How to Price Your Nail Salon Services: Tips for Profit and Growth

Pricing your nail salon services may be a bit difficult, especially if you’re just starting. Or if you don’t really know how valuable your work is. But we all know that service prices are essential and influence everything from profits to customer satisfaction and retention.

And that’s why we’re here. We can give you a few pointers on how to price nail salon services.

Let’s go over a few key factors.

9 Tips on How to Price Your Nail Salon Services

1. Check out competitors’ rates

First things first: look around and see what other salons in your area are charging for similar services. This will give you an idea of where to start.

As a rule of thumb, you want your prices to be in line with other nail salon prices from top salons in your market to make sure you’re not undercutting or exceeding them. 

Here’s a sample service menu with prices for a nail salon based on the information gathered from various sources:

Manicures

• Classic Manicure: $20 – $25
• Gel Manicure: $35 – $40
• Deluxe Manicure (includes hand massage and paraffin treatment): $45 – $50

Pedicures

• Classic Pedicure: $30 – $35
• Gel Pedicure: $40 – $45
• Spa Pedicure (includes foot massage and exfoliation): $55 – $60

Nail enhancements

• Acrylic Full Set: $35 – $50
• Acrylic Fill: $25 – $35
• Gel Full Set: $45 – $60
• Gel Fill: $30 – $40
• Dip Powder: $40 – $50

Nail art

• Basic Nail Art (per nail): $5 – $10
• Elaborate Nail Art (per nail): $10 – $20
• Full Set Nail Art: $30 – $60

Additional services

• French Tip: $5 – $10
• Nail Repair (per nail): $5 – $10
• Cuticle Care: $10 – $15
• Nail Strengthening Treatment: $15 – $20
• Hand Massage (15 minutes): $20
• Foot Massage (15 minutes): $25

Packages

• Manicure & Pedicure Combo: $60 – $70
• Deluxe Manicure & Spa Pedicure Combo: $90 – $100
• Bridal Package (includes manicure, pedicure, and nail art): $120 – $150

Of course, these prices will vary depending on your location and experience. Speaking of location – 

2. Consider your location and customers

Your salon’s location plays a big role in setting your prices. If you’re in a high-income area, like a posh neighborhood or a busy commercial district, you can probably set your nail salon prices on the higher end. 

But if you’re in a lower-income area, your customers might prefer more budget-friendly prices. Think about who your customers are because they all have different price expectations. 

Also, just as I mentioned earlier, you must check out your competition. If there are already budget salons nearby, you might need to find a different angle besides just low prices. For example, you can start with prices that fit your local market and slowly increase them as you build a loyal customer base. 

Pricing too high from the start can scare customers away. The goal is to find the sweet spot where your customers feel they’re getting good value.

3. Calculate your tangible costs

When setting your nail salon service prices, you need to factor in all your salon’s costs.

Here’s a breakdown of what to include:

• Product costs: This includes nail polishes, acetone, cotton balls, lotions, files, buffers, wax, and paraffin. 
• Disposable supplies: Think cotton swabs, neck strips, foot bath liners, towels, gloves, and other items used per client.
• Employment: Include what you pay your nail technicians per hour and the time each service takes.
• Utilities: Allocate part of your electricity, water, and other utility fees to each service.
• Rent: A portion of your salon’s rent or mortgage should be included per service.
• Liability insurance: Factor in a part of your monthly premium cost.
• Credit card processing fees: Don’t forget to include transaction costs.
• Other costs: Things like reception staff, accounting fees, and music subscriptions.

4. Include intangible factors as well

When pricing nail salon services, it’s important to consider both tangible and intangible factors. Tangibles like supplies, rent, and others I mentioned before are easy to calculate. But don’t forget to factor in the value of your time and experience, which are just as important.

Think about how much it takes to complete each service. Plus, consider all the amenities you offer. 

Then, add your product costs and adjust the price based on your skills, the salon’s ambiance, and the demand for your services and think about how much you want to earn per hour.

If you have plenty of availability for new clients, consider setting your prices slightly below average. If your schedule is almost full, you can set your prices at the higher end of the average.

5. Set your base prices

After figuring out your costs, it’s time to set your base prices by adding a markup to ensure profit. A good rule of thumb is to add a 75-100% markup. For instance, if a basic manicure costs you $20, adding a 75% markup brings it to $35, while a 100% markup brings it to $40.

Here are some tips for setting your markups:

• Simpler services: For quick services like polish changes and express manicures, use a 75-85% markup.
• Complex services: For more labor-intensive services like sculpted acrylics, gel sets, and advanced nail art, go for a 90-100%+ markup.
• Expensive products: Add bigger markups on luxury polishes and treatments to boost profitability.
• Competitive rates: Your prices can be slightly above basic salons but a bit below high-end ones.

