How Much Does It Cost to Open a Nail Salon in 2025?

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Nail Salon? Understanding the costs involved is a critical step when planning your business. From licensing fees and equipment purchases to salon branding and marketing, every detail matters. For a complete step-by-step guide, visit our post on How to Open a Nail Salon.

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1. Things to Consider Before Starting a Nail Salon Business
2. How Much Does It Cost to Open a Nail Salon?
3. How Much Does It Cost To Open a Nail Business At Home?
4. How Much Investment Do You Need To Open A Nail Salon
5. The Operating Costs of Running a Nail Salon
6. Recommendations

Things to Consider Before Starting a Nail Salon Business

Do You Want to Rent or Own Your Nail Salon?

This will affect both your nail salon upfront costs as well as your long-term budget for your small business. Buying a nail salon upfront can be expensive (even with a mortgage), but rent is one of the biggest operating nail salon expenses you’ll deal with, too.

What Kind of Nail Salon Will You Open?

Some nails salons are smaller cozy places in neighborhood plazas, while others are large establishments in a trendy downtown area, with a dozen manicure stations. Your vision for your business will affect your marketing costs and strategy, as well as your decor, and client base.

Do You Have an Established Client Base?

If you’re new to the nail salon market, then you’ll need to invest in building your clientele.

There are many ways to do this in the beauty industry, and some are almost free (you can use online templates to make a website, post on social media and use email marketing), while professional marketing costs over $4000 on average.

Will You Build Your Own Nail Salon, Join an Existing Franchise or Buy a Business?

Buying existing nail salons can be easier than opening your own nail salon, since they usually come with tools and furniture like lighting, manicure tables, and pedicure chairs.

Opening your own nail salon gives you the most freedom to design your business, but you’ll also have to do everything from scratch and build brand awareness- which might increase your marketing and advertising costs, too.

Just like hair salons, nail salons have a lot of nail salon franchise options available.

Opening a nail salon as part of a franchise can be costly, with franchise fees starting at about $30,000 and total costs amounting to over $500,000 in some cases, but there are also some important benefits like getting a ready-made nail salon business plan, support, and connecting your nail salon to a brand that clients will recognize.

What Budget Are You Considering for Opening Your Salon?

Having a clear budget is essential. Start by looking at the average startup costs for the options above, then add additional expenses licensing and business insurance costs, nail technician wages, nail supplies, taxes, and nail salon software.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Nail Salon?

The first thing you’ll need to decide is whether to purchase an existing salon or start your own nail salon.

If you’re starting a nail salon from the ground up, the total cost for your nail salon location will usually be somewhere between $100,000- $500,000, depending on the size and location of the business.

If you’re purchasing an existing nail salon business, it’ll probably cost between $40,000- $250,000, but this can vary greatly depending on the location, size, condition of the property, and what nail salon equipment is included.

Purchasing a building, then designing and opening a nail salon is a great way to make sure that every aspect of your business operations is exactly what you want, but it can also be more expensive and time-consuming than buying an already-established business.

Buying an existing nail salon business and making a few changes to create your own brand identity is a great option for anyone opening a nail salon on a budget, since you’ll save a lot on many startup costs like hiring and training nail technicians, purchasing equipment, furniture and signage. Remodeling a nail or hair salon can be costly- on average, a commercial space like a salon costs about $32,000 or more to remodel.

Make sure that you do your research and ensure that staff have the right professional training, the building is in good condition, and the business is likely to be (or remain) successful.

How Much Does It Cost To Open a Nail Business At Home?

Depending on the services offered and the size of your business, opening a nail salon at home can be a lot cheaper than running one in a separate location, since you won’t have to pay for a mortgage or rent. Just make sure that you check your state or city’s regulations for small businesses and what’s required.

If you’re not hiring any staff, you’ll still need to think about equipment, which can cost at least $10,000 if you buy it instead of leasing it.

Your initial inventory, like nail polishes and pedicure supplies will typically start at $500 or more, and licensing and insurance will vary by state, but you should set aside at least $2000 for the first year to cover this.

How Much Investment Do You Need To Open A Nail Salon

Most of your startup costs will be “one-off” expenses, while some will be recurring ones. Let’s take a closer look at the most common one-off expenses that a new nail salon owner can expect to pay.

Certificates and Licenses

US small business laws and costs will vary by state. All nail techs will need valid nail salon licenses or certificates. Some states also require separate health and safety standards training.

You’ll need a general business license, too. It’s a good idea to budget $100-500 for this.

Rent Deposit

Rental costs will also vary by location, so be sure to check your lease carefully to see what’s included, and check your municipal website to see what your landlord is allowed to ask for as a security deposit, because each state has its own rules.

Legal Fees

These are unavoidable, even if you do your own paperwork.

You’ll need a lawyer if you purchase a property, and having someone go over your nail salon’s lease agreement, research the business permits and advise you on legal requirements is always a good idea. Lawyers charge about $200 per hour.

Equipment and Furniture

Good-quality equipment and furniture that matches your nail salon’s brand image is essential for customer satisfaction.

