How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
Interior designers may charge hourly rates, flat fees, cost-plus or a combination. Here’s what that means for you
Erin Carlyle
August 18, 2018
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
Interior designers bring a lot of value to a home renovation or decorating project by helping their clients pinpoint their vision, inspiring them with the possibilities and managing all the details that will bring their dream to life. But how much does it cost to hire one?
Interior design by Shor Home
The truth is that interior design fees vary — not only by firm but also by the scope of the project and the area where you live. To get a sense of the range, we interviewed 16 interior designers across the country. Here are some basics to know about what interior designers do and the cost of hiring one to work with you.
What Do Interior Designers Do?
Interior designers provide a range of services that take a project from dream to completion. They:
The truth is that interior design fees vary — not only by firm but also by the scope of the project and the area where you live. To get a sense of the range, we interviewed 16 interior designers across the country. Here are some basics to know about what interior designers do and the cost of hiring one to work with you.
What Do Interior Designers Do?
Interior designers provide a range of services that take a project from dream to completion. They:
- Create design concepts. Designers help their clients by developing a design concept, which includes the style, mood, color and functional goals for the project. They may use a combination of inspiration images and product samples to convey their ideas to you as you settle on a vision.
- Create design plans. Next, designers turn that vision into a plan. They may recommend a specific layout for a new kitchen or map out how furniture and accessories will be arranged in a room. Some designers provide detailed 3D drawings of their plans, or they may work with an architect and engineers to produce these drawings. Some states have a certification or licensing process for designers and regulate the scope of structural work that designers may take on. Not all states require certification or licensing for pros working in residential design. However, these credentials can be one way to gauge a pro’s level of experience and knowledge.
- Establish a realistic budget and help the client stick with it.
- Select and design products, finishes and materials for the project. This can be anything from recommending paint colors to choosing a species of wood for the floor to suggesting specific storage details (lazy Susans or baking sheet storage) for inside your kitchen cabinets. This work is often more involved than selecting ready-made products and materials from retailers. Many designers work with manufacturers to create custom furniture pieces and window treatments for their clients. Often, these manufacturers work only with the trade (not directly with homeowners), so designers are able to select fabrics and custom detailing that make these pieces unique. Similarly, designers may work with cabinetmakers to design customized storage solutions for their clients.
- Handle project management, which can involve coordinating with other pros such as architects and general contractors, submitting plans to procure permits and monitoring the project to ensure that the right products and materials are installed.
- Purchase and install furniture, art and accessories, including managing delivery to the home.
Interior design by Connie Vernich Designs
How Much Do Interior Designers Charge?
Designers may have just one method of charging for their services (such as an hourly rate), but more often they’ll have multiple ways they bill. “No two projects are the same and no two designers charge the same,” Jill Geisdorf of Chic on the Cheap in Sarasota, Florida, says. Therefore, when you’re considering a few different professionals to work with, be sure you understand the details of the interior design fees so you can make an apples-to-apples comparison.
Some terms you may hear when you meet with prospective designers:
Hourly rate. This is just what it sounds like: You pay the designer for the time he or she spends working on your project. Hourly rates of $125 to $150 or $200 are common, but they can range from $50 (for a junior designer) to $500 (for a principal of the firm or one of its most experienced designers). In addition to paying for the design work, you may also be billed for travel time, client meetings, shopping, phone communication, site visits and more. Check with your design firm to find out if different types of work are billed at different rates.
Flat fee. Some designers prefer to establish a set fee for a project, which can range from about $1,000 to well into the six figures. One designer in Austin, Texas, we spoke with charges $3,500 to $12,000 to design a living room, while another in New York state charges a flat fee of $3,000 for this space. Rates can also run much higher.
Designers may set flat fees by estimating the number of hours they’ll spend on a project, and they may also consider factors such as the complexity and location of the project and whether they’ve worked with your contractor before. Some flat fees are structured to include a specific number of hours of work at a discounted hourly rate, with any work beyond that charged at a regular hourly rate. And sometimes designers set a flat fee based on the total project budget.
How to Find Your Renovation Team
How Much Do Interior Designers Charge?
Designers may have just one method of charging for their services (such as an hourly rate), but more often they’ll have multiple ways they bill. “No two projects are the same and no two designers charge the same,” Jill Geisdorf of Chic on the Cheap in Sarasota, Florida, says. Therefore, when you’re considering a few different professionals to work with, be sure you understand the details of the interior design fees so you can make an apples-to-apples comparison.
Some terms you may hear when you meet with prospective designers:
Hourly rate. This is just what it sounds like: You pay the designer for the time he or she spends working on your project. Hourly rates of $125 to $150 or $200 are common, but they can range from $50 (for a junior designer) to $500 (for a principal of the firm or one of its most experienced designers). In addition to paying for the design work, you may also be billed for travel time, client meetings, shopping, phone communication, site visits and more. Check with your design firm to find out if different types of work are billed at different rates.
