Nail salon equipment and supply list: how to stock a new salon station by station

Stock in four layers, not one giant order

A new salon owner usually makes the same mistake: ordering everything on one invoice, then discovering the colors that sell are not the colors on the wall. Use four layers and buy each when you are ready for it.

1. Station layer: everything one tech needs at her table.
2. Back bar layer: shared consumables, disinfectants and backups.
3. Menu layer: color, extensions, art and pedicure supplies, matched to the services you list.
4. Retail layer: products you sell to clients. Add this last.

Before you buy, check the rules that shape the list. Florida's salon rule (61G5-20.002) requires at least 100 square feet with one operator and 50 more for each additional one, a separate ventilated area for nail extensions, covered disinfection containers, closed storage for clean tools and a log for pedicure equipment. Read our plain-English guide and the opening guide first, because they affect what you buy and where it goes.

Layer 1: the station

Use one table setup as the template and multiply it by the number of techs. Each station needs:

The point of having two tool sets per station is the rule: Florida says you may not use an article on more than one client without disinfecting it, and you must keep enough tools to allow adequate disinfection. If a client sits down every 30 minutes, a single pair of nippers cannot complete a disinfectant cycle between clients.

Layer 2: the back bar

The back bar is the shared stock that keeps stations running. Think consumables with a daily or weekly turnover.

• Disinfectant and cleaner: a refill supply of EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant and the soap for pre-cleaning. Confirm each label shows EPA registration.
• Acetone and gel remover in dispenser bottles. NIOSH recommends pressure-sensitive dispenser bottles with small openings and closed containers. See bottles and pumps and liquids.
• Lint-free wipes, cotton and foils for removal and cleanup.
• Prep and finish: dehydrator and primer, gel base and top coats, cuticle oil and lotion.
• Table liners and disposable towels by the case.
• Gloves and masks by the box.
• Trash and laundry: lidded bins; closed receptacles for soiled linens as the rule requires.
• First aid kit and a plan for cuts. The CE rule covers HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases because blood exposure is a real part of the job.
• Storage: containers and jars for tips and small supplies: containers, jars and storage, plus carts for moving stock.

Layer 3: the menu layer, matched to services

Color wall planning

Color is where new owners overspend most. A bottle of gel in a shade nobody asks for is cash sitting on a shelf. A sensible plan:

• Start with a core range that covers nudes, pinks, reds, whites, neutrals and a few dark shades. Browse gel colors.
• Decide whether to stock duo sets, which pair gel and lacquer in one shade. Duos help if clients buy matching polish for pedicures or home touch-ups. Single gels give more shade choice per dollar when you only use gel in the salon. DND, OPI and Kiara Sky are brands with large ranges.
• Track which colors you use up. After 30 days, you can order depth in best sellers and replace shades that did not move.

Extensions and enhancements

Stock only the systems on your menu: Gel-X and soft gel tips, builder gel, acrylic or dip. Buy the full set of steps for each (prep, primer, product, finish) and sizing depth for tips in the sizes you use most.

Sizing and quantities

Tips, forms, files and gloves are the items you run out of fastest, so they deserve more depth than any single color. For tips, track which sizes you actually use per client. Many techs find the middle sizes sell faster than the extremes, so stock those in larger counts and keep a small backup of the rest. For single-client files, plan on several per full set and restock each morning before the first client sits down.

Nail art

Add art only when it is on the menu: charms, chrome, foils and rhinestones. Keep them in labeled, closed containers.

The pedicure area

Pedicure equipment is the part of the salon with the most specific legal requirements. Rule 61G5-20.002 covers sinks, bowls, basins, pipe-less spas and whirlpool spas, and requires cleaning and disinfection steps plus a log in the pedicure area. Read our log guide before you choose equipment.

• Pedicure stations: choose models whose screens, jets or foot plates you can remove and disinfect as the rule describes. Buy from a salon furniture supplier; ask for cleaning documentation.
• Disinfectant, low-foaming soap, 5.25% bleach for the cycle, plus measuring spoons.
• Liners, disposable kits and tablets: disposable kits, soaks and tablets.
• Callus and foot care: callus removers and files, pumice.
• Lotions, scrubs, oils and masks: lotion, scrubs and masks, massage oil.
• Deluxe pedicure systems if you offer a premium menu: deluxe kits.
• A log clipboard at each tub.

A budget check using the 10-15% rule

Zenoti's salon pricing guide says product cost is typically 10% to 15% of the price of a service. Use this as a monthly sanity check once you are open:

Those revenue figures are examples, not forecasts. The takeaway is the ratio. If your product spend is well above 15%, you are over-ordering, wasting product or underpricing. See our pricing method to check the services side.

Your opening order will be above the monthly run rate because you are filling shelves for the first time. Plan it separately from your monthly budget and do not count it against your ratio.

Stocking mistakes and how to avoid them

Walk the salon once a week with the list in your hand. Count, reorder, and write down what you wish you had stocked. In three months you will have a stocking plan that came from your own clients, not from a generic list, and that plan is the best asset in your back room.

If you are still deciding on the business structure behind the shop, our booth rental guide explains an alternative where your techs bring part of their own supplies.

A reorder system that fits on one page

Count what you use for four weeks. Then set a reorder point for each item:

Reorder point = (average daily use × days to restock) + safety stock

Example, with placeholders: you use 12 pairs of gloves a day, restocking takes 2 days and you want a one-day cushion. Reorder point = (12 × 2) + 12 = 36 pairs. When the stock falls to 36, order.

• Write the reorder point on a label on the shelf or bin.
• Keep a short sheet of "must never run out" items: disinfectant, gloves, files, top and base coat, acetone, tip sizes you use most.
• Use the same check each week, such as Sunday evening, and note shortages in one list.
• Rotate stock so older items are used first. Gel has a shelf life, so do not stock a year of any single product.
• Review the color wall every 30 days.

Because we run four stores in Margate, Pembroke Pines, Kendall and Boynton Beach, you can pick up top-ups close to home. See our locations.

Questions we get at the counter