Startup costs from franchise filings

How much does it cost to open a nail salon?

Opening a nail salon costs $538,492 to $740,783, going by the 4 nail salon franchises whose current disclosure documents are on file in Minnesota: those are the medians of their low and high estimates for one new location, from the franchise fee to the first months of working capital. The biggest single cost is build-out and construction, typically $247,852 to $433,773. An owner opening independently pays no franchise fee and can often spend less on the space, which the budget below lets you test line by line.

Typical range: $538,492 to $740,783
Lowest to highest filed: $172,722 to $944,045
Filings compared: 4 brands

Read from Minnesota's franchise registry on October 16, 2026. Build your own budget · Download every line (CSV)

By brand

What 4 nail salon franchises say it costs to open

Item 7 of each franchise disclosure document, the legally required estimate of the initial investment for one new location, low and high.

Brand	Total initial investment	Franchise fee	Build-out	Unit described
FrenchiesFDD issued Mar 2026As printed in the filing, its low total ($472,883) is $1,000 more than its lines add up to ($471,883) and its high total ($550,060) is $3,870 more than its lines add up to ($546,190); the table shows the printed total.	$472,883 to $550,060	$50,000	$217,704 to $229,363	1,200 to 1,800 sq ft, 12 to 16 stations
Hammer & NailsFDD issued Mar 2026	$694,300 to $944,045	$60,000	$278,000 to $382,545	1,700 to 2,200 sq ft
Regal NailsFDD issued Mar 2026	$172,722 to $721,866	Not listed separately	$150,000 to $545,000	400 to 1,500 sq ft
TownhouseFDD issued Jan 2026	$604,100 to $759,700	$40,000	$415,000 to $485,000	700 to 1,400 sq ft

By cost

Where the money goes when you open a nail salon

The median low and high of each kind of cost across these brands. A brand that folds a cost into another line is left out of that line's median, so the lines are a checklist, not a sum.

Cost	Median low to high	Brands
Build-out and constructionLeasehold improvements, plumbing, electrical, flooring, lighting and finishes, less any landlord allowance.	$247,852 to $433,773	4
Furniture, fixtures and equipmentChairs, stations, shampoo units, treatment beds or devices, reception and waiting furniture.	$62,219 to $67,015	3
SignageExterior sign and interior graphics.	$12,451 to $14,563	2
Computers, POS and softwarePoint of sale, computers, phones, music and security systems, software set-up.	$6,980 to $8,703	4
Opening supplies and retail stockBackbar and service supplies, linens, sanitation, retail products for the shelf.	$25,000 to $35,000	3
Grand opening marketingPre-opening and launch advertising, promotions and events.	$11,000 to $25,000	3
Rent and deposits before openingSecurity deposit, rent before opening, utility deposits.	$12,660 to $40,402	4
Professional fees, permits and licensesArchitect and design, legal and accounting, building permits, business and establishment licenses.	$14,847 to $31,519	4
InsuranceFirst premiums or deposits for liability, property and workers' compensation cover.	$1,300 to $5,250	4
Working capital (first months)Cash to cover payroll, rent and bills until the business pays for itself, usually the first three months.	$41,618 to $60,036	4
Other opening costsTravel, utilities set-up, uniforms and costs the filing does not put elsewhere.	$1,700 to $7,900	2
Franchise feeFranchisees only. The one-time fee paid to the franchisor for the right to open.	$50,000 to $50,000	3
Franchise training and travelFranchisees only. Travel and living costs to attend the franchisor's training.	$3,000 to $10,000	3

Your budget

Budget a nail salon of your own

Start from the filed medians, without the franchise fee or the franchisor's training travel, and replace each line with your own quotes.

What are you opening?

Start from

Each line starts at the middle of the brands' low estimates across 4 filed nail salon disclosures, with franchise-only costs left out. Replace any figure with your own quote; switching the business or the starting point resets the lines.

Build-out and construction

Leasehold improvements, plumbing, electrical, flooring, lighting and finishes, less any landlord allowance.

$247,852 to $433,773median of 4 filings

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

Chairs, stations, shampoo units, treatment beds or devices, reception and waiting furniture.

$62,219 to $67,015median of 3 filings

Signage

Exterior sign and interior graphics.

$12,451 to $14,563median of 2 filings

Computers, POS and software

Point of sale, computers, phones, music and security systems, software set-up.

$6,980 to $8,703median of 4 filings

Opening supplies and retail stock

Backbar and service supplies, linens, sanitation, retail products for the shelf.

$25,000 to $35,000median of 3 filings

Grand opening marketing

Pre-opening and launch advertising, promotions and events.

$11,000 to $25,000median of 3 filings

Rent and deposits before opening

Security deposit, rent before opening, utility deposits.

$12,660 to $40,402median of 4 filings

Professional fees, permits and licenses

Architect and design, legal and accounting, building permits, business and establishment licenses.

$14,847 to $31,519median of 4 filings

Insurance

First premiums or deposits for liability, property and workers' compensation cover.

$1,300 to $5,250median of 4 filings

Working capital (first months)

Cash to cover payroll, rent and bills until the business pays for itself, usually the first three months.

$41,618 to $60,036median of 4 filings

Other opening costs

Travel, utilities set-up, uniforms and costs the filing does not put elsewhere.

$1,700 to $7,900median of 2 filings

Your startup budget

$437,500

Franchised nail salon units disclose a median of $538,492 to $740,783, franchise fee included.

Reading the filings

What these numbers mean for a nail salon

The four filings describe very different salons. Regal Nails leases its salons inside Walmart stores (Walmart is the landlord in its sample lease), which is why its low estimate, in Regal Nails ($172,722 to $721,866), is a fraction of the others'; Frenchies, Townhouse and Hammer & Nails open stand-alone salons.
Pedicure chairs drive the plumbing: each needs water and drainage, and state boards set rules for ventilation and pedicure sanitation. The nail salon business plan guide lists equipment prices from the makers and the rules state by state.
One of the 4 brands does not list equipment on its own line (it sits inside the build-out), so read the build-out here as space and fit-out together.