{"id":1829423,"date":"2026-10-21T17:46:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/articles\/how-to-open-a-barbershop\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T17:09:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:09:49","slug":"how-to-open-a-barbershop-in-the-uk-in-currentyear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/articles\/how-to-open-a-barbershop\/","title":{"rendered":"How to open a barbershop in the UK in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Barbershops led the growth in UK hair and beauty premises in the first half of 2025, according to the National Hair &amp; Beauty Federation. They are also under closer scrutiny than at any time before: since 1 October 2026, right to work checks extend beyond employees to workers and individual subcontractors, and the National Crime Agency has twice targeted barbershops in high street crackdowns.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No national licence is needed to open a barbershop or to cut hair for money in the UK. What a new shop meets instead is HMRC on employment status and VAT, the Home Office on right to work, and in some areas a council registration with hygiene byelaws. The tax and immigration rules below are UK-wide; council registration varies by authority. Much of the chair rental framework is shared with salons and set out in more detail in <a href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/articles\/how-to-open-a-hair-salon-in-the-uk\/\">how to open a hair salon in the UK<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1\">What is a barbershop business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A barbershop business cuts and styles hair and grooms beards, mostly for men, from premises, and it is run either with employed barbers, with self-employed barbers who rent a chair and serve their own clients, or with a mix of the two. Compared with a salon it usually runs on shorter appointments, lower prices and more walk-in trade, often adds wet shaving with a razor, and needs less plumbing, since most services do not involve washing or colouring hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-tools-flat-lay.jpg\" alt=\"premium barber tools flat lay showcase\" class=\"wp-image-1829432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-tools-flat-lay.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-grooming-tools-flatlay.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barbering-grooming-tools-slate-display.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-tools-flatlay.jpg 639w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-grooming-tools-on-wooden-table.jpg 360w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-tools-flat-lay-2.jpg 480w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-grooming-tools-flat-lay.jpg 960w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-tools-flatlay-1.jpg 1167w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2\">How to open a barbershop in the UK, step by step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The checklist, in the order openings usually run:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Staffing model chosen: employed barbers, chair renters or both<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Right to work position checked under the October 2026 rules<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each chair costed on cuts per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>VAT position worked out for the model chosen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Site found and the lease checked for chair rental<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Council registration and hygiene byelaws checked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shaving and tool hygiene set up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Qualifications, pay and tips rules in place<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Written agreements matched to how the shop works<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bookings, walk-ins and card payments organised<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Stage<\/th><th>What typically happens<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Weeks 1 to 4<\/td><td>Model chosen, chairs costed, site search, business registered with HMRC or Companies House<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Weeks 5 to 8<\/td><td>Lease agreed, council registration checked, chair rental or employment agreements drafted<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Weeks 9 to 12<\/td><td>Fit-out, booking and payment systems, barbers recruited and checked, soft opening<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Months 4 to 12<\/td><td>Walk-in and booked trade built, chair occupancy reviewed, prices adjusted<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Illustrative sequence, L&#8217;Express Franchise, October 2026. Taking over a trading barbershop usually runs shorter.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Choose the staffing model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a barbershop, the model decides who keeps the takings, who owns the client and who carries an empty chair. An employed barber cuts the shop&#8217;s customers for a wage; a chair renter pays the shop a fixed rent or a percentage, sets their own prices and keeps their own clients. HMRC&#8217;s guidance for hair and beauty, published on 9 May 2025, judges status from working practice: who sets the hours and prices, who provides the clients, who the client pays, and who supervises. A barber who works the shop&#8217;s walk-in queue at the shop&#8217;s prices is very hard to describe as self-employed, whatever the agreement says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common path to ownership runs through someone else&#8217;s chair first. James Harding, profiled by the trade magazine Modern Barber, took an NVQ Level 2 in barbering in 2018, qualified in February 2019, learned the trade in a local shop and opened Rogues Barbershop in Blackburn in July 2020. Asked to advise him, Johnny Baba, owner of BarberBarber in Manchester, said cutting skill and a vision for the shop are both needed, that social media followers mean nothing unless they turn into takings, and that he is in his own shop at 8 am every morning talking to customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Check the right to work position under the new rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <strong>1 October 2026<\/strong>, the Home Office right to work scheme covers people engaged under a worker&#8217;s contract and individual subcontractors, not only employees. The Home Office code of practice excludes genuinely self-employed people