How to Plan a Salon Shampoo Area: Backwash Units, Plumbing and Layout
The shampoo area is the part of a salon floor plan that is hardest to change later. A styling chair can move in an afternoon. A wash station sits on a drain and hot and cold supply lines, so where it goes and how many you put in are settled the day the plumber roughs in, usually before the furniture is ordered.
This guide covers planning that corner: the type of station, bowl and faucet specs, plumbing questions, how many stations, and layout. If you only need help choosing a bowl, our shampoo bowl buying guide is the shorter read. Every product, spec and price below comes from our shampoo bowls and backwash units collection and the manufacturer's published figures.
Prices as listed on modernstudiosupply.com, 1 Oct 2026.
- Plan in this order: how many stations, which setup, where each one sits, then the plumbing questions. Order last. Moving a drain after the floor is finished is a construction job.
- Three ways to build a wash station: a complete backwash unit, a bowl station with a separate chair, or a freestanding shampoo cabinet. Complete stations in our catalog run from $250 to $782.50.
- Read two specs first: the bowl material, and what the faucet is listed against and whether a vacuum breaker is in the box.
- There is no fixed ratio of bowls to chairs. Size from your busiest hour and how much color you wash out.
Backwash unit, separate bowl and chair, or shampoo cabinet
1. Complete backwash unit
A backwash unit puts the bowl, the stand and the seat in one piece, designed together so the client's neck lands at the bowl. It suits a dedicated wash wall. In our catalog the STANLEY, BELGRADE, KLYNE, ARON II and Bergamo are complete units.
2. Bowl station plus a separate chair
Here the bowl and the seat are bought apart. The Olympia is a ceramic pedestal station whose neckrest height adjusts from 31 to 34 inches, and Berkeley designed it to pair with the AZLE reclining shampoo chair. Together they cost $478. A worn chair can be replaced without touching the plumbing.
3. Freestanding shampoo cabinet
A cabinet holds the bowl and hides the plumbing behind doors. The SANDEN Kit ($250) arrives with the cabinet, bowl, faucet set and vacuum breaker, stands free, and needs no permanent installation. You still connect water and drain. The SANDEN cabinet on its own is $102, with a top cut-out sized for the CAMDEN bowl, for salons that already own a bowl. Either one needs a reclining shampoo chair in front.
The SANDEN Kit is built for leased suites and booth-rental floors where permanent plumbing work is off the table. Check your lease first.
Porcelain, ceramic or ABS bowls
Porcelain. The STANLEY and BELGRADE both use a large tilting porcelain bowl, published at 23.5 by 22 inches and 9.5 inches deep.
Ceramic. The Bergamo has a deep stain-resistant ceramic basin with a curved profile. The Olympia is a complete ceramic body with an adjustable ceramic bowl. The Bergamo page notes that ceramic resists the staining that turns plastic bowls dingy after a year of color washes.
ABS. A molded plastic, lighter than porcelain or ceramic. None of our bowls is listed as ABS. For a color-heavy book, staining is the reason to favor porcelain or ceramic.
Not stated. The ARON II, KLYNE and SANDEN Kit pages do not name a bowl material, so we do not either. The KLYNE, STANLEY and BELGRADE bowls tilt, so the bowl fits the client instead of the reverse.
Faucets, sprayers and vacuum breakers
Two terms show up on faucet listings. UPC refers to the Uniform Plumbing Code, a model plumbing code published by IAPMO. ASME A112.18.1 is the standard for plumbing supply fittings such as faucets. A vacuum breaker is a small backflow device: it stops used water from being drawn back into the clean supply if the pressure drops.
The STANLEY, BELGRADE, KLYNE, Olympia and SANDEN Kit list a vacuum breaker in the box. The ARON II and Bergamo list a faucet kit but no vacuum breaker. The comparison table shows each faucet listing.
A listing tells your plumber what the faucet was certified against. It is not approval for your building.
Plumbing questions to settle before you order
We do not give plumbing advice or make code claims. Take these to your plumber and your local code official, including whether the work needs a permit.
- Floor or wall? Where supply and drain come from decides where each station can sit.
- Does the drain match the unit? The KLYNE, Olympia and SANDEN Kit list a 1.5-inch flexible drain with fittings, about 33 inches long on the SANDEN Kit. Ask how that meets your rough-in.
- Hot water. Where do the shut-off valves go, and can the water heater keep up when every bowl runs at once?
- Backflow and fixtures. What does your jurisdiction require, and does the faucet and vacuum breaker in the box meet it?
- Hair and servicing. How will hair be kept out of the drain, and how will the plumber reach it later? The ARON II has a covered rear access panel for this.
Product pages publish overall dimensions, not rough-in heights. If your plumber needs a measurement the page does not show, ask us before ordering and we will check with the manufacturer. To price the whole room, try the salon build-out cost calculator.
How many wash stations does a salon need?
There is no fixed ratio of shampoo bowls to styling chairs, and we will not quote one. Treat the method below as a rule of thumb.
- List the services on your busiest day that use the bowl, and estimate the minutes each spends there. Rinsing out color usually takes longer than a wash before a cut.
