Mobile Nail Tech Pricing Guide
Price mobile nail services from your hourly value plus product and consumable cost, then add a travel fee on its own line instead of undercharging because you have no salon rent. Price full sets separately from fills, charge nail art as a per-nail add-on, and raise prices as your speed and skill grow. ShowTheReceipts saves each service and the travel line so every mobile invoice prices consistently.
Build the price from the ground up
Mobile pricing isn’t guesswork. It’s three parts stacked:
- Your hourly value × the time the service takes
- Product + consumables used in that service
- Travel fee — flat within a zone, by distance beyond
“No overhead” is a myth for mobile — you traded salon rent for fuel, driving, and the convenience the client is paying for.
Full set and fill are different jobs
| Service | Price on |
|---|---|
| Full set | Time to build from bare nails |
| Fill | How grown-out (two-week vs three-week) |
| Nail art | Per nail, add-on, quoted first |
| Soak-off / repair | Its own line |
Charging one price for a full set and a fill means doing full-set work at fill rates — the fastest way to a busy, unprofitable calendar.
Nail art is add-on money
Custom freehand and 3D work is priced per nail on top of the base service. Quote it before you start, or it becomes free labor you can’t recover once it’s on the nail.
Pricing as a beginner
Price under experienced techs while your speed builds — but never below product cost plus a fair hourly value. Raise your rates as you get faster and your work improves; filling the book at a loss just trains clients to expect it.
What not to do
- Don’t drop mobile prices because you “have no rent” — add travel instead
- Don’t price full sets and fills the same
- Don’t do nail art without quoting it first
- Don’t anchor yourself to beginner prices once your work has caught up
Frequently asked questions
How much should a mobile nail tech charge?
Start from what your time is worth per hour, add product and consumable cost per service, then add a travel fee. Mobile pros often undercharge because they 'have no overhead' — but you've swapped salon rent for fuel and drive time, and the client is paying for the convenience of you coming to them.
How do I price a full set vs a fill?
As two separate services. A full set builds from bare nails and takes longer; a fill maintains existing enhancement. Price fills by how grown-out they are so a three-week fill isn't charged like a two-week one — otherwise you do near-full-set work at fill prices.
How should I price nail art?
Per nail for custom freehand and 3D work, as an add-on separate from the base service. Quote it before you start so 'just a few designs' doesn't become unpaid time you can't put back on the invoice.
How should a beginner nail tech price?
Below experienced-tech rates while your speed builds, but never below your product cost plus a fair hourly value — and raise prices as you get faster and your work improves. Pricing to fill the calendar at a loss trains clients to expect a rate you can't keep.