Opening a barbershop or even a salon can be a challenging job. There are many rules and regulations that govern the industry generally set by state boards and by city codes and ordinances. Many cities have hairdressing educators who are licensed to teach in their store or school and who have a great understanding of what is required in their city in order to run a rape-free store. They generally love the business and love to talk about it. If you can seek their support, you will have a head start.
Now let’s talk about learning the old way and researching it yourself by reading the rules and regulations. The best sources to find information on specific requirements are state boards or the regulatory commission. But you still have to deal with your city or town building and occupancy codes to get a “C of O” (Certificate of Occupancy) approval. We have compiled an alphabetical list by states and their web addresses related to the regulation of hairdressing and cosmetology. Remember that each state requires different things, but some important safety items have been a sharps container (disposal of used razor blades), certificates / licenses displayed, and having a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on file. its acronym in English) for each chemical you use.
Let’s start with the basics or they MUST have items:
A sink / chair combination with hot and cold running water and shampoo
A hairdressing chair, multipurpose chair, or barber chair, one per person
Hand or hood dryer with or without chair
One workstation (wall-mounted, stationary), per person
A sanitizing container with sanitizing or sterilizing solution.
Seating in the reception area
Cabinet for clean towels and supplies.
A receptacle for used towels.
Reception
Floor mats
Booster seat for children
The best places to get the information you need on equipment requirements for a salon or barber shop are your local Chamber of Commerce and your state board.
The following links are for all State Boards: