Great Clips vs Ulta Beauty Salon

Official published amounts and what each covers

10 documented amounts, split into services, add-ons, plans and policy charges. Each keeps the precise label it was published under so you can match it against the menu you are shown at booking.

Franchisees price within a corporate range rather than to a fixed card. Treat these as documented examples.

What the same service costs across the U.S. market

Use this as a sanity check. Where a quote falls outside these bands, ask what is included before writing it off — scope differences explain most outliers.

Market ranges are planning estimates compiled from published U.S. pricing data. They are not quotes and are not attributable to any brand named on this page.

The same service, four different markets

Rent and wages flow straight into the menu. Applying published metro cost bands to the $43 national median for men's haircut gives the following planning ranges.

Bands scale the $43 national median by published metro cost multipliers. Planning ranges, not quotes.

What actually changes your price

Each of these is negotiable in the sense that you can refuse it — but only if you know it is coming ahead of time.

• Franchise location+10–35%

  Each owner sets a local menu inside a corporate band.

• Coupon or app offersaves $3–$10

  Chain apps run recurring offers that beat the walk-in rate.

• Stylist tier+$5–$15

  Some value chains price senior stylists above the base cut.

• Shampoo and blow-dry+$6–$18

  Almost always a separate charge at value chains.

• Beard or neck clean-up+$5–$15

  Small add-ons that quietly lift the ticket.

Related cost breakdowns: Boardroom Salon for Men vs Great Clips, Great Clips vs Cost Cutters and Great Clips vs Bishops Cuts Color.

Gratuity, converted from percentages into money

Percentages are awkward to compute at the counter. Below they are converted into actual dollars at the low, middle and high end of the national range.

• At a resort or hotel spa, see whether a service charge is included before adding a further gratuity.
• Tip the same on a redo as on the original if the redo was not the provider's fault - and speak to management rather than the provider if it was.
• A tip is for the work performed, not for the price you were charged. Do not penalise a provider for a menu they did not set.
• An automatic service charge ought to be disclosed when you book. If you see one at checkout, ask whether it reaches the provider before adding more.

Five ways to overpay without noticing

Every one of these is routine, avoidable and costed. None of them require haggling — only a well-timed question.

1. 1Missing app-only couponscosts $3–$12

   Standing digital offers routinely beat the counter price.

2. 2Expecting a blow-dry with the cutcosts $6–$18

   Almost always a separate line at value chains.

3. 3Not asking about stylist tiercosts $5–$15

   Some value chains charge more for senior stylists.

If you want the policy detail behind these: How To Compare Salon Prices and How To Cancel A Beauty Membership.

The booking script, word for word

Ask these at booking rather than on arrival. Once you are gowned and in the chair, declining an add-on becomes socially much harder — which is exactly why that is when they are raised.

1. "What is the precise price for men's haircut at my hair length and density?"
2. "What is your cancellation window, and what is the charge if I miss it?"
3. "Is there a first-visit offer or a package rate I should know about?"
4. "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"
5. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
6. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed on a separate line?"
7. "Is removal of my existing product included, or is it a separate charge?"

At checkout: check the itemised total against the quote before paying. Corrections are straightforward at the desk and nearly impossible afterwards.

What the bill looks like at checkout

Work it forwards once and you will never be caught out again. A $30 service does not cost $30.

Illustrative. The 7.5% tax figure varies by state - several states do not tax personal services at all.

The rule of thumb: add approximately 59% to any menu price for men's haircut to get your realistic out-the-door number.

Prefer not to do the arithmetic? You can calculate your own total.

Annual cost of ownership

A single $43 appointment is easy to justify. Maintained every 4 weeks, men's haircut becomes a $671 annual commitment at the national median — and that is the number worth deciding on.

Gratuity is included at 20% because it is effectively compulsory. Remove it if you prefer to budget on a separate line.

The lever most of us reach for - switching salons - is generally the weakest one. Moving from the $43 median to the $18 budget end saves $390 a year, but so does simply stretching the interval by a quarter.

Where else to look

The number alone rarely decides it. Compare scope first — what is actually included — before you look at the figure.

Common questions, answered with numbers

Sources and how we checked them

Listed so you can check the figures yourself. If a source has changed since we recorded it, the correction form below is the fastest way to flag it.

1. Official homepageBrand and service overview · updated 2026
2. Official U.S. salon directoryLocation count and directory · updated 2026
3. Official senior discount pageAge and participation rules · updated 2026
4. Official additional servicesService availability · updated 2026
5. Official Online Check-InOnline check-in and waitlist process · updated 2026
6. Official Customer Service and FAQsOnline check-in and walk-in rules · updated 2026
7. Official services directoryService categories · updated 2026
8. Official hair color service pageColor-service definitions and durations · updated 2026
9. Official curly hair servicesService definitions and durations · updated 2026
10. Official haircut and styling service pageHaircut/styling inclusions and service durations · updated 2026

Menus change. If your quote differed, send it over and we will re-verify.