Highlights Cost Estimator

Published prices from official sources

These 2 lines come from published sources and are grouped by what they actually are. Folding fees into a service list is how misleading "average" figures are produced, so they are listed on a separate line.

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

Market ranges: what everyone else charges

A quote well above these bands is not automatically bad value - it usually means a different scope, a senior provider, or an expensive metro. This table tells you which question to ask.

These bands describe the national market, not this page's subject. Use them to judge whether a quote is reasonable, not as a price you can book.

What partial highlights costs in your metro tier

Location is generally the largest single variable. The national median for partial highlights is $135; the same appointment can land near $94 in a small market and $236 in a top-tier metro. That is a 2.5× spread on an identical service name.

Derived by applying regional cost-of-doing-business multipliers to the $135 national median. Treat as a sanity check on a quote you have been given.

Where the extra money goes

Ranking these matters. Nearly everyone compares the headline price of two salons and overlook the four lines below it that end up setting the bill.

• Service complexity+$20–$120

  Length, density, area size and condition all add time.

• Required add-ons+$20–$70

  Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted on a separate line.

• Geographic market+30–90%

  The same service swings widely between metros.

• Provider experience+15–60%

  Junior through master tiers are priced in bands.

• Tax and gratuity+20–30%

  Neither appears on the menu price.

Related cost breakdowns: Full Highlights Cost, Partial Highlights Cost and Peekaboo Highlights Cost.

The real annual cost of keeping this up

A single $135 appointment is easy to justify. Maintained every 10 weeks, partial highlights becomes a $810 annual commitment at the national median — and that is the number worth deciding on.

Gratuity is included at 20% because it is expected rather than optional. Remove it if you prefer to budget on a separate line.

Before hunting a reduction, check the cadence. Going from 5 to 4 visits a year keeps around $162 in your pocket at the same quality of work.

Gratuity, converted from percentages into money

Two rules do most of the work: tip on the service before tax, and tip the person who performed it.

• An automatic service charge ought to be disclosed when you book. Spot one on the bill, ask whether it reaches the provider before adding more.
• At a resort or hotel spa, look for a service charge already applied before adding a second gratuity on top.
• Do not tip on membership dues, booth rent, deposits, annual fees, gift-card loads or cancellation charges — no service was performed.
• Assistants who shampoo or rinse are often tipped on a separate line, typically a few dollars.

What people get wrong here

Ranked by frequency rather than dollar impact. The fix in every case is a question when you book.

1. 1Not asking what is required versus optionalcosts $20–$70

   Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted separately.

2. 2Forgetting tax and gratuitycosts $20–$30

   Together they add roughly a quarter to the menu price.

3. 3Comparing headline prices across different scopescosts $20–$70

   Two "haircut" prices can include entirely different work.

If you want the policy detail behind these: Highlights Aftercare and Prepare For Highlights.

Seven questions that prevent a surprise bill

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 the reason they come up at that moment.

1. "Is there a first-visit offer or a package rate I should know about?"
2. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
3. "If this runs longer than booked, does the price change?"
4. "Is removal of my existing product included, or is it a separate charge?"
5. "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"
6. "What is your cancellation window, and what is the charge if I miss it?"
7. "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"

One more at the desk: ask for the itemised total before you tap the card. Every line should match something you were told about on the phone.

From menu price to what you actually hand over

This is the gap that surprises people. Starting from a $53 base, here is where the money goes by the time the card is out.

Worked at a $53 base with one add-on. Swap in your own quote and the proportions hold.

Takeaway: budget $79 when the board says $53. The difference is $26.

Your other options, and when each wins

The helpful comparison is like-for-like: same service scope, same provider tier, same market. These pages set the comparisons up that way.

Questions people actually ask

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 hair color services
2. Dillon, Colorado official booking page
3. Parker Colorado official pricing
4. Hair dye and relaxer safety guidance
5. Hair dyes official safety guidance
6. Official U.S. brand website
7. Official U.S. brand website
8. Official Oklahoma City location services
9. Official U.S. brand website

Menus change. Quoted a different figure, send it over and we will re-verify.