Free guide and calculator

How to price nail removal and soak-offs

Price removal as a service of its own, from the minutes it really takes at your target hourly rate plus your overheads and product cost, with a different line for each product (gel polish, builder gel, extensions, acrylic). Removing another salon's work usually takes longer because you do not know the product or how many layers are on, so give it its own price instead of absorbing the extra minutes.

Updated

What it is, from the salon side

Removal is taking off gel polish, builder gel, extensions or acrylic by soaking, filing or both, before a new set or as a stand-alone appointment. For the salon it is easy to underprice because it feels like part of another service, but it blocks your chair for real minutes, and those minutes vary a lot with the product and with who applied it.

How much time to plan

AppointmentPlan for
Gel polish removal, your own work15–20 min
Gel polish removal, another salon's workProduct and number of layers unknown20–30 min
Builder gel (BIAB) removal20–30 min
Soft gel extensions (often called Gel X) removal20–30 min
Acrylic or hard gel removal30–45 min
Removal before a new setAdd to the new set time, depending on the product+15–45 min

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

What goes into the cost

  • Remover, foil or clips and pads used per client
  • Files, buffers and drill bits, which wear out faster on hard products
  • Aftercare: cuticle oil, a strengthening base or a short manicure finish
  • Disposables: wipes, gloves, towels
  • Your time, including soaking minutes when the chair is blocked
  • A share of rent, power and software for every hour you work

How to set the price

  1. Time three or four real removals of each product, and time your own work and another salon's work separately.
  2. Set a target hourly rate for yourself and add your monthly overheads spread over the hours you can really sell.
  3. Enter each removal type in the calculator below with its own minutes and product cost.
  4. Decide your policy: removal of your own work can be included in the new set price if its minutes are booked; a stand-alone removal and another salon's work get their own price.
  5. Write the removal lines in your price list and ask what is on the nails at booking, so the right time is reserved.

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 polish removal20 min

    Cost: $14.33

    $20

    Profit: $5.67

    Price per hour: $60

  • Removal of another salon's gel30 min

    Cost: $21.50

    $30

    Profit: $8.50

    Price per hour: $60

  • BIAB / builder gel removal25 min

    Cost: $17.67

    $25

    Profit: $7.33

    Price per hour: $60

  • Acrylic removal40 min

    Cost: $28.67

    $40

    Profit: $11.33

    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 polish removal20 min$20
  • Removal of another salon's gel30 min$30
  • BIAB / builder gel removal25 min$25
  • Acrylic removal40 min$40

What to ask before the first appointment

  • What is on her nails now: gel polish, builder gel, extensions or acrylic?
  • Was it done in your salon or somewhere else, and how long ago?
  • Does she want a new set right after the removal, or a removal only?
  • Any allergies or reactions to removal products before? If she has a nail or skin condition, refer her to a doctor first.

Add-ons that fit

  • Short manicure and shaping after the removal
  • Strengthening base or gel polish after the removal
  • Hand treatment or cuticle care
  • A new set in the same appointment, booked as a package

In CutieCure Salon

In CutieCure Salon you give each service its own duration, so each removal type is booked for the time it really takes, and a removal plus a new set can be bundled into a package with the total time calculated for you. You can also note in a client's record which product and shape she has, so you know what you are removing before she arrives.

Questions

How much should I charge for a removal?

There is no single right price: it depends on your time, product cost, overheads and local market. Price each removal type from your own minutes, then compare with salons near you.

Should I charge more to remove another salon's work?

It is fair to price it separately, because you do not know the product or the layers and it often takes longer. Tell the client at booking so the price is no surprise.

Should removal be free when the client books a new set?

That is your choice. If you include it, add the removal minutes to the new set time and to its price, so the appointment still pays for your time.

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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