who contract directly with their own clients, but states that describing someone as self-employed does not settle it; how the work is actually arranged does. For a barbershop, the line runs through the staffing model:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Employed barbers<\/strong>: a right to work check before the first day, as before<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barbers paid by the shop to cut the shop&#8217;s customers<\/strong>: likely to be workers or individual subcontractors, and in scope for engagements starting on or after 1 October 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chair renters serving their own clients<\/strong>: genuinely self-employed businesses contracting with their own customers fall outside the scheme<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference\" style=\"border-color: #fcb900;\"><div class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__icon\" style=\"color: #fcb900;\"><svg class=\"icon-thumb-up\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"35\" height=\"35\" viewBox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" style=\"color: #fcb900;\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.4998 4.89989L20.8499 4.13985L20.8474 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30.4043 20.6998 29.6399H18.6998ZM17.8198 30.4199H16.8798V32.4199H17.8198V30.4199ZM16.8798 30.4199C16.2914 30.4199 16.1424 30.3079 16.121 30.2883C16.1152 30.2829 16.0888 30.2593 16.0604 30.1704C16.0287 30.0714 15.9998 29.9055 15.9998 29.6399H13.9998C13.9998 30.4097 14.1585 31.2015 14.7685 31.7616C15.3571 32.302 16.1482 32.4199 16.8798 32.4199V30.4199Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><h3 class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__title lf-transform-none\">Good to know<\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__lede\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-highlighted-text-v2 lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__lede\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The civil penalty for illegal working is up to <strong>\u00a345,000<\/strong> per worker for a first breach and <strong>\u00a360,000<\/strong> for a repeat breach within three years. A compliant check carried out before work starts gives the business a statutory excuse. For the newly covered groups, penalties apply only where the engagement began on or after 1 October 2026, so the check belongs in the onboarding of every barber who starts from now on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Cost each chair on cuts per day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barbering is sold in slots. The worked example uses an eight-hour day, 30-minute appointments and a \u00a320 cut, illustrative inputs for a shop not yet registered for VAT:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>One chair, one day<\/th><th>Employed, half booked<\/th><th>Employed, three-quarters booked<\/th><th>Chair rented at \u00a3100 a week<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Cuts sold, from 16 possible slots<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>12<\/td><td>Barber&#8217;s own clients<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Takings to the shop<\/td><td>\u00a3160<\/td><td>\u00a3240<\/td><td>\u00a320 of rent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Wage at \u00a313.00 an hour for 8 hours<\/td><td>\u00a3104<\/td><td>\u00a3104<\/td><td>None<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Left before shop rent and overheads<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a356<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a3136<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a320<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Illustrative inputs, L&#8217;Express Franchise, October 2026. Wage before employer NI and pension. Rent example: a \u00a3100 a week chair advertised by a barbershop in East Ham on the government&#8217;s Find a Job service, February 2026, over five days.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An employed chair pays only when it is busy: at half its slots it earns the shop less than three times what a chair renter pays, and in a quiet week it can lose money while the rented chair still pays its \u00a3100. Chair rents are set shop by shop; adverts on the Find a Job service in 2026 show \u00a3100 a week in East Ham and chairs offered to barbers in Slough who bring even a small client base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prices work best when set by the minute rather than copied from the shop down the road. In a barbershop, a \u00a320 cut that takes 30 minutes earns \u00a340 an hour of chair time; the same \u00a320 for a skin fade that takes 45 minutes earns \u00a326.67. Timing each service for a fortnight, then pricing longer services in proportion, stops the most popular cut from quietly becoming the least profitable one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Work out the VAT position<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VAT registration is compulsory once taxable turnover passes <strong>\u00a390,000<\/strong> in a rolling 12 months. On the illustrative figures, one busy employed chair taking 12 cuts at \u00a320 for five and a half days a week over 50 weeks turns over \u00a366,000; three such chairs reach \u00a3198,000, well over the threshold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where barbers genuinely rent chairs and serve their own clients, each renter&#8217;s own takings count towards their own threshold, and the shop&#8217;s taxable turnover is the rent and services it charges, plus any cutting the owner does personally. HMRC treats chair rent from a VAT-registered shop as standard-rated, and its VAT manual tells officers to test a shop&#8217;s agreements against how it actually works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/beard-trim-barbershop-closeup.jpg\" alt=\"barber trimming grey beard in warm light\" class=\"wp-image-1829434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/beard-trim-barbershop-closeup.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-trimming-beard-closeup.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-shop-straight-razor-shave.