Free Salon Tool · 2026

Hair Salon Valuation Calculator: What Is Your Salon Worth? A Sale-Ready Range in 60 Seconds

Built from the same 1.5x to 3x SDE multiplier method brokers actually use. No signup. No data saved.

What’s My Hair Salon Worth?

Plug in 4 numbers. Get a 2026 valuation range based on the multiplier method brokers actually use. No fluff. Built from my years of running JScott Salon and working as an independent stylist.

Your Numbers
$
Total revenue your salon brought in last year
$
Net profit + owner salary + owner perks + depreciation + interest. This is what brokers actually value.
Buyers heavily discount short leases. 5+ years is the sweet spot.
Business Model
Employee salons transfer easiest. Solo operations lose the most value.
Newer equipment means lower CapEx for the buyer in year one.
Why these inputs?
Brokers value salons at 1.5x to 3x SDE. Where you land in that range depends on three things: lease security (buyer risk), staff transferability (does the business survive without you?), and equipment depreciation. Everything else is noise.

Estimated Salon Value (Base)

$0
Realistic sale range: $0 – $0
Effective Multiplier 0.00x SDE
Low Estimate (1.5x SDE)
$0
Base Estimate (Adjusted)
$0
High Estimate (3.0x SDE)
$0

We start at 2.2x SDE (industry midpoint), then apply three modifiers based on your business specifics. Here’s the exact math:

Base Multiplier Industry midpoint for owner-operated salons
2.20x
Lease Modifier Buyers discount short leases heavily
×1.00
Staff Modifier How transferable is the revenue to a new owner?
×1.00
Equipment Modifier Will the buyer need to replace gear in year one?
×1.00
Effective Multiplier 2.20x SDE

Want the full valuation walkthrough? The Hair Salon Valuation Guide covers SDE vs. EBITDA, what moves your multiple, and the prep steps to raise your number before you sell.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is my hair salon worth?

A small independent salon is typically worth 1.5 to 3 times its SDE (seller’s discretionary earnings, the owner’s true take-home plus add-backs). A salon with $80,000 SDE usually lands somewhere between $120,000 and $240,000 before adjusting for lease terms, equipment age, and how dependent the business is on the owner behind the chair.

What is SDE and why does it matter for salon valuation?

SDE stands for seller’s discretionary earnings: net profit plus the owner’s salary, plus one-time and personal expenses added back in. Buyers value salons on SDE, not revenue, because it shows what a new owner-operator would actually earn. A salon doing $250,000 in revenue with $80,000 SDE is worth a multiple of the $80,000, not the $250,000.

Is a salon valued on revenue or profit?

Profit, specifically SDE. Revenue-based rules of thumb overstate value because they ignore cost structure. The standard small-salon method is an SDE multiple in the 1.5x to 3x range. A revenue figure only matters as a sanity check against the SDE multiple the calculator produces.

What raises or lowers a salon’s valuation multiple?

Higher multiple: a transferable client base, staff who stay after the sale, a long favorable lease, and a business that runs without the owner behind the chair. Lower multiple: heavy owner dependence, short or rising lease, aging equipment, and a client book tied to one departing stylist.

How many times profit does a salon sell for?

Most hair salons sell for about 1.5 to 3 times seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE), which is your annual profit plus the owner’s pay and add-backs. A salon that does not depend on the owner behind the chair sells at the high end; an owner-dependent salon sells near or below the low end. Salons rarely sell on a multiple of revenue, they sell on a multiple of profit.

How much can I sell my salon for?

Take your seller’s discretionary earnings (annual profit plus owner pay and one-time add-backs) and multiply by roughly 1.5 to 3. A salon earning $80,000 in SDE typically sells for $120,000 to $240,000, with the exact figure driven by lease terms, owner dependence, and whether the client book transfers. The calculator above gives you a sale-ready range from your own numbers.

You Know Your Number. Now Grow It.

The free Price Increase Script Pack gives you the word-for-word scripts to raise your prices and grow the SDE your valuation is built on, without losing your good clients.

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Salon Valuation: Common Questions

How is a hair salon valued?+
Most hair salons are valued using an SDE (Seller Discretionary Earnings) multiplier. SDE is your net profit plus your owner salary plus any one-time expenses. Hair salons typically transact within a 1.5x to 3x SDE multiple range, with well-documented, owner-independent salons reaching the high end.
What multiple do hair salons sell for?+
Small and heavily owner-dependent salons typically sell at 1.5x to 1.75x SDE. Mid-size salons with employees, a stable lease, and documented client files reach 1.75x to 2.5x. Top-tier salons with transferable systems and strong retention can reach up to 3x. Owner dependency is the single biggest factor compressing multiples.
What makes a salon worth more money?+
Four things drive valuation up: documented recurring revenue, a lease with 3 or more years remaining, client retention above 70%, and a team that clients stay with when the owner is absent. Any one of these missing is a negotiating point for buyers.
How do I calculate the value of my salon clientele?+
Multiply average client visit value by annual visit frequency by average client lifespan in years. If a client spends $120 per visit, comes in 8 times per year, and stays 4 years on average, that client has a lifetime value of $3,840. Multiply by your active client count for a rough clientele asset value.
When is the right time to sell a hair salon?+
The best time to sell is 2 to 3 years before you want to leave, while you still have energy to make the business more transferable. Sellers who wait until burnout get lower multiples. A salon with 3 years of growing revenue and a trained team that clients follow, not just the owner, commands the highest price.