What should you charge for pet services?

The mistake most new pet pros make is charging a flat rate for work that isn't flat. A Yorkie and a matted Bernedoodle are not the same groom; a 20-minute walk and a 60-minute walk aren't the same job. Price by the things that actually vary — time, size, condition, and frequency — and your rates will hold up.

Dog grooming pricing

Full-service grooming commonly runs $45 to $120+, and breed is the anchor. Build your menu around three things:

• Size and breed. Small short-coated dogs are quick; large dogs take more product, more bath time, and more drying. Most groomers set a base price per breed or size tier.
• Coat condition. Doodles and double-coats, de-shedding, and especially de-matting take real extra time — matting should carry a stated surcharge, because it's both slow and hard on the animal.
• Add-ons. Nail grinding, teeth brushing, de-shed treatments, and specialty shampoos are billed on top of the base groom.

The honest pricing rule: charge for the coat in front of you, not the breed on paper — set a clear matting and handling policy so a tough groom doesn't quietly eat your margin. See booking and client tools on our pet grooming page.

Pet sitting pricing

Pet sitting splits into two products. Drop-in visits commonly run $20–$40 each, priced by visit length (often 20 or 30 minutes) and the number of pets. Overnights typically run $50–$100+ per night. The factors that move it:

• Visit length and tasks. A quick feed-and-let-out is different from a 45-minute visit with play, meds, and litter.
• Number and type of pets. Each additional pet adds time; reptiles, birds, and medicated pets warrant a surcharge.
• Holidays and travel time. Peak holiday rates are standard and fair; so is factoring in how far you drive between clients.

Don't undercharge the drive — a $25 visit that's 25 minutes away isn't a $25 job. Manage recurring visits and client info on our pet sitting page.

Dog walking pricing

Dog walking commonly runs $15–$35 per walk, set by:

• Walk length. Most walkers offer 20, 30, and 60-minute tiers — price each distinctly rather than rounding everyone to one rate.
• Solo vs. group. A solo walk costs the client more; a group walk is more efficient for you but isn't right for every dog.
• Packages. Weekly and monthly packages, discounted slightly per walk, are how you turn one-off walks into reliable recurring routes — the real profit in walking.
• Extra dogs. A second dog from the same home is typically a small add-on, not a second full fee.

Recurring packages are worth a modest per-walk discount because route density and predictable income are worth more than a few dollars per walk. See scheduling tools on our dog walking page.

Pet waste removal pricing

Pooper-scooper service commonly runs $15–$30 per weekly visit for a standard yard with one or two dogs. The drivers are simple and worth pricing explicitly:

• Number of dogs. More dogs means more to clean each visit — tier your price by dog count.
• Yard size and frequency. A larger yard takes longer, and less-frequent service means a heavier, slower cleanup, so weekly often prices better per visit than monthly.
• Initial cleanup. The first visit after a long gap (or a new client) is bigger work and should be priced above the recurring rate.

Waste removal lives or dies on route density — tightly clustered weekly stops are what make the per-visit price work. See route and billing tools on our pet waste removal page.