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-beard-trim-closeup-2.jpg 480w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-shave-closeup.jpg 360w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-trimming-beard-close-up.jpg 639w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-beard-trim-closeup-3.jpg 960w, https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/barber-beard-trim-closeup-4.jpg 1167w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Find the site and check the lease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A barbershop typically takes a small unit on a high street or residential parade, and needs less plumbing than a salon: a basin or two for washing and towels rather than a row of backwashes. From 1 April 2026, hair and beauty premises in England qualify for the lower retail, hospitality and leisure business rates multipliers: <strong>38.2p<\/strong> below \u00a351,000 rateable value and <strong>43.0p<\/strong> above it, and Small Business Rate Relief removes the bill entirely at a rateable value of \u00a312,000 or less. The lease terms that matter most are whether the landlord permits subletting chairs to self-employed barbers, the length and the break clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The high street is not the only option. Gould Barbers, founded by brothers who trained in their father&#8217;s shop, operates around 50 barbershops inside Tesco stores, according to its founder&#8217;s 2026 statement to the National Hair &amp; Beauty Federation; local press dates the partnership to 2016. A barbershop inside a supermarket, gym or shopping centre trades on footfall the host already generates, in exchange for the host&#8217;s opening hours and terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Check council registration and byelaws<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no national licence for a barbershop. Some councils require barbers and hairdressers to register their premises: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole does so free of charge for fixed and mobile operators, and Blaby District Council sends an officer to visit before registration and includes mobile barbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">London boroughs such as Enfield register them under the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1967, while others, such as Tamworth, state that the requirement was removed in 1994. Where byelaws exist under section 77 of the Public Health Act 1961, they cover the cleanliness of the premises, instruments, towels and the barbers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Set up shaving and tool hygiene<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wet shaving is where a barbershop carries a health risk a salon does not. Lancaster City Council&#8217;s guidance for barbers states that only single-use razor blades are to be used, because reused or poorly sterilised razors risk transmitting HIV and hepatitis B and C, and Blaby&#8217;s guidance requires used blades to go straight into a sharps box. The British Barbers&#8217; Association publishes a code of practice covering single-use items, wet shaving, blood-borne disease and contra-indications, which councils such as Lancaster distribute to barbers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Blades<\/strong>: a new single-use blade for every client, disposed of in a sharps container<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Clippers and scissors<\/strong>: hair brushed off, cleaned and disinfected between clients, with enough sets to allow it at busy times<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Towels and capes<\/strong>: freshly laundered or single-use, with neck strips<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hands and gloves<\/strong>: hand washing between clients, single-use gloves for wet work and any contact with blood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Extra services in a barbershop bring extra registrations. Ear piercing, cosmetic piercing and semi-permanent skin colouring, which includes scalp micropigmentation, require both the practitioner and the premises to be registered with the council under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 where the council has adopted those powers, and carrying them out before registration is approved is an offence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fees are set locally: Stafford charges <strong>\u00a3101.45<\/strong> to register premises for ear piercing and <strong>\u00a361.30<\/strong> for each person, and Chichester <strong>\u00a3180<\/strong> per premises and <strong>\u00a370<\/strong> per practitioner. Tattooing anyone under 18 is an offence whatever a parent says, and in London, treatments beyond hairdressing fall under the borough&#8217;s special treatment licence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Recruit, train and set the pay rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No qualification is legally required to cut hair or shave a face. The voluntary register created by the Hairdressers (Registration) Act 1964, now run by the Hair and Barber Council, covers England, Wales and Scotland, and practising unregistered is not an offence. Pay rules apply to employed barbers in full:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pay<\/strong>: the National Living Wage is <strong>\u00a312.71<\/strong> an hour at 21 and over from 1 April 2026, <strong>\u00a310.85<\/strong> at 18 to 20 and <strong>\u00a38.00<\/strong> for apprentices under 19 or in their first year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tips<\/strong>: since 1 October 2024, all tips paid through the business pass to staff without deductions, and tips never count towards the minimum wage; chair renters keep their own<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employer costs<\/strong>: employer National Insurance at 15% above \u00a35,000 a year, offset by the \u00a310,500 Employment Allowance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An apprentice is the cheapest way for a barbershop to grow its own barbers, and the government added to the incentives in 2026. For employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy, which covers almost every barbershop:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Apprentice aged 16 to 18, first year<\/th><th>Figure<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Wage at \u00a38.00 an hour, 35 hours a week, 52 weeks<\/td><td>\u00a314,560<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Training and assessment<\/td><td>Fully funded for apprentices aged 16 to 24 from August 2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00a31,000 payment for hiring an apprentice aged 16 to 18<\/td><td>minus \u00a31,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00a32,000 small employer hiring payment, apprentices aged 16 to 24 starting from 1 October 2026<\/td><td>minus \u00a32,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Employer National Insurance on apprentices under 25, up to \u00a350,270<\/td><td>None<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Net first-year cost to the shop<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a311,560<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Illustrative hours, L&#8217;Express Franchise, October 2026. Incentives as set out by the government&#8217;s apprenticeship service; the \u00a32,000 payment is made in two instalments, at 90 and 365 days.