Your final bill mostly comes down to the base groom, any extras your dog needs, and whether you book a salon or mobile service. Before you book over a public holiday or school-holiday rush, ask for the salon's peak-period policy and an itemised quote, then lock the slot with a deposit.
TL;DR:
- Holiday surcharges may be $10–$40, 10–30% of the base price, or a minimum fee, so ask which method applies before booking.
- A standard Maltese groom costs $75–$110, while matted or show preparation can exceed $130; extras and location raise the final bill.
- Mobile grooming adds $20–$40, while inner city salons commonly charge 20–30% more than outer suburban or regional salons for the same service.
- Book two to three weeks before public holidays and earlier for school holidays; a 15–25% budget buffer covers most surcharges and likely extras.
- Request an itemized written quote and confirm deposit terms, dematting charges, cancellation notice, and late pickup fees, which can exceed $30 for each half hour.
Table of Contents
- When do groomers add holiday or peak-period surcharges?
- What actually makes up your bill, and what's typical to pay
- How to budget and book ahead for busy periods
- Questions to ask before you confirm a holiday booking
- Why prices move at peak times, and what keeps them predictable
- A more predictable way to book over the holidays
- FAQ
- Sources
When do groomers add holiday or peak-period surcharges?
Surcharges tend to appear around predictable pressure points: public holidays, school-holiday weeks, long weekends, and anything booked outside normal hours or as an emergency fit-in. Salons rarely hide these, but they don't always volunteer them either, so it pays to ask before you confirm.
Groomers generally apply the extra cost in one of three ways:
- A flat surcharge added to the invoice, often in the $10 to $40 range
- A percentage loading on the base price, commonly 10 to 30%
- A minimum booking fee that applies regardless of how small the job is
The reasons are mostly on the supply side. Staff often earn penalty rates on public holidays, booking slots are tighter than usual, and demand spikes push wait times and prices up together. Rent is part of the story too: salons in busy, high-rent strips tend to carry that cost into every price, not just holiday ones.
Mobile groomers usually skip the word "holiday surcharge" altogether and instead build in a standing convenience premium for coming to your door, which can make their peak-period pricing look steadier even though the underlying costs (fuel, time between jobs, demand) move in the same direction as salon pricing.
Pro Tip: Ask whether the surcharge is flat or percentage-based before you book: a percentage loading on a matted or show-prep groom can add far more than a flat fee would.
What actually makes up your bill, and what's typical to pay
A grooming invoice is really several line items stacked together: the base groom, optional extras, and sometimes a mobile premium. Knowing the typical bands for each helps you spot an unusually high quote before you agree to it.
For a small breed like a Maltese, a standard suburban clip or teddy bear trim typically costs $75 to $110, while matted coats or show preparation often push past $130. Across Australia, Maltese grooming broadly sits between $65 and $150 per session depending on coat condition and location.
Extras are usually quoted separately:
- Teeth brushing: $10 to $20
- Anal gland expression: $12 to $18
- Flea treatment: $15 to $25
- De-shedding treatment: $15 to $30
- Cologne or bandana finishing touch: $5 to $10
Mobile grooming adds its own premium, typically an extra $20 to $40 on top of the base groom, which reflects travel time and equipment setup rather than a holiday-specific charge.
| Price component | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Base groom (small breed, standard clip) | $75–$110 |
| Base groom (matted or show prep) | $130+ |
| Teeth brushing | $10–$20 |
| Anal gland expression | $12–$18 |
| Flea treatment | $15–$25 |
| De-shedding treatment | $15–$30 |
| Mobile grooming premium | $20–$40 |
Inner-city salons commonly charge 20 to 30% more than outer-suburban or regional salons for the same groom, which is worth factoring in if you're comparing quotes across different areas.
How to budget and book ahead for busy periods
Peak-period grooming slots fill fast, and waiting until the week of a public holiday usually means paying more for less choice. A little planning smooths out both problems.
- Book several weeks ahead for public holidays, and further in advance for school-holiday weeks when family travel plans cluster demand.
- Pay a deposit to hold your slot. A small deposit is a common amount groomers use to secure bookings and discourage last-minute cancellations.
- Build a simple budget: start with the base groom price, add any extras your dog usually needs, add a mobile premium if that applies, then add a reasonable holiday buffer on top.
