Interior design quote template that wins the room

What belongs on an interior quotation format

This interior design quote template prices design services stage by stage: site visit and brief, concept boards and layout, lighting plan, furniture and finishes schedule, and a set number of revision rounds. Furniture purchases and contractor work sit outside the design fee unless you choose to add them. Use the sample in the quote maker, or download it as Word, Excel or PDF.

A clear interior quotation format separates the design fee from everything the client buys because of the design: furniture, fabric, lighting and contractor work. List each design stage with its deliverable, cap the revision rounds, and explain how you charge on purchases.

1. Site visit and briefMeasuring the rooms, photographing existing features and agreeing the brief, the budget and how the household uses the space.
2. Concept boards and layoutMood boards, a color and material palette, and a furniture layout drawn to scale.
3. Lighting planFixture positions, switching and dimming, with a note that an electrician installs and certifies the work.
4. Furniture and finishes scheduleEvery item with supplier, size, finish, quantity and price, so the client or contractor can order from it. Some studios call this the FF&E schedule.
5. Revision roundsHow many rounds of changes are included, and the hourly rate once they are used.
6. Procurement termsWhether you order items for the client and how you charge for it: a purchasing fee as a percentage, a markup on trade prices, or passing your trade discount on.
7. Site visits during worksVisits to check the contractor’s progress, priced per visit so nobody assumes they are free.
8. Styling and install dayPlacing furniture, hanging art and styling shelves when deliveries arrive, offered as an optional day rate.

Sample interior design quote with example prices

Linen & Oak Interiors is quoting Sara Haddad to design a family living room and dining area. Every line sits in the Design group: a $350 site visit and brief, concept boards and layout at $1,800, a lighting plan at $650, the furniture and finishes schedule at $900, and two revision rounds at $250 each, for a $4,200 subtotal. A styling day at $950 is optional, and the quote takes a 30% deposit. The fees are examples.

Edit the Linen & Oak Interiors quote

6 lines are filled in, from site visit and brief to styling day on install. Put in your own interior design rates, then download the PDF.

Open the interior design sample

How to price interior design services

Interior designers charge a flat fee per stage, an hourly rate, a fee per square foot, or a percentage of the project budget, and many add a purchasing fee on furniture they order. An interior design estimate reads most clearly when the design fee and any purchasing income are shown apart.

1. Flat fee per stageA price for each stage, as in the sample. The client knows what each deliverable costs and can pause after any stage.
2. HourlyTime at your rate, with estimated hours by stage. Good for consultations, color advice and projects where the brief is still loose.
3. Per square footA rate per square foot of designed space. Quick for whole home or office fit outs, less accurate for a single complicated room.
4. Budget percentage or purchasing feeA fee tied to the furnishing or renovation budget, or a purchasing fee on items you order. Explain both in plain words so the client sees how you are paid.

If you mark up trade priced furniture, check the margin with the markup calculator and state on the quote how purchases are charged. The materials markup guide walks through the arithmetic.

Worked example: a bedroom design with procurement

A client wants their main bedroom designed and wants you to order the furniture, on a $12,000 furnishing budget. The rates are examples.

1. Design hoursSite measure 3 hrs, concept 6 hrs, layout and lighting 5 hrs, schedule 4 hrs: 18 hrs in total.
2. Design fee18 hrs × $125 = $2,250.
3. Purchasing fee10% of the $12,000 furniture budget is $1,200, charged as items are ordered.
4. Total fees$2,250 + $1,200 = $3,450, not counting the furniture itself, which the client pays for at cost.
5. DepositA 30% deposit on the design fee is $675, paid before the site measure.

The number of rooms, how many custom pieces need drawings and whether you manage contractors change the hours far more than the floor area does.

Interior design inclusions and exclusions

Interior design quoting mistakes

Design fees are rarely the problem on their own. The trouble starts where the fee meets the furniture budget and the building work.

• Mixing the design fee with furniture prices, so the client thinks a $4,000 fee is part of a $20,000 total.
• Offering unlimited changes to the concept, then redrawing the layout for the fifth time.
• Not explaining your purchasing fee or markup, which feels hidden when the client spots the item cheaper online.
• Assuming site visits during the build are included and making six unpaid trips.
• Drawing a lighting plan without saying that an electrician must install and certify it.
• Starting the concept before the budget is agreed, then redesigning around cheaper pieces.