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Write agreements that match how the shop works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For chair renters, the guidelines in HMRC&#8217;s VAT manual describe a defensible arrangement: the barber&#8217;s client records belong to the barber, takings belong to the barber whether or not the shop collects them, the barber sets their own prices and hours, insures their own business, and the rent and any services are set out in writing. A barbershop that hands walk-ins to renters in rotation, sets their prices or fixes their hours is drifting towards employment on HMRC&#8217;s indicators and towards the right to work scheme on the Home Office&#8217;s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Organise bookings, walk-ins and payments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Walk-ins and bookings<\/strong>: a visible queue system for walk-ins alongside online booking for regulars, so neither side waits on the other<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Booking marketplaces<\/strong>: Fresha&#8217;s fee for a new client found through its marketplace is reported at 20% of the first booking with a UK minimum of \u00a34 plus VAT, so a new client on a \u00a320 cut costs \u00a34.80, or 24%; the fee is charged once, which makes it worth paying only for clients who come back<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deposits<\/strong>: a deposit or card hold on longer services such as cut and shave protects the most valuable slots from no-shows<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Card payments<\/strong>: card and online payments create the transaction records that support the accounts, the VAT position and any lender&#8217;s or buyer&#8217;s review<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search<\/strong>: a Google Business Profile with accurate hours, current prices and photographs of finished cuts sends local searches to the shop&#8217;s own booking page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first weeks of a barbershop rarely look like the plan. Morgan Turner, who opened Grade A Barbershop in Inverurie at 19, told the Press and Journal he started with walk-ins only, found the queue too long by 5 pm within a couple of weeks and moved to a booking system; his shop opens 11 am to 7 pm Tuesday to Friday and 10 am to 4.30 pm at weekends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Doc Barnet in Gloucester, which opened with three barbers on six chairs, owner Alex Ibrahim told Punchline Gloucester the clientele has to be built up. Opening with fewer staffed chairs than the shop holds, and hours set around when local clients can actually come, keeps the wage bill in step with the diary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3\">Types of barbershop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Model<\/th><th>How it works<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Walk-in barbershop<\/td><td>Mostly unbooked trade at lower prices, high volume, employed or rented chairs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Booked or premium barbershop<\/td><td>Appointments, longer services such as hot towel shaves, higher prices<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chair rental barbershop<\/td><td>Self-employed barbers rent chairs and serve their own clients; the shop earns rent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mixed shop<\/td><td>Employed barbers and renters side by side, with separate prices, tills and agreements<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mobile barber<\/td><td>No premises; the barber is self-employed, and registration still applies in councils such as Bournemouth and Blaby<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Home or garden studio<\/td><td>A cabin or converted room; Cushty Cuts in Kent moved into a 3.6 metre square garden cabin after high street costs rose; business rates can apply where clients visit<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Partnership with a brand<\/td><td>A barber runs a branded shop as owner-manager in partnership with an existing group, as at Jax Barbershops in Leeds<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>L&#8217;Express Franchise, October 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4\">How much does it cost to open a barbershop?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No official UK average start-up cost exists for a barbershop. What can be stated is what the statutory lines cost, what chair rents are advertised at and what one franchisor publishes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Cost line<\/th><th>Published figure<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Council registration<\/td><td>Free where required, for example in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Business rates, England<\/td><td>Rateable value \u00d7 38.2p below \u00a351,000; Small Business Rate Relief removes the bill at \u00a312,000 or less<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chair rent, example<\/td><td>\u00a3100 a week, East Ham advert on the Find a Job service, February 2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Franchised shop<\/td><td>Gentlemen Barber Club: typical investment of \u00a375,000 to \u00a3100,000 per shop, on a franchise page last updated in August 2022<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Staff<\/td><td>\u00a312.71 an hour at 21 and over; employer NI 15% above \u00a35,000, less the \u00a310,500 Employment Allowance<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Sources: council pages; GOV.UK; Find a Job service; Gentlemen Barber Club franchise page, consulted October 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lines that move a start-up budget most are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The lease, including any premium and the rent deposit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Barber chairs, mirrors, stations and lighting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A basin, hot water and towel laundry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clippers, trimmers, scissors and enough duplicate sets to disinfect between clients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Booking and payment systems and professional fees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Insurance<\/strong>: employers&#8217; liability is compulsory once anyone is employed; public and treatment liability cover the chair, and chair renters insure