How to Start a Pet Sitting Business (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

KKBy Kashif Khan, Founder of Pupline

Updated May 30, 2026·13 min read

You can start a pet sitting business for under $1,500 — many start for less than $500 — and run the whole thing from your phone. Pet sitting is the broadest, most flexible pet business: drop-in visits, overnights in a client's home, house-sitting, dog walking, and caring for cats and small animals. There's no special licence to get, the startup cost is tiny, and demand is everywhere — about 71% of US households own a pet (APPA).

This is the complete 2026 guide to starting a pet sitting business: the legal basics, insurance, what to charge, what it costs, and how to get your first clients. We link out to focused guides wherever the detail goes deep.

This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Licensing, bonding and tax rules vary by state, county and city. Confirm specifics with your Secretary of State, local clerk, and a licensed insurance agent.

The short version — to start a pet sitting business:

1. Choose your services and the pets you'll care for.
2. Register your business and decide sole proprietor vs LLC.
3. Get insured — liability plus animal bailee (care, custody & control).
4. Consider a pet first-aid certification.
5. Set your prices per visit and per night.
6. Estimate your startup costs (usually under $1,500).
7. Get clients via word of mouth, local search and referrals.
8. Set up Care Cards, the Vault, scheduling and invoicing.

Is pet sitting a profitable business?

It can be a very good living, and the overhead is almost nothing. The US pet industry is worth around $158 billion (APPA), and the pet-sitting segment alone is projected to roughly double from about $728 million in 2024 to $1.39 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research).

The income picture, honestly:

• Side gig: $500–$2,000 a month is realistic part-time.
• Full-time: roughly $33,000–$36,000 on aggregator averages, with experienced independent sitters earning into the $50,000s and beyond.
• Built-out business: Pet Sitters International members averaged about $100,500 in gross business revenue in 2023 — a benchmark for what a mature operation can bill, not solo take-home.

The levers that move your number most are your service mix (overnights pay far more than short visits), your share of repeat clients, and whether you book direct or hand 20–40% to a platform. We dig into all of it in Do pet sitters make good money?

Step 1: Choose your services and pets

Decide what you'll offer — each has a different price and commitment:

• Drop-in visits (30–60 min) — feed, walk, play, scoop the litter, send a photo. The bread and butter.
• Dog walking — easy to bundle with drop-ins.
• Overnight stays in the client's home — you sleep over; the highest-value standard service.
• House-sitting — overnights plus plants, mail and making the home look lived-in.
• Cat and small-animal care — cats are the single most-requested pet for professional sitters.

If you're unsure how these differ, Do pet sitters stay at your house? explains drop-ins, overnights, house-sitting and boarding clearly. If you want to specialise in dogs — including boarding them at your own home — see how to start a dog sitting business.

Step 2: Sort the legal basics

There is no special "pet-sitter licence" anywhere in the US — but most sitters still need ordinary business paperwork:

• Business licence / registration from your city or county (roughly $0–$550). A few localities require more if you board pets in your own home.
• A DBA if you trade under a business name.
• An EIN (free from the IRS) for your taxes and business bank account.
• Sole proprietor vs LLC. An LLC (about $35–$500 to file) shields your personal assets. One important myth to retire: an LLC does not cover your own negligence — insurance does, so you want both.

A second myth worth clearing up: "bonded" is not the same as "insured." A bond only reimburses a client if you're accused of theft; it's a trust signal, not liability cover. The real protection is insurance (next step). Full detail in Do pet sitters need a license and insurance?

Step 3: Get insured

Insurance isn't legally required, but it's essential — you're responsible for other people's pets and homes. Carry:

• General liability — third-party injury and property damage (aim for $1M+ limits).
• Care, custody & control (animal bailee) — covers a pet hurt or lost in your care, which general liability excludes.
• Lost-key liability — often bundled in, to re-key a client's locks.
• A surety bond — optional, reimburses a client for theft and reassures nervous customers.

Expect roughly $300–$600 a year for a solo sitter, depending on coverage (bare liability-only plans can start lower).

Step 4: Consider a certification

None are required, but they build trust and skill — especially when you're new and have no reviews yet:

• Pet first aid / CPR (about $50–$200) — the single most worthwhile credential.
• PSI's CPPS or NAPPS certification — recognised industry programs that look good on a profile.

