Interior design: compare quotes and prices

Define the commission through specific services and outputs

Advice, design, technical planning and construction management are different services. You can commission selected parts or a wider brief. Have the spaces, topics and stages included clearly stated, together with who will carry out the eventual work.

A furnishing studio, an interior designer and a wider design team can have different specialisms. Check experience with comparable projects and the responsibilities offered. The term interior design alone does not mean all specialist planning, purchasing or trade work is included.

Start with use and everyday life

Describe what is not working well and what should improve. More storage, better circulation, quiet working space, room for guests or a clear reception area are more specific than a style label alone. Light, privacy and future maintenance also matter.

Describe all affected areas together and state which furniture, surfaces or built-in elements should stay. You do not need a complete shopping list. Existing pieces can help shape the concept; reuse should be checked against their actual dimensions and condition.

• Homes. Consider everyday routines, working from home, privacy, shared use and possible future changes.
• Business premises. Describe activities, customer routes, room use and important operating needs.
• Priorities. Separate essential improvements from additional wishes so options can be assessed clearly.
• Existing elements. Identify furniture to retain, fixed connections and known constraints early.

Establish the existing spaces and planning stage

A new-build project, an existing interior and alterations already under way do not start from the same information. State what planning exists, which decisions are made and where you still need help.

Existing floor plans, sketches or product documents may help later. If reliable plans are missing, agree any necessary survey. An approximate affected floor area in square metres is enough for the initial enquiry; unknown technical dimensions can remain to be confirmed.

Also explain whether the spaces will remain occupied or operating during implementation. Phasing, temporary restrictions and important deadlines affect the approach. A move-in date is different from the date you want advice to start.

Develop layout, colours, materials and light together

The layout should first suit the way the space is used. Furnishing, materials, colours and lighting are then coordinated. A concept can strengthen existing qualities or prepare larger changes; it does not automatically mean replacing everything.

Plans, samples and images serve different purposes. A visualisation helps you imagine the space but does not replace checked dimensions or execution details. Clarify which representations are needed and how many options or revisions the quote includes.

For colours and surfaces, samples viewed in the actual light can help. Furniture also needs to suit its use, available space and care requirements. Purchasing support and sampling may be separate services and should be identifiable in the commission.

Coordinate building and technical changes

If layouts, built-in elements, lighting connections, kitchens or bathrooms change, design and technical planning need to agree. Structure, building services, acoustics, fire protection or accessibility may require additional specialists depending on the project.

Clarify who coordinates those participants and which services are included. A design idea is not technical approval for an alteration to the building. You do not need to diagnose wall construction or choose standards and technical evidence before making an enquiry.

Permits, consents and particular requirements depend on location, use and the proposed work. Agree who makes the necessary enquiries with owners, specialist planners and responsible authorities. An interior project is not automatically permit-free or automatically subject to a permit.

Agree design, purchasing and execution clearly

A room concept may be handed over for implementation you arrange yourself, or form the basis for further detailed planning. If you appoint trades yourself, usable documents and unresolved points should be identified. A product list is not a complete specification for building work.

For implementation support, clarify quote requests, contractor selection, orders, scheduling and checks separately. Agree who approves appointments and additional costs. Construction management does not automatically mean the design practice carries out the trade work itself.

When furnishing purchases are supported, ask how the advice is paid for and whether purchase conditions apply. Advice credited against product purchases has different conditions from an independently paid design commission. Check freedom of product choice and what remains payable without a purchase.

Compare design fees and implementation costs separately

The design fee may be offered by time spent, as an agreed fixed price or using an expressly defined calculation basis. Scope and output matter for comparison. A per-room concept is not equivalent to full execution planning with construction management.

One published Zurich example lists CHF 500 including VAT for a visit, initial advice, two proposals and sketches, capped at three to four hours including travel. It describes limited advice, not a Swiss average.

Furniture, materials, trade work and additional specialist planning are further costs. Have the fee, expenses and implementation budget shown separately. A low concept fee does not establish the cost of the finished interior.

Check included meetings, options, revisions, documents, purchasing support and site visits. With time-based billing, agreed progress reports and approval of additional work in advance can help. Clarify travel, expenses, VAT and how changes to the commission are handled.

Use a short checklist before commissioning

A clear agreement makes decisions and subsequent work easier. Also discuss how results will be handed over and which documents are provided for an agreed next stage.

• Scope. Affected spaces, services, aims and explicitly unresolved points.
• Outputs. Named plans, representations, material or product lists and the required level of detail.
• Responsibilities. Contact person, specialist planning, trades, orders and approval of changes.
• Fee. Calculation, included services, revisions, expenses and additional work.
• Timing. Decision points, required information and coordination with intended use.

From the first enquiry to handover

The sequence depends on the commission. Short advice may need fewer stages; building alterations need coordinated planning. Have unresolved decisions settled before ordering and carrying out work.

1. Describe the need. State the areas, use, required improvements, existing planning and deadlines.
2. Agree the information and commission. Clarify existing conditions, any survey, scope, outputs and fee.
3. Assess and approve the concept. Review options against the agreed aims and group revision requests clearly.
4. Prepare or support implementation. Coordinate detailed plans, quotes, specialists and execution as commissioned.
5. Receive the results. Review design documents or completed work together and record unresolved items.