Terms and conditions for a mobile hairdresser or beautician

Working in the client's home changes the law that applies to you before you have unpacked a single brush. The contract is made away from any business premises, the client has a cancellation right most salons never think about, and the working conditions are whatever the client's kitchen happens to be. Terms that deal with that, and with the wedding booking that is the biggest job of the year, are what I draft, for a fixed fee of £995 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 in writing. 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 actually 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, 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 around your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want to know how much of a problem they are. 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 terms drafted around your business, not a template with your name inserted
• A covering note in plain English explaining every commercial choice I made and why, so you can defend the terms in a negotiation without ringing me
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions set at a level that will survive a procurement review
• Consumer-facing wording drafted to be enforceable where you sell to consumers
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly, which is where most businesses actually fail
• One round of amendments after you have read them

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers
• 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

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.