Free guide and calculator

How to price an acrylic full set and fills

Price acrylic from your own time and product cost: add the minutes a full set really takes at your target hourly rate, plus your overheads and a margin, and set separate prices for the fill, the removal and single nail repairs. Charging one price for every length and every fill, however late, is an easy way to lose money on acrylic.

Updated

What it is, from the salon side

Acrylic nails are built from a liquid monomer and a powder polymer, either over tips or sculpted on forms, to add length and strength. Clients come back every few weeks for a fill, where the grown-out area is filled in and the nail rebalanced, so the full set wins the client and the fills keep her. The longer she waits, the closer a fill gets to a new set in time.

How much time to plan

AppointmentPlan for
Full set on tips, short to medium75–90 min
Full set, long or sculpted on formsLength and shape add time90–120 min
Fill within your fill windowIncludes rebalancing60–75 min
Removal only30–45 min
Single nail repairPer nail10–15 min
Nail art, ombré or FrenchDepends on the design+10–20 min

Starting points for planning, not measured averages. Time your own appointments for two weeks and use your numbers.

What goes into the cost

  • Monomer, powder, tips or forms, and top coat or colour used per client
  • Brushes, files, buffers and drill bits, which wear out
  • Prep products: dehydrator, primer, cleanser, cuticle oil
  • Disposables and removal supplies: pads, wipes, gloves, acetone, foil
  • Your time, including prep, shaping, filing and clean-up
  • A share of rent, power, ventilation and software for every hour you work

How to set the price

  1. Time three or four real full sets and fills, from greeting to payment, and use the average of your own minutes.
  2. Set a target hourly rate for yourself and add your monthly overheads spread over the hours you can really sell.
  3. Enter each variant (full set, fill, removal, repair) in the calculator below with its own minutes and product cost.
  4. Round to a clean price and check it against two or three salons near you to decide where you want to sit.
  5. Write the fill window and the length levels in your price list (for example "fill within 3 weeks", "long length extra"); after the window, charge as a full set.

Work out your price

The rows below are examples for this service. Change the minutes and product cost to your own, set your hourly target and overheads, and the calculator gives a price that covers them.

Your numbers

What you want to earn per booked hour, before profit.

Rent, utilities, software, insurance and other costs you pay every month.

Hours you can realistically book, not opening hours.

Share of the final price you keep as profit.

Overhead per hour
$15.00
Cost per booked hour
$40.00

Your services

Example rows. Replace them with your own services, real durations and product cost.

Suggested prices

  • Acrylic full set90 min

    Cost: $65.00

    $85

    Profit: $20.00

    Price per hour: $57

  • Acrylic fill65 min

    Cost: $46.33

    $60

    Profit: $13.67

    Price per hour: $55

  • Acrylic removal40 min

    Cost: $27.67

    $35

    Profit: $7.33

    Price per hour: $53

  • Single nail repair15 min

    Cost: $10.50

    $15

    Profit: $4.50

    Price per hour: $60

  • Ombré or French15 min

    Cost: $11.00

    $15

    Profit: $4.00

    Price per hour: $60

Overhead per hour = monthly fixed costs ÷ sellable hours. Cost = product cost + (minutes ÷ 60) × (hourly pay + overhead per hour). Price = cost ÷ (1 − margin), rounded up.

Your price list

The printed page shows only the price list.

Price list

  • Acrylic full set90 min$85
  • Acrylic fill65 min$60
  • Acrylic removal40 min$35
  • Single nail repair15 min$15
  • Ombré or French15 min$15

What to ask before the first appointment

  • Is she coming with another product or another salon's acrylic that needs removing first?
  • What length and shape does she want, and does she have a photo?
  • How quickly do her nails grow, and can she come back within your fill window?
  • Any allergies or reactions to acrylic or gel products before?

Add-ons that fit

  • Nail art per nail
  • Ombré, French or chrome finish
  • Extra length beyond your standard level
  • Repair of a broken nail between fills

In CutieCure Salon

In CutieCure Salon you give each service its own duration, so a full set, a fill and a removal can each be booked for the time they really take, and clients only see free times that fit. You can also bundle services, for example a full set with nail art, into a package with the total time and the saving calculated for you.

Questions

How much should I charge for an acrylic full set?

There is no single right price: it depends on your time, product cost, overheads and local market. Price the full set, the fill and the removal separately from your own numbers, then compare with salons near you.

Should an acrylic fill cost less than a full set?

Usually yes within your fill window, because it is shorter. A late fill with a lot of growth can take as long as a full set, so set a window and price beyond it as a new set.

How long should I book for an acrylic full set?

Plan around an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half for a short to medium set on tips and more for long or sculpted nails, then adjust to the times you measure in your own salon.

Book every service at the right length

In CutieCure Salon each service has its own duration, so clients only see times that really fit. 14-day free trial, no card required.

Start your free trial

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