How do interior designers charge for their work?
Despite the romanticism of the “starving artist,” without money, interior design businesses would fail. “There’s a word that people don’t learn in design school,” attorney Chris Noble jokes. “That word is ‘profit.’” Designers must get paid for their work, and there are as many ways to charge for those services as there are design styles. • FIXED FEE The designer sets a single total fee based on an estimated amount of hours, project size and scope, and sometimes expenditures. The project is invoiced and paid incrementally. • SQUARE FEET A common payment method for large modular office build-outs, where an average design-to-cost is easily spread out. The designer sets a per-square-foot fee. • HOURLY Not typically a big money maker, the designer is paid on demand, by the hour, with ranges averaging between $50 and $300 depending on the designer and where he or she is located. • COST PLUS The designer charges for the cost of materials, plus additional fees for administration and profit. If
