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How to price gel nail extensions on tips or forms

Price gel extensions 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 price a set on tips, a set sculpted on forms, the fill and the removal separately. Sculpting on forms usually takes longer than working on tips, so one price for both means one of them is underpriced.

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What it is, from the salon side

Gel extensions add length by building a structure of hard or builder gel either over glued tips or on forms placed under the free edge, then shaping it by filing. Unlike soft gel extensions, the set is not soaked off each time: clients come back every few weeks for a fill, so the first set wins the client and the fills keep her. Fiberglass or silk extensions are a different service with their own pricing.

How much time to plan

AppointmentPlan for
Full set on tips, short to medium90–105 min
Full set sculpted on formsForm fitting and shaping add time105–135 min
Fill within your fill windowIncludes rebalancing60–75 min
Removal onlyMostly filing off30–45 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

  • Extension gel, base, colour and top coat used per client
  • Tips and tip glue, or forms, including the ones that do not fit
  • Files, buffers and drill bits, which wear out faster with hard gel
  • Prep products and disposables: dehydrator, primer, cleanser, pads, gloves
  • Your time, including prep, building, curing, filing and clean-up
  • A share of rent, power and software for every hour you work

How to set the price

  1. Time three or four real sets on tips, sets on forms 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 (tips, forms, fill, removal) 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

  • Gel extensions on tips100 min

    Cost: $71.67

    $90

    Profit: $18.33

    Price per hour: $54

  • Gel extensions on forms120 min

    Cost: $86.00

    $110

    Profit: $24.00

    Price per hour: $55

  • Gel extensions fill65 min

    Cost: $46.33

    $60

    Profit: $13.67

    Price per hour: $55

  • Gel extensions removal40 min

    Cost: $27.67

    $35

    Profit: $7.33

    Price per hour: $53

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

  • Gel extensions on tips100 min$90
  • Gel extensions on forms120 min$110
  • Gel extensions fill65 min$60
  • Gel extensions removal40 min$35

What to ask before the first appointment

  • Is she coming with another product (acrylic, soft gel tips, fiberglass) 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 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 set on tips, a set on forms, a fill and a removal can each be booked for the time they really take, and clients only see free times that fit. In the client record you can note whether she wears tips or forms and which shape, so the next booking is set up right.

Questions

How much should I charge for gel extensions?

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

Should gel extensions on forms cost more than on tips?

If they take you longer, yes. Time both in your own salon and price each from its real minutes and product cost.

How long should I book for gel extensions?

Plan around an hour and a half or more for a full set on tips, longer on forms, and around an hour for a fill, 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.

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