Mobile salon vans for hair, nails and lashes

What is a mobile salon van?

A mobile salon van is a beauty salon built inside a cargo van, so the stylist or technician drives to the client instead of the client coming to a storefront. A ProVanWorks salon van carries its own water, heat and power, so you can park at a client's home, an office, a wedding venue or a seniors' residence and start work without plugging into the building.

The base van can be a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster or another van you choose, diesel, gas or electric, new or used, including one you already own.

Which salon services can a van be built for?

ProVanWorks lays out each salon van around the service you offer most:

• Hair styling. A styling chair facing a mirror, a shampoo bowl with hot water and a reclining wash chair. See mobile hair salon vans.
• Nails. A manicure table under bright light and a pedicure basin with hot water for soaking and rinsing. See mobile nail salon vans.
• Eyelash extensions. A reclining lash bed, a lamp over the work and a hand-wash sink. See mobile lash vans.
• Massage and spa. A massage table with room to walk around it, in a warm, closed room.

Many owners combine services, such as nails and lashes, or hair and makeup. Tell us what you offer and we plan the stations, seating and cabinets around it.

Can I pick a ready-designed salon van or have my own built?

Yes, either one. ProVanWorks builds every salon van to the customer's specifications, or you can pick from one of our already designed systems and change what you need. Either way, the layout, stations, water fixtures, heater, tank sizes, battery bank, insulation thickness and add-ons are set around your services and the climate where you work. We use top-quality products and materials in every build. Read how we build for the steps from first email to pickup.

What does each salon van layout look like?

These drawings show how ProVanWorks lays out the most common salon vans. Each one puts the service room in the back half of the cargo area, with seating for customers or storage cabinets in the front half beside the side door.

Hair salon van

A ProVanWorks hair van has a styling chair facing a mirror and a shampoo bowl fed with hot water, which drains to a grey water tank under the floor. The battery bank is sized for the dryers and hot tools you run. More on the hair salon van page.

Nail salon van

A ProVanWorks nail van puts the manicure table under the brightest part of the ceiling, with the pedicure chair and basin close to the water reservoir so the hot water line stays short. More on the nail salon van page.

Eyelash extension van

A ProVanWorks lash van is built around a reclining bed, with room for you to sit at the client's head and a lamp over the work. More on the lash van page.

Massage and spa van

A ProVanWorks massage van keeps the middle of the room clear for the table, with space to walk all the way around it. The windows can be left out, or fitted with blinds, so the room stays private for the whole session.

Does a salon van have hot water for hair washing, basins and hand washing?

Yes. A ProVanWorks salon van can have a shampoo bowl for hair washing, a pedicure basin and a hand-wash sink with a soap pump, each with running hot water. The drawing at the top of this page shows how it works:

• The water inlet fills a fresh water reservoir in the utility area at the back, from a drinking-water-safe hose. It can also supply water on the spot when you're parked by a tap.
• Hot water reaches each fixture from a water heater, or from the van's main heater through a heat exchanger, depending on the build.
• Every drain runs to a grey water tank under the floor, the same size as or larger than the reservoir. The grey water outlet opens with an electric switch, and grey water goes to an approved disposal point or the sanitary sewer, never a storm drain.

The hot water keeps working in winter because the plumbing stays inside the heated part of the van. A lash or massage van may only need the hand-wash sink, which leaves more room for seating and storage. The water system page explains tanks and hot water in more detail.

What power does a salon van have for dryers and lamps?

A ProVanWorks salon van runs its lights, fans and your equipment from an auxiliary battery bank in the utility area. High-amp inverters and chargers are available for hair dryers, flat irons and curling irons, which draw the most power in a salon. Nail drills, UV and LED nail lamps, lash lamps and heated massage tables draw less, but they add up over a full day.

The battery bank charges in several ways:

• At Level 2 EV chargers, through a J1772 inlet. No DC fast charging.
• From shore power, through the 50 A inlet (30 A also available) or the 20 A, 120 V inlet.
• From solar panels on the roof, as an add-on.
• From a generator, as an add-on, for long days far from any outlet or charger.

Send us a list of everything you plug in and how long it runs each day, and we'll size the battery bank to match. Read more about power and EV charging.

How does a salon van keep clients warm in winter?

A ProVanWorks salon van keeps clients warm with insulation in the walls, roof and floor and heat that comes up through the floor and out of the walls. A small diesel, gas or electric heater under the seat warms fluid in pipes running through the floor and walls, heat exchangers move the warm air around the room, and a thermostat holds the temperature you set. The heater runs with the engine off.

Warm floors matter most for pedicures, when the client has bare feet, and for massage and lash appointments, when the client lies still for an hour or more. Insulation thickness is matched to your climate: about 16 mm (5/8 inch) for the Lower Mainland, and much thicker for Northern BC, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. In summer, the front fan runs the air conditioning. The cold-weather design page explains the heating system.

What lighting and ventilation does a salon van need?

Lash and nail work needs bright, even light from above, so your hands and tools do not throw shadows on the work. ProVanWorks spaces ceiling lights close together over the work area, and adds a task lamp at the station where you need one. Optional windows add daylight, which some clients and technicians prefer for judging colour.

Two fans, one at the front of the cargo area and one at the back, move air through the room while you work with polish, remover, acrylics, gels, lash adhesive or hair products. Optional windows open for fresh air. Ask the makers of the products you use what ventilation they recommend, and tell us, so the layout puts your station where the airflow helps most.

Why run a salon from a van instead of a storefront?

A mobile salon van lets you work without a storefront lease or the utility bills of a second location, and it brings the appointment to your client's door. That suits clients who don't drive, parents with young children, busy office workers, wedding parties and residents of seniors' homes.

A van has costs of its own. You pay for the build once, then for fuel or charging, insurance and maintenance. The fair way to decide is to put your current or planned lease next to a build quote and your expected running costs. We'll send you the quote for that comparison.

Where does ProVanWorks deliver salon vans?

ProVanWorks builds every salon van at the Langley shop and delivers across Canada, in every province, and to the United States, especially Washington State and Oregon. We drive the van to you, ship it on a vehicle transport carrier, or you pick it up in Langley. US customers can have their quote in US or Canadian dollars. The list below links to the page for your province, state or city, and the delivery across Canada page explains the process.

Can I get a salon trailer instead of a van?

Yes. ProVanWorks also builds mobile beauty salon trailers with the same features available as in our salon vans. A trailer suits a salon that sets up at one site for the day, such as a market or an event, or that already owns a truck that can tow it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a mobile salon van cost?

ProVanWorks quotes every salon van individually, because each one is built to order. The price depends on the base van, the services and water fixtures, the battery bank, insulation and add-ons such as a generator or solar. Email info@provanworks.com with the services you offer and where you work.

Do I need a permit to run a mobile salon?

Rules for personal services vary by province, state and region, so check with your local health authority about personal service rules, and with your licensing body if your service needs a licence, before you book clients.

Can men book services in a mobile salon van?

Yes. A ProVanWorks salon van is a treatment room, and the layout and finishes are up to you. Hair styling, barbering, nails, lashes and massage are services for women and men.

Can a salon van have a generator?

Yes. A generator is an optional add-on for any ProVanWorks salon van. Most salon vans run on the battery bank, charged at EV chargers or from shore power, and a generator adds power for long days far from an outlet.

How do I get a price for a salon van?

Email info@provanworks.com with the services you offer, how many clients you see in a day, whether you need hair washing or a pedicure basin, what you plug in and where you work. We reply with a layout and a quote. See the other custom mobile business vans we build on the same platform.