Step 5: Set your prices

Price per visit or per night, with clear add-ons. Typical 2026 US ranges:

Note the spread: one overnight is worth three or four drop-ins, so your service mix matters more than your hourly rate. Scale these to your state with the Pet Sitting Rate Calculator, and see service-specific guides for how much dog sitters charge, cat sitters charge, and overnight dog sitting rates.

Step 6: What it costs to start

Pet sitting is home-based and low-cost. Toggle the line items to fit your plan:

A bare-bones start is under $500; a typical, properly-insured launch with an LLC and some marketing lands around $500–$1,500. Compare every pet business side by side with the Pet Business Startup Cost Calculator.

Step 7: Get your first clients

Word of mouth is the number-one source of pet-sitting clients, so make it easy to refer you and over-deliver on every booking. Then build the channels that compound:

• A Google Business Profile with reviews — the most important asset for local "pet sitter near me" searches.
• Nextdoor and neighbourhood Facebook groups — hyperlocal and high-intent.
• Vet, groomer and pet-store referrals — drop off cards and treats.
• Platforms (Rover, Care.com) for fast leads — but they take 20% (25% in California) of every booking, forever, even from a regular you've sat for two years.

Treat platforms as a discovery channel: meet clients there, then move repeats to direct booking so you keep 100%. See exactly what the fees cost in How much does Rover take? and project your take-home with the Pet Sitter Income Calculator.

Step 8: Set up your systems

What separates a professional from a hobbyist is the operations behind the visit — and you can run all of it from your phone with Pupline:

• Care Cards — owners fill in feeding, meds and quirks themselves, via a private link, no app to download.
• The Vault — gate codes, alarm PINs and key locations, encrypted and passkey-gated instead of buried in your texts.
• Clients & pets — every household and pet, with the vet's number and allergies right where you need them.
• Report Cards — a photo recap that reassures an owner on holiday and earns you referrals.
• Invoicing — branded invoices from completed visits, with no cut of your earnings.

Not sure which tool to start with? Our complete guide to pet sitting software covers the must-have features, the honest truth about "free", and how to choose.

Get those four things right — legal, insured, priced, and organised — and pet sitting is one of the most rewarding businesses you can start this month.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a pet sitting business?

Very little — it's a low-cost, home-based business. Most people start for under $500, covering registration, basic insurance, a simple website, supplies and scheduling software. Adding an LLC, a certification and some paid marketing can push it to $1,000–$3,000.

Do I need a licence to pet sit?

There's no special 'pet-sitter licence' anywhere in the US, but most cities and counties require a general business licence (roughly $0–$550). A few localities require extra permits if you board pets in your own home or sell pet products. Always check your city, county and state.

Is a pet sitting business profitable?

Yes — overhead is minimal, so margins are high once you're booked. Part-timers earn about $500–$2,000 a month and full-timers roughly $33,000–$60,000 a year depending on experience and service mix, while established member businesses averaged about $100,500 in gross revenue in 2023. Profit depends on your service mix, repeat clients, and booking direct versus paying platform fees.

How do pet sitters get clients?

Word of mouth and referrals are the number-one source, supported by a Google Business Profile with reviews, Nextdoor and neighbourhood Facebook groups, and referrals from vets, groomers and pet stores. Platforms like Rover and Care.com deliver fast leads but take a commission and own the client relationship.

Do pet sitters need insurance?

It's not legally required but it's essential. You want general liability for third-party injury and property damage, plus care, custody & control (animal bailee) coverage for a pet hurt in your care, which general liability excludes. Plans typically run about $300–$600 a year, often with lost-key coverage included.

What's the difference between being bonded and insured?

Insurance protects against accidents and liability — injured pets, property damage, lawsuits. Bonding is a surety product that reimburses a client if the sitter steals from them; it isn't liability coverage. Bonding costs about $100–$250 a year and is mainly a trust signal, while insurance is the real protection.

How much should I charge for pet sitting?

In 2026, 30-minute drop-in visits run about $20–$40 (averaging ~$25) and overnight stays in the client's home about $75–$150 a night. Add $5–$10 per extra pet, a $5–$25 holiday surcharge, and a small fee for medication. Your service mix matters more than your hourly rate, since one overnight is worth several drop-ins.