their own business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working capital for the weeks before regulars build up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What real barbershop openings have cost<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Opening<\/th><th>What was reported<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Grade A Barbershop, Inverurie<\/td><td>A five-figure sum on flooring, chairs, furniture and decoration, by a 19-year-old self-taught barber<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Craft Barber Shop, Banbridge<\/td><td>\u00a350,000 investment and six new jobs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Doc Barnet, Gloucester Quays, March 2026<\/td><td>\u00a3135,000 investment for a six-chair shop opening with three barbers and one stylist<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cushty Cuts, Kent<\/td><td>High street costs rose 30%, to more than \u00a32,000 a month before any profit; the owner moved into a garden cabin<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Sources: Press and Journal; Banbridge Leader; Punchline Gloucester; National World titles reporting SWNS.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the kit costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Item<\/th><th>Published price<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Barber chair, range at one specialist supplier<\/td><td>\u00a3599 to \u00a33,360 excluding VAT, Aston &amp; Fincher<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>REM Emperor Select barber chair<\/td><td>\u00a31,155 excluding VAT, \u00a31,386 including VAT, Ellisons<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>REM barber chairs, British-made range<\/td><td>\u00a31,390 to \u00a31,680, Natural Living, an approved REM retailer<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Card reader<\/td><td>Square Reader \u00a319 plus VAT; SumUp readers from \u00a325<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Supplier and provider pages, consulted October 2026. Prices change with offers.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Card fees are small per cut but large over a year. SumUp publishes <strong>1.69%<\/strong> for in-person card payments, or <strong>0.99%<\/strong> on its <strong>\u00a319<\/strong> a month plan, and Square charges <strong>1.75%<\/strong>. At \u00a35,000 a month on cards, that is \u00a384.50 with SumUp, \u00a387.50 with Square, or \u00a368.50 on the monthly plan, which pays for itself above roughly \u00a32,700 a month in card takings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A month in a three-chair shop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The worked example takes an owner cutting in one chair and two chair renters paying \u00a3100 a week each, with illustrative overheads for a small unit qualifying for full Small Business Rate Relief:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Monthly line<\/th><th>Figure<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Rent<\/td><td>\u00a31,500<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Utilities, insurance, booking software and card fees<\/td><td>\u00a3510<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Consumables, laundry and marketing<\/td><td>\u00a3350<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Overheads<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a32,360<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chair rent from two renters at \u00a3100 a week<\/td><td>minus \u00a3867<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Left for the owner&#8217;s chair to cover<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a31,493, or 75 cuts at \u00a320<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Owner&#8217;s takings at 60% of slots over 22 days<\/td><td>\u00a34,224<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Owner&#8217;s income before tax<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00a32,731<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Illustrative inputs, L&#8217;Express Franchise, October 2026. \u00a3100 x 52 \/ 12 x 2 = \u00a3867; 22 days x 16 slots x 60% = 211 cuts x \u00a320 = \u00a34,224.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The owner&#8217;s chair carries the shop: about three and a half cuts a day cover the overheads, and everything after that is income. On these figures the shop also stays below the VAT threshold, since the owner&#8217;s takings and the rent together come to about \u00a361,000 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opening a barbershop on a low budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lowest-cost routes avoid a fit-out. A barber can rent a chair in an existing shop to build a following, work mobile, which still means registering where councils require it, or take over a trading barbershop with the chairs and stations in place. Start Up Loans lends up to \u00a325,000 per applicant at a fixed 7.5%, unsecured, which also covers much of the entry range for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/articles\/low-cost-franchises\/\">low cost franchises in the UK<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5\">Barbershop franchise opportunities in the UK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Franchising in the UK is governed by general contract law, with no franchise statute and no statutory disclosure, so entry figures are taken only from each brand&#8217;s own pages, as explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/articles\/what-is-a-franchise\/\">what a franchise is<\/a>. Few UK barber franchisors publish figures on their own sites; investment numbers attributed to them elsewhere come from directory listings and are not used here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gentlemen Barber Club<\/strong>, which runs shops in Solihull, Knowle and Shirley, states a typical investment of <strong>\u00a375,000 to \u00a3100,000<\/strong> per shop, depending on the site, and describes a membership model. The page was last updated in August 2022, and its description of the model refers to a cutting system associated with another brand, both reasons to confirm every term directly before relying on it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference\" style=\"border-color: #9b51e0;\"><div class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__icon\" style=\"color: #9b51e0;\"><svg class=\"icon-thumb-up\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"35\" height=\"35\" viewBox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" style=\"color: #9b51e0;\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.4998 4.89989L20.8499 4.13985L20.8474 4.14202L21.4998 4.89989ZM26.5397 4.89989L27.1922 4.14197L27.1842 