Flat fee. Some designers prefer to establish a set fee for a project, which can range from about $1,000 to well into the six figures. One designer in Austin, Texas, we spoke with charges $3,500 to $12,000 to design a living room, while another in New York state charges a flat fee of $3,000 for this space. Rates can also run much higher.
Designers may set flat fees by estimating the number of hours they’ll spend on a project, and they may also consider factors such as the complexity and location of the project and whether they’ve worked with your contractor before. Some flat fees are structured to include a specific number of hours of work at a discounted hourly rate, with any work beyond that charged at a regular hourly rate. And sometimes designers set a flat fee based on the total project budget.
How to Find Your Renovation Team
Interior design by Studio M Interiors
Cost-plus. Interior designers have access to many products and materials at discounted rates. Traditionally it has been common for designers to earn their income by buying products at a trade discount and charging their clients a higher rate (but typically still less than retail). These days many homeowners aren’t willing to pay markups above the prices they can find online, which squeezes what designers can earn from this system.
“There’s a lot of debate in the industry about this, since online shopping is so prevalent and clients are often ‘shopping us’ — going online and finding better prices themselves,” says Raychel Wade of Raychel Wade Design in New York City. As a result, it’s now rare for cost-plus to be the only method designers use to charge. Many use a combination of cost-plus and either hourly rates or flat fees — or a mix of all three. Others have shifted away from cost-plus entirely. While a handful of designers are transparent about the markup they charge their clients as part of cost-plus, many choose to keep this information proprietary.
Retainer or deposit. Your interior designer may charge an upfront fee at the beginning of the project. This could be a flat amount, such as $1,000, or a share — usually from 10 to 50 percent — of the total fees anticipated for the project. This fee may be called a deposit or a retainer, and it may or may not be refundable. Sometimes it’s used to hold your place in line at a busy design firm. Other times it may be used to buy furniture, art and accessories. Still other times, your designer may credit this amount back to you on the last invoice.
Cost-plus. Interior designers have access to many products and materials at discounted rates. Traditionally it has been common for designers to earn their income by buying products at a trade discount and charging their clients a higher rate (but typically still less than retail). These days many homeowners aren’t willing to pay markups above the prices they can find online, which squeezes what designers can earn from this system.
“There’s a lot of debate in the industry about this, since online shopping is so prevalent and clients are often ‘shopping us’ — going online and finding better prices themselves,” says Raychel Wade of Raychel Wade Design in New York City. As a result, it’s now rare for cost-plus to be the only method designers use to charge. Many use a combination of cost-plus and either hourly rates or flat fees — or a mix of all three. Others have shifted away from cost-plus entirely. While a handful of designers are transparent about the markup they charge their clients as part of cost-plus, many choose to keep this information proprietary.
Retainer or deposit. Your interior designer may charge an upfront fee at the beginning of the project. This could be a flat amount, such as $1,000, or a share — usually from 10 to 50 percent — of the total fees anticipated for the project. This fee may be called a deposit or a retainer, and it may or may not be refundable. Sometimes it’s used to hold your place in line at a busy design firm. Other times it may be used to buy furniture, art and accessories. Still other times, your designer may credit this amount back to you on the last invoice.
Interior design by Andrew Howard Interior Design
Alternate Fee Structures
You may come across these other fees when you meet with a prospective designer:
Design fee. Some designers charge a design fee for coming up with that initial vision and design plan for your project. In theory you could follow this plan even if you didn’t engage the designer all the way through the project. (Keep in mind that the term “design fee” can cover any number of services — check with your designer to find out what it means at his or her firm.)
Management fee. Designers may also charge a management fee for purchasing products and handling deliveries, which may be a percentage of the total purchase price.
When Do You Pay an Interior Designer?
Before you start working with an interior designer, you’ll want to sign a contract. This document should specify the exact work to be done, how much it will cost and when you will pay. Before you sign your contract, be sure you understand how much your designer charges for each service.
Pay special attention to how much it will cost you to make changes in your project midstream. While it may at times be tempting to swap out a flooring material or even (in extreme cases) to decide to scrap a plan entirely and ask your designer to come up with an alternative, these changes will usually cost you both time and money.
As mentioned, interior designers typically require some upfront payment to get started on a project. The rest of the payments will usually be due at certain project milestones, which can vary by firm. Check with your designer to find out the payment schedule for your project.
