For homeowners planning a high-end interior
How Much Does an Interior Designer Cost?
Sviatoslav JerdetchiiCEO & Founder of Craftex. Updated , 5 min read
The short answer
An interior designer's cost depends on how the fee is charged and how much of the job they run. UK designers charge by the hour or day, as a percentage of the project cost, per room, as a fixed fee, or a mix.
- In the British Institute of Interior Design's 2019 survey, 51% of designers used a combination of charges.
- Most senior designers who charged by the hour asked up to £75; the rest asked £76 to £150 (same survey).
- Among designers charging a percentage, 6% to 10% of project costs was the most common band.
- The design fee is only part of the total: building work, furniture and VAT usually cost far more.
How much an interior designer costs depends on two things: how the fee is charged, and how much of the job the designer runs. A designer who only draws a concept costs far less than one who runs the scheme from survey to handover.
This guide explains the five ways UK designers charge, what drives the total and the questions to ask before you sign. It uses the British Institute of Interior Design's own fee survey, not guesses.
We are an interior designer in London that also builds what it draws, so we see both sides of the bill. Want the design and the build priced together? Book a free design consultation and we will walk the rooms with you.
Five ways interior designers charge fees
Most UK designers use one of five fee models, or a mix of them. The model decides who carries the risk when the brief grows.
| Fee model | How it works | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly or daily rate | Time spent, at an agreed rate | Advice, small or open-ended jobs | No fixed total |
| Percentage | A share of the project cost | Whole-house schemes with a build | Which costs it is measured on |
| Per room | One fee for each room | A few rooms, a clear scope | What counts as a room |
| Fixed fee | One figure for a defined scope | A brief that is settled | Extras charged on top |
| Combination | Different models for different stages | Most residential projects | Where one model hands over to the next |
In the BIID's 2019 survey of its members, 51% used a combination of charges. Of the rest, 21% used a fixed fee, 18% an hourly rate and 6% a percentage of total project costs. Most of the designers who combined charges worked mainly on homes.
Hourly and daily rates
An hourly rate pays for the time a designer spends: site visits, the brief, design work and drawings. It is common for early advice, when nobody yet knows how big the job will be.
The BIID survey asked for the hourly rate of each practice's most senior designer. For 59% it was up to £75, and for 41% it was £76 to £150. These are 2019 figures, so treat them as a guide to how rates spread, not as today's price.
A daily rate works the same way. Ask how many hours make a day, and for an estimate of the days the job needs. Without one, an hourly fee has no ceiling, and the BIID notes that clients often question the hours.
Percentage of the project cost
A percentage fee is a share of what the project costs to build and furnish. It suits whole-house schemes, and it is familiar to anyone who has paid an architect this way.
Only 6% of designers in the BIID survey charged by percentage. Of those, 53% charged 6% to 10%, 13% charged 11% to 15% and 33% charged more than 16%.
Agree in writing which costs the percentage is measured on. Building work, joinery, furniture and art can all be in or out. A percentage also rises with the budget, so ask how the fee changes if the scheme grows.
Very professional company. Craftex did brilliant minimalistic design and completely refurbished my apartment to the highest quality.
Per room fees for a smaller scope
Some designers quote one fee for each room. It suits a defined job, such as a drawing room, a kitchen or a principal bedroom suite, where the scope is easy to fix.
Ask what each room fee includes. A kitchen or a bathroom usually needs far more drawing than a bedroom, so the fees are rarely equal.
- A layout and a lighting plan
- Joinery and kitchen drawings
- Sourcing of furniture and finishes
- Visits to site during the build
Per room pricing is less suited to a whole house, where rooms share services, joinery and the build programme. There, a staged fee or a percentage is more common.
Fixed-fee models and staged fees
A fixed fee is one figure for a defined scope. You know the design cost before work starts, which is why many clients prefer it.
The BIID warns designers that a fixed fee depends on estimating time accurately. If the scope grows once the project is under way, a new fee has to be agreed. So the contract must state what the fixed fee includes and what is charged as extra.
A staged fee splits the work into concept, detailed design, procurement and site, the stages explained in what an interior designer does. Each stage carries its own fee, agreed before it starts. You can stop after any stage with drawings you own the right to use, if the contract says so.
Interior designer cost: what drives the total
The fee model sets how you pay. These six things set how much.
- Scope of service. A concept only costs a fraction of a scheme run to handover.
- Size and number of rooms. More rooms mean more drawings, samples and visits.
- Joinery and detailing. Bespoke wardrobes, panelling and kitchens need detailed drawings.
- The building. A listed house or a managed block adds surveys, consents and approvals.
- Procurement. Ordering, tracking and checking furniture and finishes takes time.
- Time on site. Weekly visits through a long build add up.
The design fee is also only part of the total. Building work, joinery, furniture, lighting and VAT usually cost far more than the design. Set the whole budget before you compare fees, and our guide to luxury home design costs will help.
Design and build vs a separate designer and builder
With a separate designer, you pay the design fee, then tender the scheme to builders. The build price is unknown until the tenders come back. If it lands over budget, you pay for redesign, and the programme slips.
With design and build, one company draws, prices and builds. Each design choice is costed while it is drawn, so the scheme you approve is one you can afford.
That is how we work. We do not publish a design fee, because every home and brief differs. We agree the fee for each stage in writing, once we have seen the rooms and heard the brief. At Kensington Olympia we designed and refurbished a 400 sq m penthouse in 12 weeks.
Our guide to the best interior designers in London sets out the checks to compare studios on.
Questions to ask before you sign
Put the same questions to every designer, and ask for the answers in writing.
The BIID's guidance lists the same building blocks: a brief, a schedule of services and a written design contract. The RIBA/BIID domestic contract for interior design gives a checklist of the key terms. When you are ready, book a free design consultation and we will set out how we would design, price and build your home.
Before you sign with an interior designer
- Which fee model do you use at each stage, and what does each stage deliver?
- What is included, and what is charged as extra work?
- Is VAT included in the figures you have quoted?
- How are furniture and finishes ordered, and do trade discounts come to me?
- How many site visits are included once the build starts?
- Who owns the drawings, and can I use them with another builder?
- What insurance do you hold, and how are disputes resolved?
