How Nail Price Studio Calculates Your Service Prices
Nail Price Studio uses a cost-based pricing model, not market averages. Your price is calculated from your actual costs, income goal, and service duration. Here is how each component works.
What is the price floor?
The price floor is the minimum price that covers all service costs - materials, allocated overhead, and target owner pay - before any profit. Any price below this means the appointment loses money or pays below your income goal.
What is the recommended price?
The recommended price adds a profit margin on top of costs - the margin percentage is a parameter you set in your workspace. The formula is: price = costs ÷ (1 − margin), not a simple percentage markup. A direct markup undercounts the margin you need to retain after costs.
How fixed costs are allocated
Monthly fixed costs - rent, insurance, subscriptions, utilities - are divided by your billable hours per month, then multiplied by service duration. Each service carries a fair share of overhead. A longer service or lower utilization allocates more overhead per appointment.
How booth rent affects pricing
Booth rent is your primary monthly fixed cost. Every appointment must contribute toward covering your chair. If your rent is high or your volume is low, your price floor rises accordingly.
How cleanup time affects effective hourly rate
Total service time includes client contact time, cleanup time (sanitizing tools, turning over the room), and processing time (gel cure, soak). All three reduce your effective hourly rate. Pricing on client time alone undercounts the real cost of each appointment.
What the tool does not calculate
This tool does not account for: taxes, self-employment contributions, tips, seasonal volume variation, retail product sales, or multi-service package discounts. Use these estimates as a starting point. Consult a tax professional for your actual net income position.
Example calculation
Hypothetical example (illustrative only - your inputs and results will differ). Workspace: booth rent $1,000/month, 80 appointments/month, 15% utilization buffer. Service: gel manicure, 55 minutes (45 min client + 10 min cleanup), $20 materials. Income goal: $4,000/month net. Card fee: 2.9% on 60% of revenue. Target margin: 15%. Result: price floor approximately $47. Recommended price approximately $56.
Results are pricing estimates for educational and planning purposes, based on your inputs. Not financial, tax, legal, or accounting advice. For advice specific to your business, consult a licensed professional.