Estimate the budget to open a small med spa: space, build-out, equipment, licensing, insurance, launch marketing and the cash reserve to carry you through the first months. Part of our free calculators and tools.
How it works
- One-time costs = build-out (sq ft × cost per sq ft) + equipment + treatment beds, carts and supplies (rooms × cost per room) + licenses and legal + opening inventory + website and launch marketing + rent deposit + first-year insurance, plus the contingency percentage.
- Monthly fixed costs = rent (sq ft × rent per sq ft ÷ 12) + staff payroll (staff × hourly pay × 40 hours × 52 weeks ÷ 12) + medical director + insurance ÷ 12 + booking software.
- Cash reserve = monthly fixed costs × the number of months you choose. Guides suggest 3 to 6 months, and some advise up to 12.
- Equipment prices are typical prices for professional machines of each type sold by Longevity Based. Vagaro puts laser devices at $50,000 to $200,000 each, so equipment is the line that varies most between spas.
Benchmarks behind the defaults
- Rent: $33.20 per sq ft per year (CommercialCafe figure cited by Pabau, 2026).
- Build-out: $100 per sq ft default; Zenoti puts lease and build-out at $50 to $150 per sq ft, and full medical office build-outs run $150 to $300.
- Treatment beds, carts and supplies: $7,500 per room; Vagaro estimates $10,000 to $30,000 in total.
- Licenses, permits and legal: $15,000; guides put this at $10,000 to $30,000.
- Insurance: $5,000 for the first year; a 1 to 3 practitioner package runs about $3,500 to $8,000 a year (Latent Insurance, 2026).
- Medical director: $1,200 a month, the rate one medical director service lists for spas offering lasers (Moxie). That rate applies once monthly revenue reaches $10,000, with extra fees for added clients and locations.
- Booking software: $160 a month, within published plan prices of $30 to $364.
- Staff pay: $25 an hour, rounded up from the BLS median for skincare specialists in physician offices ($24.81, May 2025).
- Opening inventory: $15,000; marketing and website: $20,000; contingency 15%. Guides put these at $10,000 to $60,000, $10,000 to $50,000 and 15 to 25%.
Sources
- Pabau, How much does it cost to open a med spa (2026)
- Vagaro, Med spa start-up costs (2026)
- Salonist, Cost to start a med spa (2026)
- Zenoti, How to open a medical spa
- Moxie, Medical director fee
- Latent Insurance, Med spa insurance cost (2026)
- Insureon, Medical spa insurance cost (2025)
- Matthews, Building out a medical office (2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Skincare specialists (May 2025 wages)
Sources last checked October 13, 2026. Estimates for business planning only, not financial, tax or legal advice.