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How to price a gel pedicure

Price a gel pedicure from your own time and product cost: add the minutes a full appointment really takes at your target hourly rate, plus your overheads and a margin, and set separate prices for gel on toes only, for removal and for a mani-pedi package. A pedicure also uses more disposables and set-up time than a manicure, so count those too.

Updated

What it is, from the salon side

A gel pedicure is a pedicure (foot soak or dry prep, nail shaping, cuticle and foot care) finished with gel polish on the toenails, which lasts longer than regular polish. For the salon it pairs naturally with a manicure, and some clients only book it before a holiday or in summer, so it is worth having a clear price for the pedicure alone and for the combination.

How much time to plan

AppointmentPlan for
Pedicure with gel polish60–75 min
Gel polish on toes only, no pedicure30–45 min
With removal of the previous gelSoak-off or filing included+15–20 min
Extra heel and foot care+15–20 min
Gel manicure and gel pedicure togetherBook as one package105–135 min

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

What goes into the cost

  • Gel polish, base and top coat used per client
  • Foot files, files, buffers and drill bits, which wear out
  • Foot care products: soak, scrub, cream, cuticle oil
  • Disposables: liners or tub covers, toe separators, slippers, towels, gloves
  • Your time, including set-up, curing, clean-up and cleaning the foot bath or station
  • A share of rent, power and software for every hour you work

How to set the price

  1. Time three or four real gel pedicures, with and without removal, 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 pedicure, toes only, with 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. Build a mani-pedi package from the two single prices, so the client sees the saving and you see the total time.

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 pedicure70 min

    Cost: $51.67

    $65

    Profit: $13.33

    Price per hour: $56

  • Gel polish on toes only40 min

    Cost: $29.17

    $40

    Profit: $10.83

    Price per hour: $60

  • Removal of previous gel15 min

    Cost: $11.00

    $15

    Profit: $4.00

    Price per hour: $60

  • Extra heel care15 min

    Cost: $11.50

    $15

    Profit: $3.50

    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

  • Gel pedicure70 min$65
  • Gel polish on toes only40 min$40
  • Removal of previous gel15 min$15
  • Extra heel care15 min$15

What to ask before the first appointment

  • Does she want a full pedicure, or only gel polish on her toes?
  • Is she coming with gel or another product on her toenails that needs removing first?
  • Would she like a manicure in the same appointment, so you can book them together?
  • Any allergies or reactions to gel or foot care products before? If she has a nail or skin condition on her feet, refer her to a doctor first.

Add-ons that fit

  • Gel manicure in the same appointment, as a package
  • French or simple nail art on the big toes
  • Extra heel care or a foot mask
  • Foot massage

In CutieCure Salon

In CutieCure Salon you give each service its own duration, so a full gel pedicure, gel on toes only and a removal are each booked for the time they really take. You can bundle a gel manicure and a gel pedicure into a package: the total time and the regular price are calculated for you, and clients see the saving when they book.

Questions

How much should I charge for a gel pedicure?

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

Should a mani-pedi cost less than the two services booked separately?

It can, as a package with a small saving, but check it in the calculator first: the saving should still leave your hourly rate covered.

How long should I book for a gel pedicure?

Plan around an hour to an hour and a quarter for a full gel pedicure and less for gel on toes only, 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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