HOW TO HIRE · PETS

How to hire a mobile dog groomer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A grooming van comes to your door; grooming is unlicensed. Here is what to check.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a mobile dog groomer in five steps

  1. Check where the van parksSpace outside, and whether it needs your power or water.
  2. Describe the coatBreed, last groom, matting.
  3. Agree the styleWith photos.
  4. Ask about dryingIn a van, drying must be watched closely.
  5. Check at the endFinish, nails, ears, skin.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Anyone may trade as a mobile dog groomer: England's 2018 Regulations list the licensed animal businesses and grooming is not among them, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no grooming licence either. Welfare law still applies while your pet is with them.

Ask to see the salon or van and how pets are restrained and dried. legislation.gov.uk →

Welfare while being groomed

A mobile dog groomer takes on a legal duty, not just a job. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales) a person in charge of an animal on a temporary basis is responsible for meeting its needs — diet, environment, protection from pain and disease — with equivalent duties in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Ask how they would spot illness in your dog and what they would do. legislation.gov.uk →

Insurance

No law makes a mobile dog groomer carry insurance, but public liability and cover for animals in their care are normal for a business. Ask what the policy pays if your dog is hurt, falls ill or goes missing while with them.

Ask to see the current insurance certificate.

VAT

Mobile grooming is standard-rated: VAT at 20% applies to the groom in the van and to the call-out charge. Over the £90,000 registration threshold a trader has to charge VAT and show it separately, next to its VAT number.

Ask for the VAT number, and see the groom, the travel charge and the 20% VAT itemised. gov.uk →

“Does the grooming van have its own water and power?”

A good answer: Yes, or what they need from you.

“How is my dog secured on the grooming table?”

A good answer: A grooming loop, never left alone on the table.

“Is the van heated and ventilated?”

A good answer: Comfortable in summer and winter.

“Have you groomed my breed of dog?”

A good answer: Coat-specific experience.

“How will the mobile dog groomer dry my dog?”

A good answer: By hand or watched closely.

“Is the mobile dog groomer insured?”

A good answer: Yes.

“What if my dog becomes stressed?”

A good answer: They stop and talk to you.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends with the van — the groomer named, or a franchise or relief groomer, employed or subcontracted
  • The groom and its price
  • Size, coat and dematting surcharges
  • Travel or call-out charge
  • Extra dogs and cancellation
  • The VAT number, with VAT on the mobile groom as a separate line

Walk away if

  • A dog left alone on the table
  • A hot, unventilated van
  • No questions about health
  • Unexplained nicks
LOW
£18
TYPICAL
£40
HIGH
£80

What a mobile dog groomer costs: £18–£80 per groom

Mobile dog grooming is priced per groom, by size and coat, with travel and extra dogs sometimes added. Mobile Dog Grooming price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Mobile dog groomers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ArriveVan parked and set up.
  2. ConsultCoat checked and style agreed with you.
  3. Bath and dryWashed and dried in the van.
  4. Clip and trimStyled as agreed.
  5. Hand backYour dog returned to your door with a final check.

Grooming loop
A restraint that keeps a dog safely on the table.
Dematting
Removing tangled mats.
Hand stripping
Plucking dead hair from wire coats.
Clipper burn
Skin irritation from clippers.
Blaster dryer
A high-velocity dryer that pushes water out of the coat.
Breed trim
A style specific to a breed.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the skinNicks or redness in the first day.
Watch your dogScratching one spot means a call.
Book regular groomsTo prevent matting.
Write the reviewSomething wrong? Use make-it-right first and give the groomer a fair chance to sort it before you review.

STEP 1Tell the groomer, in writingDescribe what happened during the mobile groom and what you want. What the law does require is reasonable care and skill, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
STEP 2Let Locufy follow it upRate the mobile dog groomer under four stars and Locufy asks if you want the groomer to have the chance to fix it before the review is published; we follow it through.
STEP 3Escalate itWith no register for a mobile dog groomer, escalation runs through the consumer helplines, which can pass cases to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeA claim over a mobile dog groomer can go to the small claims track in the county court up to £10,000 in England and Wales, to simple procedure in the sheriff court up to £5,000 in Scotland, or to the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland — no solicitor needed.

Hiring a mobile dog groomer: questions people ask

No. Grooming, mobile or salon, is not licensed in any UK nation.

Yes, while in charge; welfare law requires the dog's needs to be met.

A receipt; some keep a record card.

Expect £18–£80 per groom, around £40 on average. Our mobile dog grooming price guide has the detail, and your postcode above brings up mobile dog groomers close to you.

Often, for dogs who dislike salons: one dog at a time, close to home.

See your vet and tell the groomer in writing; the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires reasonable care and skill.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in pets

How to hire: Dog GroomingHow to hire: Pet BathingHow to hire: Nail ClippingHow to hire: Cat GroomingHow to hire: Dog WalkingHow to hire: Puppy VisitsHow to hire: Pet SittingHow to hire: Doggy Day CareAll 701 hiring guides →

Mobile dog groomers near you

Mobile dog groomers in LondonMobile dog groomers in ManchesterMobile dog groomers in BirminghamMobile dog groomers in GlasgowMobile dog groomers in BelfastAll mobile dog groomers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, schedule 1
  2. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 3 — responsibility for animals
  3. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9 — duty to ensure welfare
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  6. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  7. nidirect — small claims process
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register