- Ask about off-peak appointment times, which sometimes avoid the surcharge entirely, or check whether a multi-groom or package deal brings the effective price back down.
A 15 to 25% buffer on top of your usual grooming cost is enough to cover most holiday surcharges and the extras that tend to come up at the same time, such as dematting tips or a flea treatment before a trip.
If convenience matters more than price during a hectic week, a mobile groomer's flat premium can be easier to plan around than a salon's percentage-based surcharge, since you know the add-on cost upfront regardless of demand.
Questions to ask before you confirm a holiday booking
A short phone call or booking-form question can save you from an invoice that's bigger than expected. Before you confirm, it's worth clarifying a handful of things in writing.
- Ask directly whether a holiday or peak-period surcharge applies, and whether it's a flat fee or a percentage.
- Confirm exactly which services sit inside the base price and which will be billed as separate extras.
- Check the cancellation and late-pickup policy: late pick-up fees can run $30 or more per half-hour, and a 24 to 48 hour cancellation notice window is standard practice.
- Ask about dematting charges specifically, since heavily matted coats are one of the most common sources of a quote jumping well past the base price.
- Request an itemised quote and written confirmation of the deposit amount and terms before you arrive.
Getting these answers before the appointment, rather than at pickup, is the simplest way to avoid an argument over an invoice you weren't expecting.
Why prices move at peak times, and what keeps them predictable
Holiday surcharges aren't arbitrary. They usually trace back to overtime and penalty rates for staff, a fixed number of appointment slots against a spike in demand, and the general cost of running a business during the busiest weeks of the year. A salon that absorbs all of that without adjusting price risks either losing money on holiday bookings or burning out its groomers.
Deposits and automated reminders help on both sides of that equation. When a booking is backed by a deposit and a confirmation reminder, a groomer can hold that slot with more confidence instead of overbooking to cover expected no-shows, which in turn means prices don't need to climb as far to cover lost time. Clear, itemised pricing shown at the time of booking also heads off the disputes that tend to spike during the busiest weeks, when everyone involved has less patience for surprises.
A more predictable way to book over the holidays
Our platform is designed around a simple idea: a pet owner should know the full price before they turn up, and a groomer shouldn't have to chase a no-show during the busiest week of the year. The platform lets providers take deposits and online payments at the time of booking, send automated reminders, and display pricing, including any holiday adjustments, upfront on a branded booking page.
Setup can take minutes rather than hours, and the result is a clearer line between base price and extras for every client who books. For pet owners booking with a provider who uses our system, that means:
- Seeing the full price, including any peak-period adjustment, before confirming
- Paying a deposit online instead of relying on a verbal agreement
- Getting an automated reminder so a double-booked holiday week doesn't turn into a missed appointment
| What changes | Effect for pet owners |
|---|---|
| Upfront itemised pricing | Fewer surprises at pickup |
| Online deposits | Slot is secured, not just promised |
| Automated reminders | Lower chance of a missed or rebooked appointment |
If you run a grooming business and want a booking page that shows holiday pricing clearly, our pricing plans outline the Starter, Independent, Teams, and Pro tiers, and our online booking feature shows how the deposit and reminder workflow fits together.
FAQ
Do dog groomers charge more around public holidays?
It's worth asking directly whether the surcharge applies and in what form before you book.
How much does a typical holiday grooming session cost?
A standard small-breed groom, such as a Maltese clip, typically costs $75 to $110 before any holiday surcharge is added, with matted or show-prep grooms often exceeding $130. Add any extras like teeth brushing ($10 to $20) or a flea treatment ($15 to $25) on top.
How far in advance should I book grooming for the holidays?
Aim for 2 to 3 weeks ahead for public holidays and further in advance for school-holiday periods, when demand is highest. Paying a deposit at the time of booking is a common way to secure the slot.
What are typical cancellation and late-pickup fees?
Late pick-up fees can run $30 or more per half-hour, and most salons require 24 to 48 hours' notice to cancel without a fee. Always confirm these terms in writing before your appointment.
Does mobile grooming cost more than a salon during holidays?
Mobile groomers typically charge a standing premium of $20 to $40 on top of the base groom rather than a separate holiday surcharge. That can make mobile pricing more predictable during peak weeks, even though the underlying cost pressures are similar to a salon's.
Sources
- Maltese Grooming Cost Australia: $65–$150 (2026)
- Circle of Fluff — policies (late fees and cancellations)