285,108 | $27,600 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$45,378 | -$401 |
| Project cash flow | -$34,178 | $532 |
Project payback is not reached within the 60-month reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
Cancellations, no-shows, late handoffs, behavior or coat condition can consume diary time without producing the modeled ticket.
Large, high-coat or behavior-sensitive dogs can raise the ticket while using more groomer, bath, dry and cleanup time.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. The full setup and data can be downloaded below.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
240 completed appointments per month × $115.00 = $27,600 revenue. Loaded payroll: $16,856 per month. Break-even uses 84.7% of capacity.
Download published inputs, sources and calculations (JSON). The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
Describe the fixed-site dog-only service menu, staff arrangements, controlled intake and holding, bathing, drying, grooming, sanitation, laundry, water, drainage, ventilation, power, waste, noise and operating hours. Ask the relevant agencies and address-level authorities which business, animal-service, land-use, building, fire, plumbing, wastewater, accessibility and other reviews apply.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS California directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full California opening checklist →
Confirm permitted use, occupancy, plumbing, hot water, drainage, ventilation, noise, sanitation, accessibility and animal-service requirements for the address. Trace each dog from controlled handoff through bath, dry, groom, safe holding and pickup before signing.
Obtain configuration-specific quotes for tubs, dryers, tables, electrical loads, laundry, storage and installation. Define accepted dogs, behavior and condition screening, vaccination or record policy, emergency escalation and excluded veterinary work.
Time the service mix, match paid groomer and support hours to the appointment book, and test cancellation and pickup rules. Fund payroll and fixed premises costs while a repeat book is built rather than treating the physical station count as demand.
Water, drainage, electrical load, ventilation, noise, sanitation, holding and dog circulation need address-level verification before the lease or installation commitment.
A fully researched city case for this business in California has not been prepared. The next content improvement is an address-specific evidence pack covering quotes, demand, staffing, collection terms and responsible authorities.
State: California, FIPS 06. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 39-2021 (Animal Caretakers), state workbook row 3179; 39-2021 (Animal Caretakers), state workbook row 3179. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 39-2021, national workbook row 742; 39-2021, national workbook row 742. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
SUMLEV 040; STATE 06; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
A business format and a state record are joined by stable IDs. The shared calculation computes the outputs, and the template publishes static HTML with the source fields and original inputs. A change to evidence or a format triggers recalculation and review before republication.
Choose the next planning or verification step →