How Much It Costs To Open A Lash Salon: $69k CAPEX Plan
A researched planning case for a lash salon shows $69,000 in one-time CAPEX before adding deposits, launch expenses, and cash reserves The largest startup items are $35,000 for build-out and renovation, $15,000 for lash stations and chairs, and $7,000 for reception furniture Total funding need should also cover early payroll and overhead, since Year 1 staffing runs about $180,500 annually and fixed non-payroll costs run $6,400 per month The model reaches breakeven in Month 6, so the opening budget should protect the first ramp-up period, not just the keys-to-open cost
Estimate Startup Costs with Calculator
Startup CAPEX Calculator
Estimates one-time capitalized startup assets for a Lash Salon only, before payroll and other operating cash needs.
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CAPEX scope Base startup CAPEX is $69,000 across Month 1 to Month 6. This calculator covers only one-time capital assets. It excludes rent reserves, payroll runway, launch ads, consumed lash supplies, training, insurance premiums, deposits, debt service, working capital, and other operating cash needs.
Calculate Fuding Needs
Startup cost summary
This table breaks the lash salon startup spend into the main CAPEX items plus opening cash reserved before breakeven.
Highlighted CAPEX$69,000Base planning example
Excluded cash needs$848,000Outside CAPEX total
Funding need$917,000CAPEX + excluded cash needs
Cost Category
Base Estimate
Main Cost Driver
CAPEX Calculator
Salon Build-out & Renovation
$35,000
Treatment room build, finishes, and salon fit-out
Yes
Lash Stations & Chairs
$15,000
Artist stations, chairs, and client seating
Yes
Reception & Waiting Area Furniture
$7,000
Front-desk furniture and guest waiting setup
Yes
Sterilization & Laundry Equipment
$4,000
Sanitation gear and washer-dryer setup
Yes
Digital Setup and Security
$8,000
POS hardware, website, and security setup
Yes
Opening Cash Reserve
$848,000
Payroll, rent, and launch cash before Month 2
No
What does the Lash Salon CAPEX tab show?
Open the Lash Salon Financial Model Template; CAPEX maps startup costs, timing, depreciation, and assumptions. Check it against quotes, leases, and licensing.
Key screenshot highlights
$69,000 setup total
Month 1–6 timing
Working capital included
Funding need shown
Depreciate or amortize
Service mix drives revenue
10 visits daily
$8 retail per visit
Month 6 breakeven
17-month payback
Compare 3 Startup Cost Scenarios
Startup cost scenarios
Launch scale changes startup cash fast because build-out, beds, and payroll land before bookings do. Lean suite, base studio, and full storefront trade off runway, capacity, and opening spend.
Lean suite, base studio, and full storefront cost bands for a lash salon.
Scenario
Lean LaunchLowest cash need
Base LaunchBalanced launch
Full LaunchHighest runway need
Launch model
Owner-operator launch in a rented suite with tight control on space and staffing.
Small multi-bed studio launch with a modest team and enough room for steady fills and new sets.
Growth-oriented storefront launch with more stations, more visibility, and more working capital.
Typical setup
Use a smaller build-out, fewer lash stations, simple reception, and lean launch marketing.
Use a standard build-out, core front desk setup, several lash beds, and normal pre-opening support.
Use a larger build-out, bigger reception area, more beds, stronger launch marketing, and deeper cash reserves.
Cost drivers
Smaller build-out
Fewer lash stations
Lower reception setup
Lean staffing
Standard build-out
Multiple lash beds
Core front desk setup
Full year-one payroll
Larger build-out
More lash stations
Bigger reception area
Higher launch marketing
More working capital
Planning rangeCAPEX only
$120,000 - $170,000Lean cash band
$180,000 - $260,000Base cash band
$280,000 - $420,000Full cash band
Best fit
Best for an owner-operator who wants a tighter start and lower payroll pressure.
Best for a small team launch that needs a practical mix of capacity and control.
Best for a growth plan that wants more capacity, more traffic, and more launch runway.
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Planning note: These ranges are researched planning assumptions built from the model, not exact quotes or vendor bids.
