How to not fit out a salon: the dos and don'ts of hiring a contractor

Charlie Hearn has had a design business for 40 years and for the last 24 years has specialised in the hair and beauty industry working with clients such as Mark Woolley, Lisa Shepherd and L’Oreal Professionnel to mention a few - here he shares his top tips for hiring a salon contractor.

"How Not to Fit Out A Salon might sound like a negative heading but fitting out a hair salon is not an easy task and could have consequences, causing you stress and financial difficulties. Fortunately these are few and far between, however they can happen as it did to me recently, so I felt it would be useful to do case study in what not to do when opening / fitting out a salon.

Firstly, depending on the size of the fit-out get a good designer. Always look for someone who has a portfolio of successful salons. I believe in building relationships with clients, no matter how big or small they are, to give them the best service possible. This is the first key to a successful project.

Secondly, use a reputable contractor, preferably one that you know and trust. Having used many contractors over the years I have narrowed these down to three go-to contractors for all my projects. If you don’t know a contractor and have to find one – DO DUE DILIGENCE.

I did a project recently where my client had an end date by which he had to vacate his existing salon so this was the first starting point. None of my preferred contractors were able to take on the shop fit so I had to find one who could. I spoke to a well known salon design / furniture supplier who recommended a contractor. We met, discussed the project and the timescales, asked to see examples of shop fits done by the contractor. They only provide one salon which was, to be honest, pretty basic and simple however, as we were now working to a tight schedule, and the contractor sounded competent we took the recommendation at face value.

This was my first mistake!

Never take things at face value. Visit previous fit outs, speak to previous clients and check the contractors records at Companies House. This contractor, despite all the assurances, missed three handover dates. As we were committed to the contractor we kept giving him the benefit of the doubt.

This was my second mistake!

As soon as deadlines get missed and handovers don’t happen act quickly and positively. When the project became five weeks late we took the decision to terminate the contract. This can be a minefield so we engaged an independent, qualified Quantity Surveyor to measure and value the works done and prepare competent documents to justify our case. Keep copies of emails, WhatsApps and dated photos to show a timeline of lack of progress and missed dates. Also keep contemporaneous notes of meetings and send to contractor.

So, when considering a shop fit, here are the Dos and Don'ts...

DO choose your contractor carefully.

DO make sure you do background checks on their ability to handle the contract, not only on time but to an acceptable standard of finish. DO speak to their previous clients, if possible visit previous projects. DO check their financial background. Check their Employees' and Public Liabilities’ insurances. DO NOT take recommendations at face value. DO NOT let contracts drift, otherwise delays to opening could cost you loss of profit, paying for staff with nowhere to go, paying for rent and rates for premises that are unusable and not earning money etc The contractor will no doubt have conditions attached to their tender / quotation all to their advantage. Read them carefully. Add your own conditions. Agree a fixed handover date and a schedule of works showing first fix, second fix, finishing and snagging in writing and if possible insist on a penalty clause if they run over the agreed schedule. Agree a payment schedule. Do not make advances payments. It is normal practice now though to make a first payment after strip out, but this should be no more than 20%. Then up to 50% mid way through contract. Then up to 90 % on finished handover. Retain 10% for a Defects Liability period agreed in advance. If possible have the works done under JCT Small Works Contract but that can be difficult for a layperson to understand, hence the need for a good designer. Finally, make sure you have the funds in place before works start. Add 10% contingency to the tender price (don’t tell the contractor though!). Do not overstretch yourself financially. This might seem like over kill but it will save you in the long run. Be proactive. You are the client. This is your business. This is your life. And all is well that ended well with the shop fit in question. We ended up calling in favours, particularly from one of my go-to shop fitters, and I'm pleased to say that the salon is now open and looking fabulous." Hungry for salon interior inspiration? Check out this salon's design journey.