Extension work is among the most time-intensive, highest-skill services on any salon menu — and it's the one stylists most often underprice. The problem is almost always the same: pricing off gut feel instead of a formula that accounts for all three real costs.
The three costs every price must cover
- Cost of goods: your wholesale cost for the hair, plus consumables — tape, beads, thread, remover, gloves.
- Labor: the dollar value of your time at your target hourly rate. A full install can run two to four hours you're not selling to anyone else.
- Overhead: booth rent, utilities, insurance, and software don't pause during an appointment. Divide monthly overhead by billable hours to get an hourly figure.
Market ranges by method
Use these as a sanity check against your formula — not as your price. Your number should come from your costs first. Full tape-in installs commonly run $400–$900, a tape-in move-up (labor) runs $100–$250, and a full sew-in or hand-tied install runs $500–$1,000 and up.
Major metros run higher. Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Atlanta typically price 30–50% above national ranges. Call the top salons in your area offering the same method and position yourself relative to them.
Why you should itemize hair and labor
List the bill as hair and installation separately. The client sees your service fee as your expertise, not a markup on product. And when she returns for a move-up where she already owns the hair, the pricing conversation is clean and obvious.
Protect yourself with a hair deposit
Always take a non-refundable deposit covering the hair cost before you order. You're sourcing a custom product for one specific client — if she cancels after you've bought it, the deposit means you don't eat the cost.