What is the biggest cost to open a lash salon?
The biggest cost to open a Lash Salon is usually the location setup. In the modeled base case, build-out and renovation are $35,000 before you even add rent deposits, first month’s rent, or landlord work. A lean suite can cut that risk, while a multi-bed storefront adds more capacity but also ties up more cash up front, including $7,000 for reception furniture and $1,500 for security.
What drives setup cost
$35,000 build-out and renovation
Rent deposits and first month’s rent
Paint, flooring, and partitions
Lighting, electrical, and plumbing work
Suite vs storefront tradeoff
Suite setup cuts build-out risk
Storefront adds more beds
Storefront raises opening cash needs
Reception furniture: $7,000, security: $1,500
How to plan funding for a lash salon
If you’re funding Lash Salon, turn the startup list into a $69,000 build plan across Month 1 to Month 6, then add working capital for payroll and overhead while visits ramp from 10 per day in Year 1 to 38 per day in Year 5 over 300 operating days. The lender story is simple: break-even in Month 6 and a 17-month payback mean the salon repays from operating cash, not guesswork. Here’s the quick math: Year 1 EBITDA is $36,000, and Year 5 EBITDA reaches $992,000.
Month 1-6 build plan
$35,000 build-out first
$15,000 stations next
$7,000 reception setup
$3,000 sterilization gear
Payback logic map
$4,000 POS system
$2,500 website
$1,500 security
$1,000 washer dryer and ramp-up capital
How much money do you need to open a lash salon?
You need a modeled funding base of about $197,400 to open a Lash Salon: $69,000 in physical setup CAPEX plus 6 months of payroll and fixed non-payroll runway, before lease deposits, supplies, licensing, insurance binders, recruiting, training, and launch marketing; track demand early because What Is The Most Crucial Metric To Measure The Success Of Lash Salon? connects survival to the right operating metric.
Funding Base
$69,000 base physical setup CAPEX
$6,400/month fixed non-payroll costs
$180,500 Year 1 payroll
$15,000/month average payroll load
Runway Math
Month 6 modeled breakeven
$128,400 six-month operating runway
10 visits/day capacity assumption
300 days annual operating model
Key Takeaways
Lease cash due at signing can hit $35,000.
Build-out spending is separate from monthly $4,500 rent.
Supplies and licensing delays can delay opening cash.
Payroll and marketing drive the biggest launch burn.
Lash Salon Core Five Startup Costs
Location, Lease, And Build-Out Startup Expense
Lease Cash
A lash salon usually needs two opening checks: cash due at signing and a $35,000 build-out over Months 1 to 3. Keep the $4,500 monthly rent separate from deposits, so you don’t double count startup cash.
Build-Out CAPEX
The $35,000 base model covers paint, flooring, treatment room partitions, reception area, lighting upgrades, signage, landlord requirements, electrical work, and local plumbing if needed. This is capital spend, not rent. If permits or inspection run late, Month 3 opening can slip and tie up cash longer.
Space Type
A salon suite usually has the lightest lease cash and less landlord work. A shared studio sits in the middle. A storefront gives more control, but it usually adds more build-out cost, landlord-related costs, and opening inspection risk.
Suite: lowest setup burden
Shared studio: middle ground
Storefront: highest fit-out risk
Ask First
Before signing, ask who pays for signage, electrical, plumbing, and any required landlord repairs; what is due at signing besides the deposit and first month’s rent; and which items can delay inspection or key handoff. One clean check: what must be finished before you can open?
Licensing, Permits, Insurance, And Compliance Startup Expense
Licensing Costs
Licensing is not a single line item. For a lash salon, budget for state cosmetology or esthetician rules, a salon establishment license, business registration, local permits, sales tax registration if needed, liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and professional setup. There is no fixed nationwide fee; state and city rules drive the cash need. Confirm the required license type before signing a lease.
Budget Base
Use the model’s recurring costs as your base: $250 per month for business insurance and $400 per month for accounting and legal, or $650 per month before filing fees. Add state and local application fees, then buy enough coverage for the months until opening. No filing plan, no opening date.
