Free guide and calculator

How to price polygel nails

Price polygel 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 an overlay on natural nails, the fill and the removal. A set with length and an overlay without it are different appointments, so give each its own price.

Updated

What it is, from the salon side

Polygel (also called acrygel) is a thick gel that you shape with a brush and slip solution, either in dual forms pressed onto the nail or directly on the natural nail as an overlay, and then cure under the lamp. It does not self-level, so you have time to shape it, and clients come back every few weeks for a fill: the first set wins the client, the fills keep her.

How much time to plan

AppointmentPlan for
Full set on dual forms, short to medium75–90 min
Full set, long or detailed shapeExtra shaping and filing90–105 min
Overlay on natural length60–75 min
Fill within your fill windowIncludes filing back and rebalancing60–75 min
Removal onlyMostly filing off25–40 min
Nail art or French on topDepends on the design+5–15 min

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

What goes into the cost

  • Polygel, slip solution, base, colour and top coat used per client
  • Dual forms, which wear and need replacing
  • Brushes, files, buffers and drill bits, which wear out
  • Prep products and disposables: dehydrator, primer, cleanser, pads, gloves
  • Your time, including prep, shaping, 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 full sets, overlays 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, overlay, 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 in your price list (for example "fill within 3 weeks"); after that, 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

  • Polygel full set85 min

    Cost: $61.67

    $80

    Profit: $18.33

    Price per hour: $56

  • Polygel overlay70 min

    Cost: $50.67

    $65

    Profit: $14.33

    Price per hour: $56

  • Polygel fill65 min

    Cost: $46.33

    $60

    Profit: $13.67

    Price per hour: $55

  • Polygel removal30 min

    Cost: $21.00

    $30

    Profit: $9.00

    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

  • Polygel full set85 min$80
  • Polygel overlay70 min$65
  • Polygel fill65 min$60
  • Polygel removal30 min$30

What to ask before the first appointment

  • Is she coming with another product (acrylic, gel extensions, gel polish) that needs removing first?
  • Does she want length, or strength on her natural length?
  • 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

  • French tip or chrome finish on top
  • Nail art per nail
  • Repair of a broken nail between fills
  • Hand treatment or cuticle care

In CutieCure Salon

In CutieCure Salon you give each service its own duration, so a full set, an overlay, 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 into a package, with the total time and the saving calculated for you.

Questions

How much should I charge for polygel nails?

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

Should a polygel overlay cost less than a full set?

Usually, when it is shorter and uses less product. Time both in your own salon and price each from its real minutes.

How long should I book for polygel?

Plan around an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half for a short to medium full set on dual 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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