What does that colour
really cost you?
Work out the true cost of a colour service — product by the gram, consumables and the stylist's time — and get a price that hits your margin, with or without VAT.
1 · Products used — colour, lightener, toner, developer
For each product, enter the pack size and what you paid for it, then how much went into the bowl. Use the same unit (g or ml) for pack size and amount used.
2 · Time, margin & VAT — turn cost into a price
Time cost is what an hour of the stylist costs you — wages plus a share of rent and overheads. Margin is the share of the price (before VAT) you keep.
Margin must be below 100%.
From cost
to price.
Product cost. Pack price ÷ pack size × amount used, for every product in the bowl. A 60 ml tube at €9 used at 45 ml is €6.75; 67.5 ml from a €11 litre of developer is about €0.74.
Time cost. Service minutes ÷ 60 × what an hour of the stylist costs you. Ninety minutes at €15 an hour is €22.50 — usually the biggest cost in the service.
Price. Total cost ÷ (1 − margin), then VAT on top. With €31.49 of cost and a 60% margin, the price is €78.73 before VAT — €82.67 with Cyprus's 5%. For a deeper look at pricing long-hair colour, read our balayage pricing guide.
Pricing questions,
answered.
How do I work out the product cost of a colour service?
For each product, divide what you paid for the pack by its size to get the cost per gram or ml, then multiply by the amount you used. A 60 ml tube at €9 used at 45 ml costs €6.75. Add every product in the bowl, plus consumables like foils and gloves.
How should I price a colour service?
Add product cost, consumables and the cost of the stylist's time, then divide by (1 − your target margin). With a total cost of €31.50 and a 60% margin, the price before VAT is €31.50 ÷ 0.4 = €78.75.
What's the difference between margin and markup?
Margin is profit as a share of the price; markup is profit as a share of the cost. A 60% margin is the same as a 150% markup: a €40 cost sold at €100 leaves €60, which is 60% of the price and 150% of the cost.
What should I put as the time cost per hour?
What an hour of that stylist costs the business: their pay (including employer contributions) plus a fair share of rent, utilities and other overheads, divided by the hours they actually spend with clients.
What VAT applies to hair colour services?
In Cyprus, hairdressing services are at the reduced 5% VAT rate (retail products are 19%). In Greece, hairdressing is at the standard 24% rate. Elsewhere, use your country's rate. Check unusual cases with your accountant.
Why track grams instead of tubes?
Because most colour services use part of a tube. Costing by the gram shows what each service really costs — especially for long-hair and correction work, where product use varies a lot from client to client.
Let every service cost itself.
HueSuite applies product cost to each service from the grams in the formula, and suggests a price to charge. 7 days free, no card.