State and city filing fees
Coverage months before opening
Renewal and inspection timing
Check The Rules
Ask whether lash extensions need a licensed esthetician, cosmetologist, or specialty license in your state. Also check local permits, sales tax registration if applicable, and whether workers’ compensation starts with your first hire. The cheapest mistake is usually the one that delays the lease.
License type for lash work
City permit and tax rules
Workers’ comp trigger date
Delay Risk
Compliance timing is a cash risk. If approval takes longer than planned, you can still owe rent, deposits, and professional fees while revenue stays at zero, so build a buffer for delay. Treat license and permit tasks as launch-critical, not admin cleanup.
Staffing, Software, And Launch Marketing Startup Expense
Staffing cash
Budget first for recruiting, onboarding, trial services, training, and uniforms. The model sets Year 1 payroll at $180,500 and lists a lead lash artist and manager at $65,000, a senior lash artist at $55,000, five junior lash artists at $45,000 each, and a receptionist or admin at $38,000.
Systems setup
Software and checkout setup are launch costs, not build-out. Use quotes for $4,000 POS hardware, $2,500 website setup, and $200 per month for booking and CRM software; the key inputs are unit count, one-time fees, and months of coverage before opening.
Launch demand
Marketing should cover online profile setup, photography, local ads, influencer outreach, and opening promotions. The model pushes 60% of Year 1 marketing and promotions into launch, so size this line around opening week demand, not just ongoing ads.
Cash bucket
Treat staffing readiness, software, and launch demand as pre-opening expenses and early launch investments, not physical CAPEX. That keeps the $180,500 payroll plan, $4,000 POS hardware, $2,500 website, and $200 monthly software in the right cash bucket for opening-day runway.
Equipment And Furnishings Startup Expense
Salon Seats
The base model sets aside $15,000 from Month 2 to Month 4 for lash stations and chairs. That should cover lash beds or recliners, technician stools, magnifying lamps, task lighting, rolling carts, mirrors, storage, and durable room fixtures. Size it by number of beds, service rooms, and whether you can use new or used pieces.
Front Area
Add $7,000 from Month 2 to Month 4 for reception and waiting area furniture. This covers seating, retail display fixtures, and any sturdy front-desk pieces that stay in the salon. Use quotes for each item, then size the budget to client flow and how much retail space you want.
Cut Waste
Keep lash trays, adhesives, pads, and disinfectants out of CAPEX unless your accounting policy capitalizes durable tools. Used furniture can trim the bill, but check wear, cleaning, and client comfort first. The fastest savings come from fewer stations, shared storage, and skipping extra retail displays you do not need on day one.
Budget Check
Here’s the quick math: the base model totals $22,000 for equipment and furnishings, split between treatment rooms and the front of house. That cost lands before opening, so it sits beside lease, permits, and staffing setup in the startup budget. Ask for itemized quotes, lead times, and delivery dates so Month 2 to Month 4 spending does not slip.
Supplies, Sanitation, And Opening Inventory Startup Expense
Opening Stock
Most lash salon supplies are pre-opening expense or inventory, not CAPEX. Count lash trays, adhesives, primers, removers, tweezers, under-eye pads, applicators, masks, gloves, disinfectants, and linens by opening weeks of coverage, then price each unit. The model uses lash supplies at 60% of revenue and retail inventory at 25%.
Buy to Demand
Size the first order from expected visits, service mix, and retail attach rate. Here’s the quick math: $8 per visit retail add-on in Year 1 means opening retail stock should match that pace, not a full boutique wall. Get quotes, pack sizes, and reorder minimums, then buy units × unit price × weeks of stock.
Separate CAPEX
Keep $3,000 of sterilization equipment in CAPEX, and expense disinfectants, disposables, and linens as supplies. That split matters because durable tools last, while cleaning items get used up fast. Start with a lean par level, then restock after the first month of bookings instead of tying up cash before launch.
Retail Mix
Opening inventory should mirror the real client mix, not a stocked shelf for every product. If services drive the sale and retail is only an add-on, keep aftercare depth tight and reorder fast. That protects cash, cuts dead stock, and keeps inventory aligned with actual Year 1 demand.