Working With Pros: When to Choose Full Design Services
Alternate Fee Structures
You may come across these other fees when you meet with a prospective designer:
Design fee. Some designers charge a design fee for coming up with that initial vision and design plan for your project. In theory you could follow this plan even if you didn’t engage the designer all the way through the project. (Keep in mind that the term “design fee” can cover any number of services — check with your designer to find out what it means at his or her firm.)
Management fee. Designers may also charge a management fee for purchasing products and handling deliveries, which may be a percentage of the total purchase price.
When Do You Pay an Interior Designer?
Before you start working with an interior designer, you’ll want to sign a contract. This document should specify the exact work to be done, how much it will cost and when you will pay. Before you sign your contract, be sure you understand how much your designer charges for each service.
Pay special attention to how much it will cost you to make changes in your project midstream. While it may at times be tempting to swap out a flooring material or even (in extreme cases) to decide to scrap a plan entirely and ask your designer to come up with an alternative, these changes will usually cost you both time and money.
As mentioned, interior designers typically require some upfront payment to get started on a project. The rest of the payments will usually be due at certain project milestones, which can vary by firm. Check with your designer to find out the payment schedule for your project.
Working With Pros: When to Choose Full Design Services
Interior design by Raychel Wade Design
Can You Afford to Hire an Interior Designer?
The good news is you can hire an interior designer for the level of service that fits your budget. Here are three levels of service many designers offer:
While there is no single answer to the question of how much does an interior designer cost — rates and fee methods will vary by firm and location — you should now be prepared to better understand interior design fees and how interior designers charge. This can be helpful background you as you meet with design professionals and consider which pros you’d like to work with.
Find interior design pros near you and see their work
More
Why You Might Want to Work With an Interior Design Pro
How to Work With an Interior Designer
8 Things Interior Designers Want You to Know
Can You Afford to Hire an Interior Designer?
The good news is you can hire an interior designer for the level of service that fits your budget. Here are three levels of service many designers offer:
- Full design services. The pro oversees everything from start to finish, from developing the vision to sourcing, ordering, inspecting, managing installation and dealing with any problems that come up along the way.
- A design plan. The pro provides a plan that includes all the information you’ll need to complete your project. For instance, a kitchen plan might include a layout, as well as the materials, fixtures and finishes to purchase to get the look. A living room plan might include space planning, furniture recommendations and lighting suggestions.
- A design consultation. The designer works on an hourly basis on a specific scope of work, perhaps a color consultation or help with space planning. Alternatively, a designer might offer his or her professional eye on a room you don’t know how to take to the next level. This latter type of design consultation tends to be more costly than a limited service such as a color consultation, since you get a wide range of the designer’s expertise directed at your space.
While there is no single answer to the question of how much does an interior designer cost — rates and fee methods will vary by firm and location — you should now be prepared to better understand interior design fees and how interior designers charge. This can be helpful background you as you meet with design professionals and consider which pros you’d like to work with.
Find interior design pros near you and see their work
More
Why You Might Want to Work With an Interior Design Pro
How to Work With an Interior Designer
8 Things Interior Designers Want You to Know
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I must say that with 35 years of experience in design, I have seen some horrible DIY mistakes. Recently, I have been considering buying or building another home. Looking through Real Estate sites for existing homes, I have seen some really bad decorating and design issues. These homes will be hard to sell, because most people have no vision. They only see what is there. If it is not functional or pleasing, it will be difficult for the buyers to envision it any other way. Some homes just have aesthetic issues that could be remedied with a fresh eye and years of experience. This could bring thousands of dollars to the sellers for a couple of hours of consultation time and some tasteful advice. Most people cannot even pick a paint color. Having someone come in and pick paint colors can change the whole dynamic of a home. Never underestimate years of experience in any field of endeavor. Choosing paint colors is an art. Ask anyone who has made many trips to the paint store and still can’t get it right. As an Interior Designer and Decorator, I have saved people hundreds of dollars by helping them make better choices. From changing house plans before they build, to remodeling existing homes to make them their dream homes. They have always told me that I saved them money and have always been pleased with the outcome. Sometimes they don’t listen, and are disappointed as a result. I always design for my clients, not to please myself. I don’t have to look at it every day, they do. Proportion and balance are two elements that are so extremely important, but are difficult to achieve if you don’t consider them. Interior Designers have an innate sense. We can ‘see’ in our mind’s eye the finished room and know how to make it happen. We are paid for our knowledge, experience, skills and taste. I charge by the hour and keep a log of my time. My clients trust me. I usually don’t even charge for all of my time, because I am a perfectionist and I just want everything to be right. I work with their budget, and stay in that range. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that never gets billed.
Jill,
EVERYTHING you said resonates. I also put in time that I don't bill for. It is the nature of really caring about the space and the vision, not just about making money.
Very informative article.