If you want to calculate your nail salon prices, here’s a simplified example:

Calculate service cost per minute:
Example: A $50 manicure taking 60 minutes costs $0.83 per minute.

Cover your running costs:
Annual costs: Rent, taxes, marketing, supplies, utilities, insurance, and cleaning.
Example: $72,000 per year = $6,000 per month.

Total monthly working time:
Example: Open 8 hours/day, 6 days/week, with 8 stations = 1,920 hours/month.

Running cost per minute:
Example: $6,000 / 1,920 hours / 60 = $0.05 per minute.

Add variable costs:
Example: Staff salary of $2,400/month working 160 hours/month = $0.25 per minute.

Total service cost:
Combine running cost and staff cost, then multiply by service time.
Example: 1-hour gel manicure with $12 in products = $28.20.

Add profit margin:
Example: For a 20% profit, multiply total service cost by 1.20.
Final Price: $28.20 x 1.20 = $33.84.

6. See if you want to offer discounts

After setting your nail salon base prices, you can attract new customers with occasional promotions, like first-time client discounts or bonus add-on services. These discounts can boost your salon’s visibility and encourage potential clients to give your services a try.

These discounts also help fill appointment slots during slower periods, ensuring a steady flow of clients. Moreover, discounts can reward loyal customers, making them feel valued and appreciated, which can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

However, while discounts can be a powerful marketing tool, you need to be mindful of their potential long-term impact. Frequent discounts can devalue your services and set unrealistic expectations among clients. If customers get used to lower prices, they may be reluctant to pay full price in the future, affecting your salon’s profitability.

To avoid this, consider using discounts strategically. Limit them to special occasions, new client promotions, or loyalty programs. 

For example, let’s say your nail salon charges $20 for a basic manicure. To attract new clients, you could offer a 20% discount on their first visit, so they’ll pay $16 for a basic manicure.

And know this: if you use Goldie for your appointments, you can also use it to manage your service and price lists to show clients all that you offer, which means you can show them your discounts as well.

7. Adding a new service to the menu

Deciding on prices for a new service follows the same principles as pricing your entire menu. If you’ve invested time and money in acquiring a new skill, make sure to factor that into your pricing. 

It may take some trial and error to find the right price. You can set a temporary price for a new service and once you have a bit of experience with it, adjust it based on the nail length, materials used, time required, and style.

To make your new service known to all your clients, you can use Goldie’s services feature. 

Goldie makes it easy for salon professionals to manage services, prices, and schedules. You can display your service list on an online booking site so clients can see what’s available and book appointments directly. 

Also, you can update services and prices with a few taps, and these changes show up immediately on your site, preventing any pricing surprises for clients. Goldie’s features, like color-coded services and custom settings for deposits and processing times, keep you organized and in control. This setup increases efficiency and ensures a smooth, transparent experience for your clients.

8. Adjust pricing over time

This is absolutely normal, and every salon does it. You need to reevaluate your prices annually to account for inflation in product and labor costs. As expenses rise, the nail industry typically experiences slight annual increases of 3-5%. But you will know this better by analyzing the inflation and general costs in your salon.

So, if you haven’t updated your prices in a long time, it’s definitely time for an increase. 

Additionally, raising your prices can reflect your professional growth. Education isn’t free, and you need to cover those costs. 

It’s natural to worry that increasing prices might cause some clients to leave. However, if you maintain high-quality service, many clients will recognize the value you offer. 

Let’s say that when you do raise your nail salon prices, you will lose a few clients. But the thing is, even if they go and try someplace else, they may return when they realize the quality of service they had before. 

So, don’t worry about it too much. Quality service can win back clients, even after a price increase.

If this still doesn’t convince you, think about another aspect: once you have a full book, the only way to make more money is to increase your nail salon prices.

9. Inform your clients of price increases

Letting your clients know about a price increase is essential, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple sign at the reception desk, your workstation, or a bulletin board works well. 

For a more efficient approach, use Goldie to send a mass message to all your clients. This keeps everyone in the loop and ensures they receive the information directly.

Make sure you give your clients enough notice (about four weeks is ideal), so they have time to adjust.

Wrapping Up

Pricing nail salon services is key to your business success. By researching competitors, considering your location, and calculating all costs, you can set fair and profitable prices. Use tools like Goldie to keep your services updated and transparent. Regularly review and adjust your nail salon prices to reflect changes in costs and professional growth. Finding the right balance ensures both customer satisfaction and profitability, setting your salon up for long-term success.