You’ll need things like manicure workstations, pedicure chairs, nail dryers, led drying lamps, nail polish displays, trolleys and storage cabinets.You’ll also want to invest in comfortable seating, a reception desk, and racks or shelves for retailing nail care products. All of this should cost between $10,000 and $50,000.

Pro tip: Equipment quality can make a big difference in the long run, so don’t be tempted to buy cheaper equipment or furniture that you’ll have to repair or replace quickly. Most companies offer equipment financing and leasing options.

Location

This includes your rent, mortgage, and any renovations. Rent varies a lot by location, and renovations will cost more by the square foot. In general, rent can be anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 per month for rent, and renovations will start at at least a few thousand dollars.

Signage, Marketing and Advertising

If you hire a professional graphic designer to create your signage, it will cost a few hundred dollars (but may be worth it, depending on your skill level). A website for your nail salon business will cost between $300 and $700 to create, and you’ll want to put some time and effort into marketing on social media. Advertising could cost from $1,000 to $10,000 per year, depending on what you decide to do.

Starting Stock

Depending on what nail services you’ll provide, your starting inventory costs could change a lot. Most nail salon owners spend between $500 and $3,000 in their initial inventory and supplies.

The Operating Costs of Running a Nail Salon

Along with startup expenses, nail salons also have regular costs associated with daily operations. You’ll want to make sure that you understand what to expect, so that you can create a monthly budget for everything.

Staff Wages

The average nail technician makes about $19.75 per hour, and you may also need to pay for additional staff like cleaners and receptionists.

Payroll Taxes

These will vary according to your business model and are paid quarterly. It’s a good idea to use bookkeeping software and consult with an accountant, to make sure that you have everything organized.

Bookkeeping

Chartered accountants usually charge from $140 to over $400, depending on what services you need. You may want to hire one to maintain your books if you have a large nail salon business, or you can just consult with one as needed.

Rent/ Mortgage

The rent or mortgage that you pay will depend a lot on your location, so be sure to do your research and choose a spot where you can build up a good client base to help offset the expense.

Insurance

You’ll need multiple types of insurance to protect both your business and your nail salon staff.

General liability insurance is a type of business insurance that protects your nail salon from accidents, customer injuries or other unexpected events. Property insurance protects the location and the valuable equipment inside it, and you’ll need workers’ compensation insurance if you employ any staff. Depending on your coverage and nail salon’s location, this will cost between $500 and $1,500 per year.

Licenses and Permissions

Along with the one-off costs, these licenses and permits usually have renewal fees that you’ll need to pay. Make sure to stay up to date on each one to avoid unexpected expenses later.

Staff Training

In this age of Instagram nails, new nail art techniques are emerging all the time. Make sure to work with your staff to help them stay up to date on the latest nail art, products and services. You’ll want to set aside a training budget to help them develop their skills.

Utilities

Your electricity, gas, and water costs will vary depending on the square foot size of your nail salon and your operating hours, but most nail salons pay between $640 and $4,000 per month in total.

Supplies

Hopefully, you’ll be busy and need to reorder nail salon supplies and retail products every month. Make sure to keep an inventory of your stock and usage to avoid over-ordering. Nail salon software can help make this easier.

Software and POS for Nail Salons

A good point of sale system will help you to run your business efficiently and process transactions.

Also, nail salon software is essential because it offers online booking for nail salons and their clients- they can use the nail salon booking app to book online, even outside of business hours. You’ll be able to use it to manage your staff’s schedules and send appointment reminders, too.

The cost of the POS system and its hardware can range from $500 to $200 or more.

Equipment Leasing

If you decide that you want to lease your nail salon’s equipment rather than buying it outright, you’ll need to include it in your budget. These items can have very different price lists, depending on what you’re getting, so it’s important to do some research.

Bank and Credit Card Processing Fees

Make sure to shop around, because these fees can range from 1.5% to 3%, depending on your provider and the pan they offer. It might not seem like much, but it can add up over time.

Marketplace Fees

If you decide to promote your nail salon on a marketplace or sell your retail products on another website, then you’ll need to include the fees. It’s a good idea to do some research before deciding, since these costs can vary.

Marketing

This is another cost that can change a lot depending on what you decide to do. Some nail salon owners will do their own email and social media marketing (which costs almost nothing, apart from their time), while others will spend thousands on a professional marketing campaign. It’s a good idea to plan for this in your yearly budget.

Maintenance and Repairs

Most small businesses set aside at least $500 per month to cover the cost of general maintenance. Keep in mind that some things might be covered by your landlord, your insurance, or your equipment lease agreement.

Miscellaneous

You never know what might come up, and most experts recommend that you set aside 10% to 20% of your overall budget to cover these unexpected expenses.

Recommendations

A lot of work and planning goes into starting a new nail salon business, and having an idea of the costs will help you to develop a budget and stay on track.

We hope that we’ve helped you to better understand the nail salon startup costs, and we wish you the very best of luck with your new business. Make sure to have some fun and take some time to feel proud of everything that you’re accomplishing.

Citations

Understanding the small business sector
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315544335

Business model innovation: it's not just about technology anymore
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1

Business model innovation: opportunities and barriers
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S