Almost every interior designer bills some version of three models: by the hour, a flat fee for a defined scope, or a percentage of what the project spends. Plenty of firms mix two. No single model is the right one. What matters is that it fits the size of your project and that you can see the total before you commit.
Below you'll find how each model works, where each one goes sideways, and how River Jane & Co. prices its own work.
Hourly
You pay for the time spent on your project. That can cover meetings, visits to the house, sourcing, drawings and phone calls. Some firms bill travel and admin at the same rate, some at a lower rate, and some not at all.
Hourly suits small or loosely defined jobs: a second opinion on paint, help arranging furniture you already own, one afternoon of shopping. It's harder to manage on a remodel or a new build, because nobody knows the hour count at the start.
An interior designer hourly rate by itself tells you very little. The number that matters is the rate times the hours. A lower rate with no estimate can end up costing more than a higher rate with a written cap. Rates swing with experience, market and what the hour includes, so compare what each hour actually covers before you compare the figures.
If a designer bills hourly, ask for:
- The rate for design time, and whether assistants, drafting and admin bill at a different rate.
- Whether drive time is billed, and from where.
- The billing increment, such as a quarter hour.
- A written estimate of hours for your scope, and what happens when you hit it.
- How often you'll get a statement of hours used.
Flat fee
A flat fee is a set price for a defined scope. You know the number before work starts, which is the big reason people like it. The designer carries the risk of the job running long, so the scope has to be written down clearly: which rooms, which deliverables, how many rounds of revisions and how many visits.
Flat fees go wrong when the scope is fuzzy. If the proposal says "design the kitchen" and you later add the pantry, the mudroom and the laundry, that's a change, and it should be priced as one. That's fair to both sides, as long as everyone knew what the fee covered from day one.
If a designer quotes a flat fee, ask what's included, what counts as a change, and how changes are priced.
Percentage of the project, or cost plus
Some designers charge a percentage of the construction budget or the furnishings budget. Others buy furniture at trade pricing and add a markup. Either way, the fee rises with what the project spends.
This model scales on big projects, and it pays for the heavy lifting of ordering and tracking furniture, which is real work. The catch is obvious: the designer earns more when you spend more. Lots of good designers work this way and still guard your budget. You should still know the basis.
Ask a percentage designer: a percentage of what, exactly? The construction contract, the furnishings, or both? Is the trade discount passed through or kept? Who pays freight and delivery, and how do returns work?
Hybrids are common
Many firms combine models. A typical setup is a flat or hourly design fee, then a separate arrangement for furnishings and ordering. Another is a retainer paid up front and billed against hours. A hybrid is fine. Just get every piece of it in writing, so the first invoice doesn't surprise you.
How River Jane & Co. prices its work
Each step is priced before it starts, and every project moves through the steps in the same order.
- First call
- Free, 15 minutes
- Consultation
- About an hour, in your home or virtual, depending on the project
- Design Strategy
- From $999 per room or space, and whole homes are quoted after your consultation: layout, selections, mood board and 3D rendering, a 30 minute review call and a final visit with samples
- Full design and project services
- Quoted from your approved Design Strategy
The free 15 minute call is where we hear what you're planning and tell you whether we're a good fit. Next comes a consultation, in your home or virtual, where we look at the space and agree on the scope. Your Design Strategy starts at $999 per room and covers the layout, selections, a mood board and a 3D rendering, followed by a 30 minute review call and a final visit with samples.
A whole home or several rooms is quoted after the consultation, once we know what the house needs. When the plan is approved, full design and project services (sourcing, ordering, and design management at key milestones) are quoted from it. That way the price is tied to decisions you've already made. More on each step in what happens in a Design Strategy.
Want a number for your project?
Book a 15 minute callQuestions to ask any designer before you sign
- What exactly is included in the fee, room by room?
- How are changes to the scope priced?
- Do you mark up furniture, lighting or materials, and by how much?
- Who pays for freight, receiving, storage and delivery?
- How many visits to the house are included?
- Will I see the full investment before anything is ordered?
- Can I take the plan to my own contractor for pricing?
- What happens to the fee if I pause the project partway through?
Which model fits which project?
One room or a refresh. A consultation or a small flat fee usually covers it. You need decisions and a clear list of what to buy.
A kitchen or bath remodel. Pay for a complete plan first: layout, tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting and cabinetry. With that in hand, every contractor prices the same scope, and you can compare bids line by line.
A new build or whole home. Fix the design scope in writing and have furnishings quoted from an approved plan. These projects run for months, so open ended hourly billing is the hardest to budget. More on our new build and whole home pages.
For what drives the total around the lake, read what an interior designer costs around Lake Travis. We work within about 28 miles of our Spicewood studio, Austin included, from Lakeway and Bee Cave to West Lake Hills.