4.13526L26.5397 4.89989ZM29.6998 7.62011L30.3547 6.86441L30.3522 6.86223L29.6998 7.62011ZM40.4197 18.3401L41.1776 17.6877L41.1754 17.6851L40.4197 18.3401ZM43.1398 21.5L43.8998 20.8501L43.8977 20.8476L43.1398 21.5ZM43.1398 26.54L43.8977 27.1924L43.9044 27.1845L43.1398 26.54ZM40.4197 29.6999L41.1754 30.3549L41.1776 30.3523L40.4197 29.6999ZM29.6998 40.4199L30.3521 41.1778L30.3547 41.1756L29.6998 40.4199ZM26.5397 43.1399L27.1896 43.8999L27.1921 43.8978L26.5397 43.1399ZM21.4998 43.1399L20.8474 43.8978L20.8553 43.9045L21.4998 43.1399ZM18.3398 40.4199L17.6849 41.1756L17.6874 41.1778L18.3398 40.4199ZM7.57978 29.6999L8.34803 29.0597L8.34206 29.0527L7.57978 29.6999ZM4.87977 26.52L4.11427 27.1635L4.11748 27.1672L4.87977 26.52ZM4.87977 21.52L4.11747 20.8728L4.11428 20.8766L4.87977 21.52ZM7.57978 18.3401L8.3421 18.9873L8.348 18.9803L7.57978 18.3401ZM18.3398 7.62011L17.6874 6.86223L17.6849 6.86442L18.3398 7.62011ZM22.6797 31.88L23.3869 31.1729L23.3416 31.1276L23.291 31.0886L22.6797 31.88ZM30.6198 30.4801L29.6694 30.1688L29.6583 30.2028L29.6496 30.2375L30.6198 30.4801ZM32.8597 23.64L31.917 23.3064L31.9131 23.3175L31.9094 23.3288L32.8597 23.64ZM26.3998 20.0802L25.4113 19.9286L25.4089 19.9442L25.407 19.9598L26.3998 20.0802ZM26.8597 17.0802L25.8819 16.8706L25.8758 16.8995L25.8713 16.9286L26.8597 17.0802ZM25.6398 15.0201L25.2859 15.9554L25.3046 15.9625L25.3235 15.9688L25.6398 15.0201ZM23.5798 15.68L22.7523 15.1185L22.7504 15.1213L23.5798 15.68ZM22.1496 5.65993C23.1528 4.80216 24.8649 4.79607 25.8953 5.66452L27.1842 4.13526C25.4146 2.64371 22.6067 2.63762 20.8499 4.13986L22.1496 5.65993ZM25.8873 5.65777L29.0474 8.37799L30.3522 6.86223L27.1921 4.14201L25.8873 5.65777ZM29.0448 8.3758C29.4608 8.73632 30.0056 9.02413 30.5348 9.22184C31.064 9.41956 31.6657 9.56005 32.2197 9.56005V7.56005C31.9738 7.56005 31.6155 7.49056 31.2347 7.34832C30.8539 7.20605 30.5387 7.0239 30.3547 6.86442L29.0448 8.3758ZM32.2197 9.56005H35.6198V7.56005H32.2197V9.56005ZM35.6198 9.56005C37.1875 9.56005 38.4797 10.8522 38.4797 12.4199H40.4797C40.4797 9.74759 38.292 7.56005 35.6198 7.56005V9.56005ZM38.4797 12.4199V15.8201H40.4797V12.4199H38.4797ZM38.4797 15.8201C38.4797 16.3655 38.6209 16.9672 38.8174 17.4959C39.0139 18.0247 39.3014 18.5765 39.6641 18.995L41.1754 17.6851C41.0181 17.5036 40.8356 17.1854 40.6921 16.7993C40.5486 16.4129 40.4797 16.0547 40.4797 15.8201H38.4797ZM39.6619 18.9925L42.3819 22.1524L43.8977 20.8476L41.1776 17.6877L39.6619 18.9925ZM42.3797 22.1499C43.2375 23.153 43.2436 24.8652 42.3751 25.8956L43.9044 27.1845C45.396 25.4149 45.402 22.607 43.8998 20.8501L42.3797 22.1499ZM42.3819 25.8876L39.6619 29.0476L41.1776 30.3523L43.8977 27.1924L42.3819 25.8876ZM39.6641 29.045C39.3035 29.461 39.0157 30.0058 38.818 30.535C38.6203 31.0642 38.4797 31.6659 38.4797 32.22H40.4797C40.4797 31.974 40.5492 31.6157 40.6915 31.2349C40.8338 30.8541 41.0159 30.5389 41.1754 30.3549L39.6641 29.045ZM38.4797 32.22V35.6201H40.4797V32.22H38.4797ZM38.4797 35.6201C38.4797 37.1878 37.1875 38.48 35.6198 38.48V40.48C38.292 40.48 40.4797 38.2924 40.4797 35.6201H38.4797ZM35.6198 38.48H32.2197V40.48H35.6198V38.48ZM32.2197 38.48C31.6744 38.48 31.0726 38.6211 30.544 38.8176C30.0152 39.014 29.4633 39.3015 29.0448 39.6642L30.3547 41.1756C30.5362 41.0183 30.8544 40.8358 31.2405 40.6923C31.6269 40.5488 31.9851 40.48 32.2197 40.48V38.48ZM29.0474 39.662L25.8874 42.382L27.1921 43.8978L30.3521 41.1778L29.0474 39.662ZM25.8899 42.3798C24.8867 43.2376 23.1746 43.2437 22.1442 42.3753L20.8553 43.9045C22.6249 45.3961 25.4328 45.4021 27.1896 43.8999L25.8899 42.3798ZM22.1521 42.382L18.9922 39.662L17.6874 41.1778L20.8474 43.8978L22.1521 42.382ZM18.9947 39.6642C18.5787 39.3037 18.0339 39.0159 17.5047 38.8182C16.9755 38.6205 16.3738 38.48 15.8198 38.48V40.48C16.0657 40.48 16.4241 40.5495 16.8048 40.6917C17.1856 40.834 17.5008 41.0161 17.6849 41.1756L18.9947 39.6642ZM15.8198 38.48H12.3597V40.48H15.8198V38.48ZM12.3597 38.48C10.792 38.48 9.49976 37.1878 9.49976 35.6201H7.49976C7.49976 38.2924 9.6875 40.48 12.3597 40.48V38.48ZM9.49976 35.6201V32.1999H7.49976V35.6201H9.49976ZM9.49976 32.1999C9.49976 31.6539 9.35826 31.0572 9.16508 30.5353C8.9714 30.0121 8.69178 29.4723 8.348 29.0598L6.81156 30.3401C6.96777 30.5276 7.14815 30.8478 7.28945 31.2296C7.43127 31.6127 7.49976 31.966 7.49976 32.1999H9.49976ZM8.34206 29.0527L5.64205 25.8728L4.11748 27.1672L6.81749 30.3472L8.34206 29.0527ZM5.64525 25.8766C4.79794 24.8685 4.79794 23.1715 5.64525 22.1635L4.11428 20.8766C2.64159 22.6285 2.64159 25.4115 4.11428 27.1635L5.64525 25.8766ZM5.64205 22.1672L8.34206 18.9873L6.81749 17.6928L4.11748 20.8728L5.64205 22.1672ZM8.348 18.9803C8.69178 18.5677 8.9714 18.028 9.16508 17.5047C9.35826 16.9828 9.49976 16.3861 9.49976 15.8401H7.49976C7.49976 16.074 7.43127 16.4273 7.28945 16.8104C7.14815 17.1922 6.96777 17.5124 6.81156 17.6999L8.348 18.9803ZM9.49976 15.8401V12.4199H7.49976V15.8401H9.49976ZM9.49976 12.4199C9.49976 10.8522 10.792 9.56005 12.3597 9.56005V7.56005C9.6875 7.56005 7.49976 9.74759 7.49976 12.4199H9.49976ZM12.3597 9.56005H15.8198V7.56005H12.3597V9.56005ZM15.8198 9.56005C16.3651 9.56005 16.9669 9.4189 17.4956 9.22247C18.0244 9.02599 18.5762 8.7385 18.9947 8.3758L17.6849 6.86442C17.5034 7.02171 17.1852 7.2042 16.799 7.34769C16.4127 7.49123 16.0544 7.56005 15.8198 7.56005V9.56005ZM18.9922 8.37798L22.1522 5.65777L20.8474 4.14202L17.6874 6.86224L18.9922 8.37798ZM19.1685 30.4314L22.0685 32.6714L23.291 31.0886L20.3911 28.8486L19.1685 30.4314ZM21.9726 32.5871C22.3408 32.9552 22.8395 33.1544 23.2304 33.2648C23.645 33.3819 24.0864 33.44 24.4598 33.44V31.44C24.2731 31.44 24.0145 31.4081 23.7741 31.3401C23.6565 31.3069 23.5592 31.2695 23.4859 31.233C23.4093 31.1948 23.3839 31.1699 23.3869 31.1729L21.9726 32.5871ZM24.4598 33.44H27.9998V31.44H24.4598V33.44ZM27.9998 33.44C28.799 33.44 29.5865 33.1456 30.2139 32.6881C30.842 32.2301 31.3818 31.5549 31.5899 30.7226L29.6496 30.2375C29.5777 30.5252 29.3675 30.83 29.0356 31.072C28.7031 31.3145 28.3205 31.44 27.9998 31.44V33.44ZM31.5701 30.7913L33.8101 23.9512L31.9094 23.3288L29.6694 30.1688L31.5701 30.7913ZM33.8025 23.9735C34.1312 23.0445 34.0165 22.0828 33.4742 21.3419C32.9352 20.6053 32.0571 20.2 31.0798 20.2V22.2C31.5024 22.2 31.7444 22.3647 31.8603 22.5231C31.973 22.6772 32.0483 22.9354 31.917 23.3064L33.8025 23.9735ZM31.0798 20.2H27.3398V22.2H31.0798V20.2ZM27.3398 20.2C27.3373 20.2 27.3416 20.1997 27.3504 20.2035C27.359 20.2074 27.3692 20.2142 27.3782 20.2243C27.3876 20.235 27.3914 20.2444 27.3923 20.2472C27.3932 20.2503 27.3881 20.2367 27.3925 20.2005L25.407 19.9598C25.2548 21.2156 26.1799 22.2 27.3398 22.2V20.2ZM27.3882 20.2317L27.8482 17.2317L25.8713 16.9286L25.4113 19.9286L27.3882 20.2317ZM27.8375 17.2897C28.1304 15.9229 27.2511 14.5031 25.956 14.0714L25.3235 15.9688C25.7084 16.0971 25.949 16.5575 25.8819 16.8706L27.8375 17.2897ZM25.9937 14.0848C25.3555 13.8433 