Pet boarding businesses include home-based boarders, kennel operators, and small facilities that house dogs, cats, and sometimes small animals while owners travel or are away. Invoices usually cover nightly boarding, add-on services like medication or bathing, and extras such as holiday surcharges or late pickup fees. Most operators are solo or run a small team, and they bill after the stay ends or collect payment at drop-off or pickup.
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Most boarders charge a flat nightly rate per pet, with a lower rate for each additional pet from the same household sharing a space. Rates vary by species, size, and whether the pet stays in a kennel run, a suite, or inside your home. Add-ons are usually priced per item or per day: medication administration, extra walks, playgroups, grooming or baths, and special diets. Many businesses charge a holiday surcharge, often $5-20 per night, on peak dates like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July. Some bill by the calendar day (any part of a day counts as a night), while others bill by the night and charge a half-day or day-care fee for late pickup. Long-stay discounts for 7 or 14+ nights are common. Deposits or full prepayment during peak season help protect against cancellations and no-shows.
| Service | Priced | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Dog boarding, standard kennel or run | per night | $35-65 |
| Dog boarding, private suite or in-home | per night | $50-90 |
| Cat boarding | per night | $20-45 |
| Additional pet, same household | per night | $20-40 |
| Medication administration (oral) | per day | $3-10 |
| Injection or insulin administration | per dose | $8-20 |
| Extra walk or playgroup session | per session | $10-25 |
| Exit bath | per bath | $25-65 |
| Holiday surcharge | per night | $5-20 |
Typical US ranges. Rates vary by region, experience, and job size.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog boarding, Labrador mix (Biscuit), private suite, check-in Mar 14, check-out Mar 21 | 7 nights | $60.00 | $420.00 |
| Second dog, same household (Daisy), shared suite | 7 nights | $30.00 | $210.00 |
| Oral medication, twice daily (Biscuit, joint supplement and antibiotic) | 7 days | $6.00 | $42.00 |
| Extra midday walk, Biscuit | 5 sessions | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| Exit bath, large dog | 1 bath | $45.00 | $45.00 |
| Total | $792.00 | ||
Notes: Payment due at pickup. Deposit of $150 received on Feb 28 has been applied. Pickups after 6:00 PM are billed an additional half-night. We accept card, Venmo, Zelle, and cash. Please send updated vaccination records before your next stay.
Makes it clear which animal each line item applies to, which matters when a household has several pets with different services.
Nights are the main billing unit, and disputes often come down to when the pet arrived or left, especially with late pickups.
Shows how the total was calculated, including any multi-pet or long-stay discount.
Medication, extra walks, baths, and special diets are billed separately and should be easy to match against the care instructions the owner gave you.
Listing the dates it applies to avoids surprises, and should match what was in your booking policy.
Owners want to see their deposit credited, and it gives you a clear record of what was already collected.
Many cities and counties require a kennel or animal boarding license. Check your local rules on whether it should appear on customer documents.
If you took a pet to a vet under your authorization form, list the cost as a pass-through so the owner can see exactly what was spent.
Boarders commonly require a deposit of 25-50% at booking, or full prepayment for holiday and peak-season stays, with the balance due at pickup. Deposits are often non-refundable or refundable only with 48-72 hours of notice, so state your cancellation policy in writing. Many businesses ask for a card on file to cover add-ons, emergency vet costs, and unpaid balances. Late pickup fees, often a half or full night charge, should be spelled out in your boarding agreement. Common payment methods are credit and debit cards, Venmo, Zelle, and cash. If a balance is still unpaid after a set period, such as 7-14 days, some businesses add a late fee or hold future bookings until it is resolved.
Decide whether you bill by the calendar night or by 24-hour periods, and state a check-out cutoff time such as 11:00 AM or noon. Put it on your booking confirmation and on every invoice so late pickups are billed consistently.
Have owners sign a form that authorizes emergency care, names their vet, and sets a spending limit. When you invoice for vet costs, attach the receipt and bill the exact amount so there is no question about markup.
Set a clear list of holiday dates, require minimum stays around them, and collect full prepayment. Peak weekends fill quickly, and last-minute cancellations are expensive to replace.
Pets with medication schedules, special diets, or separation anxiety take more time. Price those add-ons per day or per dose instead of absorbing the work into the nightly rate.
Most boarders require current rabies, DHPP or distemper, and often Bordetella for dogs. If records are missing, you can decline the booking or charge a fee for handling the paperwork, but say so in your policy before the stay.
Yes, most boarders do. A deposit of 25-50% at booking is typical, and many require full prepayment for holidays. It reduces no-shows and covers the income you lose when a reserved spot goes unfilled.
That depends on your policy. Many businesses bill the full reserved stay because the space was held, while others refund unused nights beyond a notice window. Whatever you choose, put it in your boarding agreement and apply it the same way each time.
It varies by state. Some states tax pet boarding or animal care services, and others do not. Check with your state department of revenue or a local accountant before adding or omitting sales tax.
Yes. Most boarders charge a discounted rate for a second pet sharing the same space, often $20-40 less per night than the first pet. Pets housed separately are usually billed at the full rate.
Send a written reminder with the invoice, the signed boarding agreement, and your late fee terms. If you have a card on file with authorization for unpaid balances, you can charge it per your agreement. For larger balances, small claims court is an option, and a signed agreement makes your case stronger.
Send a Pet Boarding estimate for approval, then turn it into an invoice when the work is done.
Pet Boarding estimate template