For Chicago beauty professionals
Most stylists find out what their own salon really costs after they have signed a lease. Here is the rest of it — build-out, plumbing, permits, deposits, and the cash you need to get to a full book.
Square footage and rent ranges are general industry guidance, not Chicago quotes, and distances are approximate. Get your own numbers before you budget.
Before you sign
A listing tells you the square footage and the rent. Neither tells you whether you can put a backwash station against that wall. These are the five that actually cost money to fix — ordered by what they cost when they are missing.
A rough way to grade a space
Plumbing, ventilation and permission all confirmed. Open in weeks.
Usable, with one or two real costs to solve before you open.
A shell. Budget for construction and a permit timeline.
The one nobody warns you about
The City of Chicago's licensing guidance says that where another personal services establishment is within 1,000 feet — roughly two city blocks — a Special Use Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals is required. On a corridor busy enough that you want to be there, that is likely rather than unlikely, and it is a process measured in months.
An ordinance to lift that requirement for salons in B3 districts was introduced in 2017 and failed in 2019, so it still stands. The Zoning Board's own published decisions show salons and barber shops approved as special uses across B1 and B3 districts.
Walk the two blocks before you fall in love with a storefront. Count the salons, barber shops and nail places in both directions. It costs nothing to check early.
Confirm any zoning or licensing question with the City of Chicago — BACP, 312-744-6249. General information, not legal advice.
→ What does a salon build-out actually cost, and why does the same space vary by three times?
→ Do you need a plumbing permit for a backwash station, and who is allowed to do the work?
→ How much square footage do you really need per styling chair?
→ What does "triple net" mean, and why is the cheaper-looking rent often more expensive?
→ Can an SBA 7(a) loan fund a build-out, and what will a lender ask a 1099 stylist for?
→ Suite or your own lease — what does the maths actually say for your book?
→ Which licences do you need, and why does your cosmetology licence not cover the salon?
We are writing these up one at a time. Ask for the worksheet and we will send them as they land.
Fill in your own numbers and it tells you two things: the cash you need to open, and how many clients a week it takes to cover the space. Free, and nothing to sign up for.
Tell us your station count and where you are looking, and we will send the worksheet back.