Short version: a good interior design contract puts the whole deal in plain language, scope, fee structure and estimated total, how furniture is billed, payment schedule, timeline, revisions, who owns the plans, and how to end it. The single most important clause is how furniture and materials are billed, because that's where the surprises hide. Vagueness anywhere is the warning sign. This pairs with the questions to ask before you hire.
A contract isn't red tape, it's the thing that keeps a project from going sideways. It protects you and the designer equally, by making the expectations explicit before any money or furniture moves. For anything beyond a single paid consultation, you want one.
What a good contract includes
- Scope of work. Which rooms, what's included (design only, or design plus sourcing and install), and what's explicitly out.
- Fee structure and estimated total. Hourly, flat, per room, or percentage, with a realistic estimate. Open-ended models should still carry a range.
- Furniture and materials terms. How they're billed, separately from the fee, and the exact method (see below).
- Payment schedule. Deposit, milestones, and what each payment is tied to. Deposits should map to deliverables.
- Timeline. Phases and rough dates, including that furniture lead times are outside the designer's control.
- Revisions. How many rounds are included and what extra rounds cost.
- Ownership and use. Who owns the plans and drawings, and whether the designer can photograph the finished work.
- Termination. How either side can end the agreement and what happens to deposits and work in progress.
The furniture clause (the big one)
If you read one clause carefully, make it this. Furniture is almost always billed separately from the design fee, and the contract should state exactly how: cost-plus (the designer's cost plus a stated percentage), a retail markup, or a trade discount passed to you. This single line prevents the biggest surprise in the business, the furniture invoice that lands far higher than expected. Get the method and the percentage in writing. For the full money picture, see what an interior designer costs.
Not ready for a full contract yet? A Fresh Eyes Visit is a simple, fixed-scope engagement, 90 minutes, a written plan in 48 hours, one room $350 to $500. No open-ended terms, no furniture markups, just a plan you own. Greater Philadelphia.
Red flags to catch
- No fixed scope or estimated total. "It depends," with nothing in writing.
- Vague furniture terms. No method, no percentage, or "we'll sort it out later."
- Big non-refundable deposits with no deliverables tied to them.
- No revision policy and no timeline. Both invite disputes later.
- No termination clause. You should always know how to walk away.
A clear, plain-language contract is itself a signal: it means the designer runs a real business and expects the relationship to be straightforward. Resistance to putting the basics in writing tells you the opposite.
Before you sign
Read the whole thing, and ask about anything that isn't spelled out, especially the fee estimate and the furniture method. If a clause is missing, that's not a reason to panic; it's a reason to ask the designer to add it. The good ones will, happily. Pair this with the questions to ask before you hire and how to find the right designer, and you'll sign with your eyes open.