24.6881 13.9027 24.1473 14.0902C23.612 14.2757 23.0868 14.6256 22.7523 15.1185L24.4072 16.2415C24.4528 16.1744 24.5875 16.0543 24.8023 15.9799C25.0114 15.9074 25.1841 15.9169 25.2859 15.9554L25.9937 14.0848ZM22.7504 15.1213L18.9104 20.8212L20.5691 21.9387L24.4091 16.2387L22.7504 15.1213ZM15.9998 29.6399V20.48H13.9998V29.6399H15.9998ZM15.9998 20.48C15.9998 20.2144 16.0287 20.0485 16.0604 19.9495C16.0888 19.8605 16.1152 19.837 16.121 19.8316C16.1424 19.812 16.2914 19.7 16.8798 19.7V17.7C16.1482 17.7 15.3571 17.8179 14.7685 18.3583C14.1585 18.9183 13.9998 19.7102 13.9998 20.48H15.9998ZM16.8798 19.7H17.8198V17.7H16.8798V19.7ZM17.8198 19.7C18.3941 19.7 18.5477 19.8104 18.574 19.8344C18.5776 19.8376 18.6998 19.9386 18.6998 20.48H20.6998C20.6998 19.7014 20.532 18.9123 19.9205 18.3556C19.3318 17.8195 18.5455 17.7 17.8198 17.7V19.7ZM18.6998 20.48V29.6399H20.6998V20.48H18.6998ZM18.6998 29.6399C18.6998 30.1755 18.5805 30.2788 18.5752 30.2838C18.5511 30.3061 18.3996 30.4199 17.8198 30.4199V32.4199C18.56 32.4199 19.3484 32.2937 19.9343 31.751C20.539 31.191 20.6998 30.4043 20.6998 29.6399H18.6998ZM17.8198 30.4199H16.8798V32.4199H17.8198V30.4199ZM16.8798 30.4199C16.2914 30.4199 16.1424 30.3079 16.121 30.2883C16.1152 30.2829 16.0888 30.2593 16.0604 30.1704C16.0287 30.0714 15.9998 29.9055 15.9998 29.6399H13.9998C13.9998 30.4097 14.1585 31.2015 14.7685 31.7616C15.3571 32.302 16.1482 32.4199 16.8798 32.4199V30.4199Z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><p class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__title lf-transform-none\">Editor&#8217;s tip<\/p><div class=\"lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__lede\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-highlighted-text-v2 lf-gut-blog-post-cta-efference__lede\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Buying an existing barbershop now calls for more checking than it used to. The National Crime Agency&#8217;s Operation Machinize targeted barbershops and other cash-heavy high street businesses in April 2025, visiting 380 premises, and a second phase in October 2025 reached 2,734 premises across the UK. Card payment records, bank statements matched to the till, the right to work file and the chair rental agreements are what show whether the takings a seller quotes are real.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6\">The practical difficulties operators report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Empty chairs cost twice<\/strong>: an employed barber is paid in a quiet week, and a chair renter who leaves takes their clients with them<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Status drifts<\/strong>: giving renters walk-ins, set prices or set hours moves the arrangement towards employment for HMRC and into the right to work scheme for the Home Office<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The VAT threshold arrives quickly<\/strong>: two or three busy employed chairs can pass \u00a390,000, while renters each stay below it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cash draws attention<\/strong>: barbershops have been named in national crackdowns on cash-intensive businesses, which makes clean records part of the shop&#8217;s credibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Competition is close<\/strong>: growth in the sector has been led by barbershops, so new shops often open within sight of others<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shaving carries hygiene risk<\/strong>: a single reused blade is the kind of failure an inspection or a complaint finds first in a barbershop<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7\">The bottom line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opening a barbershop in the UK needs no national licence and modest capital, but the staffing model now carries two tests rather than one, which is why a ready-made model is part of what the <a href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/our-franchises\/beauty-wellbeing\/\">beauty and wellbeing franchises<\/a> sell. HMRC judges employment status from how the shop works, and since 1 October 2026 the Home Office right to work scheme reaches workers and individual subcontractors, with penalties of up to \u00a360,000 per worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On illustrative figures, an employed chair earns the shop \u00a356 a day at half its slots and \u00a3136 at three-quarters, against \u00a320 a day from a chair rented at \u00a3100 a week, so occupancy, not price, decides which model pays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block\">\n                            <span                    class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__title\"\n                    style=\"text-transform: none;\"\n                >\n                    Frequently asked questions about opening a barbershop in the UK                <\/span>\n                        \n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb4p8kq2n\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">Do you need a licence to open a barbershop in the UK?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb4p8kq2nlf-gut-answer-bb4p8kq2n\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no national licence. Some councils require barbers to register their premises, often free of charge, and apply hygiene byelaws under section 77 of the Public Health Act 1961; others removed registration in 1994. Registration can cover mobile barbers too, as in Bournemouth and Blaby.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb7q3vx5m\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">Do you need qualifications to be a barber in the UK?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb7q3vx5mlf-gut-answer-bb7q3vx5m\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No qualification is legally required to cut hair or shave a face. The Hairdressers (Registration) Act 1964 created a voluntary register, now run by the Hair and Barber Council, for England, Wales and Scotland, and practising unregistered is not an offence.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb2r9mt6p\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">Are self-employed barbers covered by right to work checks?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb2r9mt6plf-gut-answer-bb2r9mt6p\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 1 October 2026 the right to work scheme covers workers and individual subcontractors as well as employees. Genuinely self-employed barbers who rent a chair and contract with their own clients fall outside it, but the Home Office looks at how the work is arranged, not the label, and barbers paid by the shop to cut its customers are likely in scope.