Terms and conditions for a mobile hairdresser or beautician

Working in the client's home changes the law that applies to you. The contract is made away from any business premises, the client has a cancellation right that salon-based businesses rarely consider, and the working conditions are those of the client's home. Terms that deal with that, and with wedding bookings, are what I draft, for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Mobile hairdressers, beauty therapists, nail technicians and make-up artists in England and Wales who travel to clients' homes, workplaces and events, as a sole trader or a small team. Your clients are consumers, and a good part of your work is weddings and group bookings, so the terms cover both the routine visit and the event.

What matters in a mobile hairdresser's or beautician's terms

Contracts made in the client's home

A booking agreed in the client's home is an off-premises contract, and one agreed by phone, message or online is a distance contract, under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Either way the client has 14 days to cancel, and off-premises contracts worth more than £42 need the cancellation information given in a durable medium under regulation 10 of those Regulations. Because most appointments happen inside the 14 days, the terms and your booking confirmation need the client's express request for the service to start, or a cancellation or no-show charge will not stand up.

Travel, minimum charges and working conditions

The terms should state the travel charge or the area covered, a minimum booking value, and any parking costs. They should also say what you need from the client: a suitable space, light, water and power, pets kept away, children supervised, and the right to leave without treating if the environment is unsafe or unsuitable, with the visit still chargeable.

Weddings and group bookings

A wedding booking needs a deposit, a schedule with timings, a trial charged separately, a stated number of people, and a scale of cancellation charges that increases as the date approaches and reflects what you lose. The terms should say what happens if the bride adds people on the day, if the venue causes delay, and if you are ill, with a substitute or a refund as the remedy. Against a consumer, any cancellation charge has to reflect your loss rather than punish the client.

Skin tests, disclosure and results

Colour services and some beauty treatments need a skin test at an earlier visit, which also supports your assessment of the products under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and the terms should require one and let you refuse without it. The client must disclose allergies, conditions and recent treatments, and the terms should say that results depend on the client's hair or skin and on following aftercare. No term can exclude liability for personal injury caused by your own negligence, so the process has to be run properly as well as written down.

Payment, lateness and insurance

Payment should be on the day, by card or transfer, with deposits for events taken at booking. Lateness by the client should shorten the appointment rather than extend your day, and the terms should say so. Your insurance should be stated, and the terms should carry your name and contact details as the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 require.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A bride cancelled the whole wedding party a week before. Can I keep the deposit?

If the terms set out a cancellation scale that reflects your loss and the client agreed it at booking, you can keep what the scale provides, which a week out is usually most of the price. Without a scale, you are left arguing about what you lost.

Can I charge for the visit if the client is not home?

The terms can make a wasted visit chargeable, and the justification is plain: your time and travel have been spent. State the charge in advance.

Do I need to give a cancellation form to every client?

For off-premises contracts over £42 the cancellation information must be given in a durable form, and a booking confirmation by email or message that includes it does the job. The terms and the confirmation are designed together so that this happens without you thinking about it.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Terms and conditions for a hairdressing salon
• Terms and conditions for a beauty salon and nail bar

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.