- Find the busiest hour and count how many clients need a bowl at the same time.
- Plan for that overlap. While the plumber is on site, ask what it would take to rough in one more station for later.
For reference, our 4-station barbershop package includes one ARON II, and our 6-station hair salon package includes two STANLEY units. A suite usually needs one. Furnishing the whole floor? Start with our hair salon furniture.
Layout and spacing
At a backwash station the client faces away from the bowl and the stylist works from behind it. Leave working room behind every bowl and a clear path to it. Your designer, contractor and local code set the clearance figure.
- Plan the extended length. The STANLEY and BELGRADE are 57 inches with the footrest out and 45 inches retracted. The AZLE runs 23.5 to 38 inches long as it reclines.
- Tight corner? The ARON II is 42 by 26 inches.
- Put the wash area between the cutting floor and the drying area, so clients do not cross the room with wet hair. Match it to your salon styling chairs and plan the dryers and processors nearby, as our hooded hair dryer guide explains.
- Match units in a row, so bowl heights and faucets stay the same down the line.
- Mind the sightline. If the front door looks onto the wash area, the Olympia's ceramic pedestal is built to be seen.
Shampoo stations compared
| Product | Type | Bowl | Published size | Faucet and breaker | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANDEN Cabinet | Cabinet only | None; cut-out for CAMDEN bowl | 36.5" H x 23.75" W x 15.5" D | Not included | $102 |
| AZLE | Shampoo chair | None | 23.5" to 38" L x 23.3" W x 38" H | None | $160 |
| SANDEN Kit | Cabinet with bowl | Material not stated | Cabinet 37" H x 21" W x 15.5" D | Faucet set, vacuum breaker | $250 |
| Olympia | Pedestal station | Adjustable ceramic | 38" H x 23" W x 21.5" D | UPC certified, vacuum breaker | $318 |
| Bergamo (grey) | Backwash unit | Deep ceramic | Not published | Faucet kit | $552 |
| ARON II | Backwash unit | Not stated | 42" D x 26" W x 38" H | Faucet kit | $640 / $652.50 |
| KLYNE | Backwash unit | Tilting, 22" x 21" x 8" deep | 26" L x 48" W x 38" H | UPC approved, vacuum breaker | $712.50 to $762.50 |
| STANLEY | Backwash unit | Tilting porcelain, 23.5" x 22" x 9.5" deep | 57" extended, 45" retracted | ASME and UPC certified, vacuum breaker | $770 / $782.50 |
| BELGRADE | Backwash unit | Tilting porcelain, 23.5" x 22" x 9.5" deep | 57" extended, 45" retracted | ASME A112.18.1 / UPC, vacuum breaker | $770 / $782.50 |
Prices as listed on modernstudiosupply.com, 1 Oct 2026. Specs are the manufacturer's published figures. Gold fixtures cost $12.50 more than silver; the KLYNE price also varies by color.
Our picks by use
These picks come from the spec sheets, not from sales figures.
- A suite where permanent plumbing work is off the table: the SANDEN Kit at $250.
- The lowest-cost wash corner with a reclining chair: the Olympia ($318) with the AZLE ($160), $478 for the pair.
- A tight wash corner: the ARON II at $640 with silver fixtures.
- Clients of every size: the KLYNE ($712.50 to $762.50), published to support up to 450 lb. Its seat back is fixed.
- A color-heavy wash row: the STANLEY at $770 or $782.50, with a tilting porcelain bowl and extra lumbar support.
Prices as listed on modernstudiosupply.com, 1 Oct 2026.
Planning the wash corner?
We deliver nationwide. Freight is calculated at checkout based on your ZIP code, and if you are buying a full wash row we will put every unit on one itemized invoice. Our build-out packages are adjustable, and the 1-station barber suite package lists adding a shampoo unit as an option.
Common questions
What is the difference between a backwash unit and a shampoo bowl?
A shampoo bowl is the basin. A backwash unit is the complete station: bowl, stand and seat in one piece, designed together. You can also build a station from separates, such as the Olympia pedestal with the AZLE chair.
Do I need a plumber to install a salon shampoo station?
For the water and drain connection, plan on one. Even the SANDEN Kit, which needs no permanent installation, still connects to water and drain. Your plumber and local code decide who may do the work and whether a permit is needed.
Is a vacuum breaker required on a salon shampoo bowl?
That is a local code question, so ask your plumber or code official. What we can tell you is which units include one: the STANLEY, BELGRADE, KLYNE, Olympia and SANDEN Kit all list a vacuum breaker in the box.
Which bowl material is best for color work?
Porcelain or ceramic. The Bergamo page notes that ceramic resists the staining that turns plastic bowls dingy after a year of color washes.
How many shampoo bowls does a salon need?
There is no fixed ratio. As a rule of thumb, count the clients who need a bowl at the same time in your busiest hour and plan for that overlap.
How much is freight on shampoo stations?
Freight is calculated at checkout based on your delivery ZIP code, and we deliver across the contiguous US. The AZLE chair and the SANDEN cabinet on its own ship by ground. The Bergamo, ARON II, KLYNE and BELGRADE pages list freight shipping.
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