Understanding How Interior Designers Charge for Their Services

With no two clients or projects the same, interior designers often have a specific fee arrangement that allows them to adapt to a wide scope of services. Although most interior designers will vary in the particular combination of fees they generally charge, homeowners can better understand how interior design services generally work by becoming familiar with the different types of possible fees.

• Flat or fixed fee: This is an unchanging amount that covers a specified level of service that could range from consultation to entire project management from the starting concept phase to finish.
• Design fee: This fee is often based on square footage or a percentage of the project to specifically cover design services.
• Hourly rate: This fee is usually applied for requested and specified services and is obviously based on time spent on a project.
• Cost plus: This is a method selling items with an added percentage of the net or wholesale price.
• Retail: This fee refers to when the designer’s fees and services are covered by the difference in the wholesale cost of items and the retail price of items.
• Percentage fee: Common used by builders, this fee is applied through an agreed upon a percentage of the project's total cost.
• Square foot fee: Commonly used for commercial projects, this fee is calculated based on the square feet of the entire project.