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb5c8wn3f\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">How much is chair rent in a barbershop?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb5c8wn3flf-gut-answer-bb5c8wn3f\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No national average is published. Adverts on the government&#8217;s Find a Job service in 2026 show a barber&#8217;s chair at \u00a3100 a week in East Ham, and other shops charge a percentage of takings instead. A VAT-registered shop adds VAT to the rent it charges.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb8v2zr4k\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">Is VAT charged on barber chair rental?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb8v2zr4klf-gut-answer-bb8v2zr4k\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, where the shop is VAT-registered. HMRC treats chair rental as a standard-rated supply because the shop provides more than the space, such as basins, reception and a waiting area.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb6r1np9t\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">Can barbers reuse razor blades?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb6r1np9tlf-gut-answer-bb6r1np9t\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Council guidance says no. Lancaster City Council&#8217;s guidance for barbers states that only single-use razor blades are to be used, because reused or poorly sterilised razors risk transmitting HIV and hepatitis B and C, and used blades go straight into a sharps container.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb3c6xq8w\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">How much does it cost to open a barbershop?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb3c6xq8wlf-gut-answer-bb3c6xq8w\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No official UK average exists, but reported openings show the range: a five-figure sum for a small shop in Inverurie, \u00a350,000 for Craft Barber Shop in Banbridge and \u00a3135,000 for a six-chair Doc Barnet shop in Gloucester in 2026. Barber chairs alone cost from about \u00a3600 to over \u00a33,000 each excluding VAT at UK suppliers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb9p4jm1s\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">How much does an apprentice barber cost?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb9p4jm1slf-gut-answer-bb9p4jm1s\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On illustrative hours, an apprentice aged 16 to 18 working 35 hours a week at the \u00a38.00 apprentice rate costs \u00a314,560 in wages in the first year. For barbershops that do not pay the apprenticeship levy, training is fully funded for under-25s from August 2026, a \u00a31,000 payment applies for 16 to 18 year olds and a \u00a32,000 hiring payment applies to apprentices aged 16 to 24 starting from 1 October 2026, bringing the net cost to about \u00a311,560.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb1a7kd5r\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">Can you open a barbershop on a low budget?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb1a7kd5rlf-gut-answer-bb1a7kd5r\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cheapest routes avoid a fit-out: renting a chair in an existing shop to build a following, working as a mobile barber, or taking over a trading barbershop. Start Up Loans lends up to \u00a325,000 per applicant at a fixed 7.5%.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-lexpress-faq-v2-item lf-gut-faq-v2-block__item\"><h3 class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-wrapper\"><button class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question\" type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-target=\".lf-gut-answer-bb4d9fb2n\"><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-text\">What needs checking when buying a barbershop?<\/span><span class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__question-icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"icon-thumb-up\" src=\"https:\/\/feb26.lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-chevron-white.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"lf-gut-faq-v2-block__answer lf-gut-faq-v2-answer-bb4d9fb2nlf-gut-answer-bb4d9fb2n\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Card payment records, bank statements matched to the till, the right-to-work file and the chair rental agreements. Barbershops were among the cash-intensive businesses targeted by the National Crime Agency&#8217;s Operation Machinize in 2025, which makes verifiable takings central to any purchase.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n\n        ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barbershops led the growth in UK hair and beauty premises in the first half of 2025, according to the National Hair &amp; Beauty Federation. They are also under closer scrutiny than at any time before: since 1 October 2026, right to work checks extend beyond employees to workers and individual subcontractors, and the National Crime [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":994,"featured_media":1829440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"How to open a barbershop in the UK %%currentyear%%: costs","_seopress_titles_desc":"Starting a barber shop in %%currentyear%%: chair rental and HMRC, the new right to work rules for self-employed barbers, VAT, council registration and shaving hygiene.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"content-type":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1820841,1818441,1818814,1819839,1823825,1812815","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3580,3583,816,875,883,898],"tags":[],"type-de-post":[438],"class_list":["post-1829423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-franchise-networks","category-entrepreneurship","category-network-operations","category-getting-started","category-management","category-legal","type-de-post-articles"],"acf":[],"permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1829423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/994"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1829423"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1829423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1829441,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1829423\/revisions\/1829441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1829440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1829423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1829423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1829423"},{"taxonomy":"type-de-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-de-post?post=1829423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}