How Much Does a Root Touch-Up Cost at a Salon? Work Out Your Real Yearly Number

Short answer: There is no single national price. A salon root touch-up is priced by the salon, the stylist level and your hair length, and many menus list it as a starting price. What you really pay is that price times your visits a year: every 4 weeks is 13 visits, every 6 weeks about 9, every 8 weeks about 6 or 7. Time counts too: Ulta Beauty lists its express full root touch-up at about an hour. Stretching each gap by two weeks removes several visits a year.

What sets the price of a root touch-up?

• The salon and the city. The same service can cost very different amounts a few miles apart.
• The stylist level. Some salons price by stylist level, so ask which level your quote is for.
• Full or partial. A partial touch-up covers only the hairline and part. At Ulta Beauty it is listed at about 50 minutes, against about an hour for a full root touch-up.
• Add-ons. Blow-dry, gloss or toner are often priced separately.
• Length and density. Long or thick hair can mean extra product.

Your real yearly number

Ask your salon for the price of a root-only service, including anything you always add. Then multiply by how often you go.

An example, not a quote: if your salon charges $70 for roots, every 4 weeks comes to $910 a year, and every 6 weeks to about $607. Moving from 4 to 6 weeks saves about four visits a year.

How long does a root touch-up take at a salon?

Ulta Beauty publishes approximate times for its root services:

Add travel and waiting time, and a year of 4-week visits is a lot of afternoons.

Do root color memberships save money?

Some color bars sell roots on a plan. Madison Reed, for example, describes two Hair Color Bar memberships: Limitless Pro with one roots service every 6 weeks, billed every 28 days, and Limitless Pro+ with unlimited roots services, which it pitches at people who color every 2 to 5 weeks. A plan only saves money if its monthly fee is lower than your real yearly number divided by 12, so do the math above first.

How to stretch the time between appointments

1. Book a partial touch-up for the hairline and part when only the front shows.
2. Change your part for the last week or two.
3. Use a temporary root powder in a close shade on the part and temples until your next visit.

For the in-between weeks, see root touch-up between colors and how to cover roots at the back of your head.

Where does BUNEE fit?

BUNEE is a temporary root-cover powder in a pressed compact with a mirror and applicator puff. It comes in 12 shades, including Grey, Dark Grey and White, and washes out with shampoo. It is not a dye and does not replace your colorist. It covers the last stretch before your appointment. Delivery is 10 to 17 business days, so order ahead.

FAQ

How much should a root touch-up cost?

It depends on the salon, the stylist level and your hair length. Ask for the price of a root-only service with any add-ons you always book, then multiply by your visits a year.

How long does a root touch-up take at a salon?

Ulta Beauty lists about an hour for an express full root touch-up, about 40 minutes without a blow-dry, and about 50 minutes for a partial touch-up of the hairline and part.

How often do you need a root touch-up?

When regrowth shows. Madison Reed builds its memberships around people who color roots every 2 to 5 weeks or every 6 to 8 weeks.

Is a partial root touch-up cheaper?

It covers less, only the hairline and part, and takes less time. Ask your salon for both prices before you book.

Sources, checked 2 November 2026: Ulta Beauty, salon color services and times · Madison Reed, Hair Color Bar memberships. Brand names are used for comparison only. We have no business relationship with the companies mentioned, and facts about their products come from their own pages or retailer listings, not our testing.