Pet Grooming Invoice Template
A grooming invoice is usually short, but it has to answer the two questions owners ask at pick-up: why did my dog cost more than last time, and what exactly was done? Put each pet on its own lines with its name, breed and size or weight, because most groomers price by size and coat. Bill the package (bath and tidy, full groom, puppy groom) as one line, then each add-on separately, and give any surcharge its reason: dematting time, extra handling, a flea bath after fleas were found. Record coat condition on arrival, so a matting charge or a shorter cut than requested is explained on paper rather than argued at the counter. Keep retail products such as shampoo or brushes on their own lines, since they may be taxed differently from services. This template is for salon groomers, home-based groomers and mobile grooming vans billing pet owners per visit. The download is an editable HTML file with the usual invoice header, line table and totals, plus the grooming fields below. Fill it in your browser, then print it or save it as PDF.
Preview this editable document
Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.
What This Template Includes
- Pet name, species, breed and size or weight
- Coat condition on arrival (matting, pelted coat, fleas found)
- Grooming package (bath and tidy, full groom, puppy groom)
- Individual services (bath, haircut, nail trim or grind, ear cleaning)
- Add-ons (teeth brushing, de-shedding treatment, flea bath)
- Surcharges with reason (dematting time, extra handling), per your posted policy
- Appointment date, drop-off and pick-up times, late pick-up fee if any
- Mobile grooming: service address and trip fee
- Vaccination record on file (for example rabies), as your policy requires
- Retail products sold, on separate lines
- Notes for the next visit (style, skin, behavior)
How to Create Your Pet Grooming Invoice
- 01
Describe your work
Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.
- 02
AI generates your invoice
InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.
- 03
Review, download, and send
Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.
Recommended Payment Terms
Grooming is normally paid at pick-up, so the invoice or receipt should be ready when the owner arrives, and the terms are 'due on receipt'. Regular clients on a schedule, for example every four or six weeks, sometimes pay monthly; if you allow that, bill each visit as a dated line and state the due date. Put your policies in writing before the first appointment and repeat the ones that cost money on the invoice: matting and handling surcharges, late pick-up fees, and no-show or late cancellation fees. A fee the owner never saw in advance is hard to collect and easy to dispute. Mobile groomers often take a card at the van; if you send a payment link instead, send it before you leave the driveway.
Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.
Tax Information
Whether grooming is taxed depends on the state. Connecticut, for example, lists pet grooming and pet boarding services (except as an integral part of professional veterinary services) and pet obedience services among the services subject to its sales and use tax under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-407, at the general rate of 6.35% with no local sales taxes. Other states treat grooming differently, and a state that does not tax the grooming itself may still tax retail products you sell, such as shampoo or brushes. Check your state revenue department before adding tax. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage to the whole invoice and copies your saved tax ID to new invoice PDFs; keep any separate permit details in notes, so where services are untaxed but products are taxed, put the products on a separate invoice or receipt. This is not tax advice; check with your tax authority or an adviser.
Industry context (2026)
Grooming sits between personal service and retail, and official sources treat it accordingly. On tax, the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services lists 'pet grooming and pet boarding services, except if such services are provided as an integral part of professional veterinary services, and pet obedience services' among the services subject to sales and use tax under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-407, and its general rate is 6.35%, with no additional local sales taxes in the state; other states set their own rules, so the same invoice can carry tax in one state and none in the next. On health records, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance for veterinarians says to vaccinate dogs, cats and ferrets for rabies according to local laws, noting that vaccine schedules vary by product and state; a groomer can make proof of vaccination a condition of booking, which is why a 'records on file' line is worth having on the invoice. Neither source sets grooming prices, and this template does not suggest any: price from your own time, coat types and costs.
Worked example
A Connecticut grooming salon grooms two dogs from one household. Bella, standard poodle, 52 lb, arrived with matting behind the ears and on the legs; the owner agreed to dematting at check-in. Max, beagle, 24 lb, routine visit. Lines: 'Bella, standard poodle, large: full groom' $95.00; 'Bella: dematting, 30 minutes at $15.00 per 15 minutes (posted policy)' $30.00; 'Max, beagle, medium: bath and tidy' $55.00; 'Max: nail grind' $12.00; 'Max: teeth brushing' $8.00; 'De-shedding brush (retail)' $18.00. Subtotal $95.00 + $30.00 + $55.00 + $12.00 + $8.00 + $18.00 = $218.00. Connecticut taxes pet grooming services and retail sales at the same 6.35% general rate with no local tax, so one rate covers the whole invoice: $218.00 × 6.35% = $13.84 (rounded from $13.843). Total $231.84, paid by card at pick-up and recorded as paid. Notes: 'Rabies records on file for both dogs. Bella: next visit in 4 weeks to prevent matting; 7F blade on body, scissor legs. Max: nervous with the high-velocity dryer, towel and low heat.' In a state that taxes the brush but not the grooming, the brush would go on a separate receipt with its own tax.
Common mistakes to avoid
One total for several pets
When two dogs share one 'grooming' line, the owner cannot see which pet cost what or why the total changed. Give each pet its own lines.
Surcharges with no reason
An unexplained 'extra $30' at pick-up starts an argument. Record coat condition at check-in and bill the surcharge with its reason and time.
Fees not agreed in advance
Matting, late pick-up and no-show fees that were never posted or agreed are hard to collect. Put policies in writing before the first visit.
Products and services taxed the same everywhere
In states that tax products but not grooming, one tax rate across the whole invoice over- or under-charges. Separate them.
Losing the next-visit notes
Style preferences and handling notes kept only in someone's memory get lost when staff change. Write them on the invoice or in the client record.
Invoicing Tips
- 1Name every pet on its line ('Bella, standard poodle, 52 lb: full groom'). Households with two or three pets compare lines, not totals.
- 2Note coat condition at check-in and tell the owner before you start if dematting or a shave-down is needed. The invoice then records a decision they already agreed to.
- 3Bill dematting by time at a posted rate (for example per 15 minutes) rather than a flat penalty. It is easier to explain and fairer on lightly matted coats.
- 4List add-ons separately even when cheap. Owners who see 'teeth brushing $8' often ask for it next time; owners who see a higher package price ask why.
- 5Keep retail sales on their own lines, and on their own invoice if your state taxes products but not grooming.
- 6Write the next-visit notes on the invoice (preferred blade length, sensitive skin, nervous with dryers). It saves the owner repeating them and helps any groomer on your team.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a pet grooming invoice include?
Your business details, the owner's name and contact, invoice number and date, each pet's name, breed and size, coat condition on arrival, the package, individual services and add-ons, any surcharges with their reason, mobile trip fee if any, retail products on separate lines, tax if your state requires it, the total and how it was paid.
How do groomers price: by breed, size or time?
A common approach is a base price by breed or size and coat type for each package, then add time-based charges for extra work such as dematting or difficult handling. Whatever you use, show the basis on the invoice, so the owner can see why a large, double-coated dog costs more than a small, short-coated one.
Should groomers charge a matting fee?
You can, if the charge is posted and agreed in advance, because dematting takes extra time and care. Post the policy, tell the owner at check-in, and bill it as a separate line with the time spent, for example 'Dematting, 30 minutes'. If the coat is too matted to brush out safely, record the agreed shave-down instead.
Is pet grooming taxable?
In some states. Connecticut lists pet grooming and pet boarding among its taxable services at 6.35%, unless they are an integral part of professional veterinary services. Other states treat grooming differently, and retail products may be taxed even where grooming is not. Check your state revenue department.
Can a groomer ask for proof of rabies vaccination?
Yes, as a business policy. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises vaccinating dogs, cats and ferrets for rabies according to local laws, and you can require proof before the first visit. Note on the invoice that the record is on file and when it expires.
Can InvoiceQuickly create a pet grooming invoice?
Yes. Describe the visit, for example 'Bella, standard poodle, full groom $95, dematting 30 minutes $30; Max, beagle, bath and tidy $55, nail grind $12', and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice you review before saving. You can record payment by card, cash or other methods on every plan. It applies one tax rate per invoice and has no appointment booking or pet profiles, so keep those in your booking system.